Kinship

Kinship

Introduction and definition:

Kinship is the relation by the bond of blood, marriage and includes kindred ones. It represents one of the basic social institutions. Kinship is universal and in most societies plays a significant role in the socialization of individuals and the maintenance of group solidarity. It is very important in primitive societies and extends its influence on almost all their activities. A.R Radcliffe Brown defines kinship as a system of dynamic relations between person and person in a community, the behavior of any two persons in any of these relations being regulated in some way and to a greater or less extent by social usage.
Kinship can refer both to the study of the patterns of social relationships in one or more human cultures, or it can refer to the patterns of social relationships themselves. Over its history, anthropology has developed a number of related concepts and terms, such as descent, descent groups, lineages, affines, cognates and even fictive kinship.
Broadly, kinship patterns may be considered to include people related both by descent (one's social relations during development), and also relatives by marriage. Human kinship relations through marriage are commonly called "affinity" in contrast to the relationships that arise in one's group of origin, which may be called one's "descent group". In some cultures, kinship relationships may be considered to extend out to people an individual has economic relationships with, or other forms of social connections. Within a culture, the descent groups may be considered to lead back to gods, or animal ancestors..
Kinship can also refer to a perceived universal principle or category of humans, by which we or our societies organize individuals or groups of individuals into social groups, roles, categories, and genealogy. Family relations can be represented concretely (mother, brother, grandfather) or abstractly after degrees of relationship. A relationship may have relative purchase (e.g., father is one regarding a child), or reflect an absolute (e.g., status difference between a mother and a childless woman). Degrees of relationship are not identical to heirship or legal succession. Many codes of ethics consider the bond of kinship as creating obligations between the related persons stronger than those between strangers, as in Confucian filial piety.

Every human society recognizes the existence of some kind of kinship system in the whole world. Today kinship plays a vital role in controlling individual behavior and in maintaining social cohesion. Kinship relations are based on blood ties and marriage. The relation based on blood, or marriage may be close or distant. The bond of blood or marriage which binds people together in group is called kinship.

Characteristics of Kinship:
On the basis of various analyses, characteristics of kinship relationship can be mentioned in this way as following:

1.      Kinship system prevails in each society. It is universal.

2.      Kinship system is developed through affinal and consanguinal relationship and lineage.

3.      kinship system is developed through marriage, blood relationship, fictive relationship, adopting relationship, listening religious hymns from teacher etc.

4.      use of kinship differs as per the prevailing cultural specificities of given society.

5.      kinship system focuses on who will be the successor of property.

According to Giddens, "Kinship comprises either genetic ties or ties initiated by marriage."

Types of kinship

Kinship bonds are of different types. They vary from society to society. Some types of kinship are mentioned below.
On the basis of Blood and Marriage relationship kinds are divided into (i) Consanguineous and (ii) Affinal kins (iii) others
(i) Consanguineous kins
It is based on blood relations. This type of relationship exists between parents and their children and between the children of the same parents. This kind of kinship refers to a son, daughter, sister, parental uncle, etc. This type of kinship may be actual or supposed. In a polyandrous tribe the actual father of a child is unknown. An adopted child is treated as if it were one's own biologically produced child. Thus blood relationship may be established not only on biological basis but also on the basis of social recognition.
(ii) Affinal kins
The term 'affinity' means relation by marriage. Thus Affinal kinship refers to the bond established only after marriage. Thus, marriage creates a host of relationships which are called Affinal kinship. The relationship of husband with wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law etc. is of Affinal nature.
(iii) Others:
Kinship developed by fictive relationship, adopting of children, learning of religious hymns etc can put under this. The adopted kinship cannot be undermined as the adopted child has right over the ancestral property. Fictive kinship has also played an important role in the society. If a person regards teacher after learning religious sacred hymns from other that relationship is also important in our society.
On the basis of nearness and distant relationship kins can be divided into three types - 1. Primary kin, 2. Secondary kin, and 3. Tertiary kin.
1. Primary kins
The persons who are directly and physically close to one another are called primary kin. According to S.C. Dube, there are eight such relations. They include husband-wife, father-son, father-daughter, mother-daughter, mother-son, younger-elder sisters, younger-elder brothers, and brother-sister.
2. Secondary kins
The secondary kins are those persons who are related through primary kin. Persons such as father's father, mother's father brother's daughter, father's sister, sister's husband are some of the secondary kins. The number of secondary kins came to 33 types.
3. Tertiary kins
The tertiary kins are those persons who are the primary kin of the secondary kin. The kin of this kind include the husband's brother's wife, wife's brother's wife and the like.

Social significance of Kinship system:
Kinship is taken as an important social institution in the social system, which plays a remarkable role in operation of the social cycle. It makes it possible to establish and continue social interactions among people. Kinship can be seen in any form in the society, thus can be regarded as a universal social unit of social system. Social significance of kinship system can be described as follows:

1.      A kinship system determines the status of individual and also determines the base of social relationship.

2.      Establishment of lineage, its continuation and determination of successor is possible only through kinship system

3.      It helps in exchanging cooperation, support, motivation within family and among relatives.

4.      In difficulties kinship system exchanges economic, social, cultural and other helps.

5.      It determines the roles and responsibilities of people to each other.

6.      Kinship system can be taken as a means of social integration.