Marriage and the Family

Index to Marriage and Kinship / Descent

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Lineage

Source: Ernest L. Schusky, Manual for Kinship Analysis, 2nd ed. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972, p. 72.

Segmentary Lineages -- Brian Schwimme

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Moiety

Source: Ernest L. Schusky, Manual for Kinship Analysis, 2nd ed. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972, p. 75.

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Kinds of Descent Groups

• lineage = unilineal descent group based on demonstrated descent
  
  
• clan = unilineal descent group based on stipulated descent
  
  
• phratry = an association of clans in a unilineal system
  
  
• moiety = one of two descent groups in a given population; usually moieties intermarry
  • a dualistic association of phratries, clans, or lineages
    
    
• kindred = a (usually) non-corporate group that shares a common living ancestor

• incest -- sexual relations with a culturally-defined "close relative"
  
  
• exogamy -- rule requiring people to marry outside their own group
  
  
  • village exogamy
    
    
• endogamy -- marriage between people of the same group
  
  
  • class endogamy
    
    
• plural marriages (polygamy) -- any marriage with more than two spouses
  
  
  • polygyny -- variety of plural marriage in which several women simultaneously share one husband
    
    
    • seems to work out best when the wives are sisters ("sororal polygyny")
      
      
  • polandry -- variety of plural marriage in which a woman simultaneously has more than one husband
    
    
    • rare
    • e.g., Tibetans, and Todas of India are the most famous
    • children are usually bethrothed in infancy
    • when the wife becomes pregnant one of the brothers goes through the ceremony of "presenting the bow"
      • this makes him the jural father
      • there is little concern over the biological sire