SYSTEM OF KINSHIP (KEY POINTS TOT REMEMBER)

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UPSC MAINS SOCIOLOGY SYALLABUS – Paper 1  –  Chapter 9 – Systems of Kinship

(a)   Family, household, marriage.
(b)   Types and forms of family.
(c)   Lineage and descent
(d)   Patriarchy and sexual division of labour
(e)   Contemporary trends.

 

  • Kinship is the most universal and basic of all human relationships and is based on ties of blood, marriage, or adoption.
  • The kinship system refers to a set of persons recognized as relatives, either, by virtue of a blood relationship technically called consanguinity, or by virtue of a marriage relationship, that is through what is called affinal or conjugal relationship.
  • Raymond Firth in his ‘Two Studies of Kinship in London, 1956’ makes a further distinction in terms of ‘effective kin’ and ‘non-effective kin’ based upon extent of regular contact between kinship members.


FIVE IMPORTANT BASES OF KINSHIP

  • According to Harry Jhonson, kinship has five important bases –
    I. Sex – It indicates sex of blood and conjugal relations in nomenclature like ‘brother’ and ‘sister’, ‘husband’ and ‘wife’.
    II. Generation – For example the nomenclature – ‘father’ and ‘son’.
    III. Closeness and intimacy – As in case of husband and wife.
    IV. Blood relations – As in case of mother and child.
    V. Lineage


TYPES OF KINSHIP

  • Consanguineal: This kinship is based on blood—or birth.
  • Affinal: This kinship is based on marriage.
  • Social: Schneider argued that not all kinship derives from blood (consanguineal) or marriage (affinal). There are also social kinships, where individuals not connected by birth or marriage may still have a bond of kinship, he said.


RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP

  • Helps people better understand their relationships with each other.
  • Sets guidelines for communication and interactions among people.
  • Based on descent and lineage, kinship determines family-line relationships—and even sets rules on who can marry and with whom, says Puja Mondal in “Kinship: Brief Essay on
  • Kinship.” Kinship is important to a person and a community’s well-being.
  • Maintains unity, harmony, and cooperation among relationships.