Sukulaisuuden

Sukulaisuuden, or kinship, is the social and cultural system that defines relationships among people based on blood ties (verisukulaisuus) and marriage ties (affinity). It encompasses statuses, duties, rights, and reciprocity within families and communities, and it helps determine social roles, responsibilities, and how resources and care are shared. Kinship structures influence patterns of family formation, inheritance, child-reARING, residence after marriage, and cooperative arrangements in subsistence or economic life. A central analytic focus is descent—how groups trace ancestry and organize kin across generations. Descent rules are often described as patrilineal (through fathers), matrilineal (through mothers), or bilineal (through both lines), though many societies combine or modify these patterns. Kinship also involves terminology: the set of terms used to refer to relatives and the distinctions they encode, which vary across cultures and languages.

In many communities, kin relations extend beyond the nuclear family to include extended networks, affinal kin (relatives by marriage), and sometimes clan or lineage groups that provide mutual aid, support, or social legitimacy. Modern contexts see the continued relevance of kinship in identity, caregiving, and social obligation, even as family forms diversify due to divorce, adoption, and blended families. Legal and administrative systems often reference kinship for purposes such as inheritance, guardianship, and eligibility for benefits; practices differ by jurisdiction. In scholarly work, sukulaisuus is studied within anthropology, sociology, and demography to understand how kin ties shape social organization, gender roles, economy, and political life.