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What is Marriage?

Marriage as an institution regulates sexual relationships among humans. It gives cultural sanction and social approval to the union between males and females.

What is Family?

A family, in general, is a group based on marriage and marriage contracts, including recognition of the rights and duties of parenthood, common residence for husband wife and children and reciprocal economic obligation between husband and wife.

What is Kinship?

Kinship: Family is a group consisting of close relatives and these relatives are known as kins. Kinship is the relationship between persons by blood or marriage. It is a method of reckoning relationships.

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Definition of Marriage

[su_quote cite=”Kathleen Gough, British Anthropologist”]A relationship between a woman and one or more other persons, which provides that a child born to the woman under circumstances not prohibited by the rules of relationship is accorded full birth status, rights common to normal members of his society for social stratum.[/su_quote]

[su_quote cite=”Westermarck, Finnish Anthropologist”]As a relation of one or more men to one or more women which is recognized by custom or law and involves certain rights and duties both in the case of parties entering the union and in the case of children born of it.[/su_quote]

Definition of Family

[su_quote cite=”1957, World Ethnographic Sample”]A family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It includes both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted” – George Peter Murdock, An American anthropologist[/su_quote]

[su_quote cite=”Robert H Lowie, an American Anthropologist”]Family is a group based on marital relations, rights and duties of parenthood, common habitation, and reciprocal relations between parent and children[/su_quote]

Definition of Kinship

[su_quote cite=”Author”]In all societies, people are bound together in groups by various kinds of bonds. The most universal and the most basic of these bonds, that which is based on reproduction and inherent human drive, is called kinship[/su_quote]

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Types of Marriage

Generally, there are two types of marriage, namely, monogamy and polygamy which are commonly seen all over the world. Here, the type of marriage depends upon the number of spouses involved in the marriage. Different forms and sub-types of marriage are given in the following chart:

1. Monogamy
2. Polygamy

Monogamy

Monogamy is a type of marriage in which an individual has a single spouse at a given time. It has two sub-forms, serial monogamy and non-serial monogamy.

1. Serial Monogamy: Serial monogamy is a sub-form of monogamy in which an individual has several spouses in succession. For instance, the Semangs of Malay forest in Malaysia, limit themselves to one wife. In case of divorce or death of a wife, Semang marries again and again and leads a monogamous life.

2. Non-Serial Monogamy: Non-serial monogamy is a sub-form of monogamy in which an individual has the same single-spouse life-long.

Polygamy

Polygamy is a type of marriage in which an individual has multiple spouses at any time. Polygamy has three sub-forms: polygyny, polyandry and polygynandry.

1. Polygyny
2. Polyandry
3. Polygynandry

Polygyny

Polygyny is the sub-form of polygamy in which male has multiple wives at any time. Naga, Baiga and Gond are some of the tribes that practise polygyny. Polygyny exists in two types: sororal polygyny and non-sororal polygyny.

Polyandry

Polyandry is the sub-form of polygamy in which a woman has multiple husbands at any given time. The shortage of women was explained as one of the reasons for the practice of polyandry. Polyandry appeared in two sub-forms: fraternal polyandry (adelphic polyandry) and non-fraternal polyandry (non-adelphic polyandry).

Polygynandry

Polygynandry is a sub-form of polygamy in which a man has multiple wives and a woman has multiple husbands at any given time. It shows the co-existence of polygamy and polyandry. These different forms of marriage may be because of poverty, prestige, power, limited resources, etc.

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Types of Family

Broadly, there are two types of families namely:

1. Nuclear Family
2. Composite

Nuclear Family

The nuclear family is also known as the Monogamous family. This is formed as a result of monogamous marriages, marriage between one man and one woman. Thus, the nuclear family consists of a married man and woman with their offspring.

In some, cases additional persons may reside with them. The nuclear family is known by different names – Elementary family, Basic family, Conjugal family and Primary family.

Composite

Composite family: Composite family is an aggregation of two or more nuclear families. It can be through marriages as well as through parent-child relationships.

The composite family is of two types:

1. Polygamous
2. Extended Family

Polygamous

A polygamous family consists of two or more nuclear families formed through plural marriages namely, Polygyny and Polyandry. Thus, they form the Polygynous family and Polyandrous family respectively.

Extended Family

An extended family consists of two or more nuclear families formed by the parent-child relationship. Depending on the residence after marriage, the extended family is divided into patrilocal family, matrilocal family, avanculocal family and bilocal family.

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Types of Kinship

Kinship or kin relationships are usually classified into two broad categories:

1. Consanguineal Relationship
2. Affinal Relationship

Consanguineal Relationship

Consanguineal Relationship: If the kin is related by blood, it is called a consanguineal relationship. Parent-children relationship as well as the relationship between siblings, that is, children of same parents, comes under Consanguineal relationship. An adopted child is treated as biologically produced offspring. So such child is Consanguineal kin.

Affinal Relationship

Affinal Relationship: When kins are related by marriage it is called an affinal relationship. The relatives formed through marital relationships are called Affinal kins. The relationship between husband and wife and their relatives come under affinal kinship. To reckon the kin relationship we use different symbols and abbreviations in anthropology.

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FAQs About Marriage, Family, and Kinship

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