Anthropology & Sociology: Family and Kinship

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the interrelation between family and religion as social institutions?

A family maintaining minimal contact with relatives who hold different religious beliefs to avoid potential conflicts.
A family choosing to send their children to public schools instead of religious schools due to financial constraints.
A family deciding to relocate to a new neighborhood for better job opportunities, regardless of the local religious community.
A family adhering to specific dietary laws and celebrating religious holidays together, influencing their daily routines and values. (correct)

Considering the functionalist perspective on families, which statement best describes a family's role in society?

Families reinforce power structures by mirroring societal hierarchies within their internal dynamics.
Families serve as a primary source of economic inequality by concentrating wealth within certain lineages.
Families contribute to social stability by socializing children and providing emotional support to their members. (correct)
Families perpetuate conflict by favoring certain members over others, leading to competition and resentment.

In the context of kinship systems, what implications arise if an individual primarily affiliates with their maternal kin in a society with strong patrilineal traditions?

The individual would likely gain increased access to resources and political alliances through their mother's lineage.
The individual would seamlessly integrate into the patrilineal society, experiencing no significant social or economic consequences.
The individual might face social challenges or reduced access to resources typically inherited through the father's side. (correct)
The individual's decision would have no impact on their access to resources or political alliances within the kinship system.

How does the increasing prevalence of stepfamilies and single-parent households impact the traditional understanding of the nuclear family?

It challenges the notion of the nuclear family as the dominant or exclusive family form, highlighting diverse family arrangements. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Consider a society where kinship ties heavily influence resource distribution and political alliances. If an individual belongs to a less powerful kin group, what is the most likely consequence?

The individual might face limited access to resources and reduced political influence compared to those in more powerful kin groups. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a primary factor influencing the division of labor by sex in many societies?

The biological imperative for women to engage in warfare. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In arranged marriages, the importance of romantic love is often secondary to what primary consideration?

The consolidation of social and economic ties between kin groups. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary adaptive advantage of exogamy?

Creating a wider social network for support and protection. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern that motivates endogamous marriage practices, such as those seen in the traditional Indian caste system?

Maintaining social purity and preventing perceived contamination from outside groups. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios exemplifies the levirate custom?

A man is obligated to marry his brother's widow to continue the lineage. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the sororate custom function to maintain social stability and family continuity?

By obligating a woman to marry her deceased sister’s husband, preserving the relationship between the families. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Among the different forms of polygamy, which is more commonly practiced, and what are the potential socio-economic factors contributing to its prevalence?

Polygyny; linked to increased male status and economic productivity through larger families. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In societies practicing polyandry located in regions like Nepal and Tibet, what is a plausible explanation for this marital arrangement?

Limited land resources, prompting brothers to share a wife and prevent fragmentation of land ownership. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In a society with ambilineal descent, what is the primary factor determining an individual's affiliation with a kin group?

A flexible system where individuals can choose affiliation through either their mother's or father's line. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates unilineal descent?

A person is considered part of their father's family but not their mother's. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between a lineage and a clan in unilineal descent systems?

Lineages trace descent from a common ancestor through known links, while clans believe they are descended from a common ancestor but cannot specify the genealogical links. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of unilineal descent groups, what distinguishes a moiety from other kinship structures?

A moiety represents one half of a society, with the other half being another unilineal group, but without specified links to a common ancestor. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of how unilineal descent groups can regulate marriage?

By establishing rules of exogamy, requiring individuals to marry outside their descent group. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary distinction between consanguineal and affinal kin?

Consanguineal kin are related by blood, while affinal kin are related by marriage (in-laws). (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is the Royal Anthropological Institute's 1951 definition of marriage, as 'a union between a man and a woman such that the children born to the woman are recognized as the legitimate offspring of both partners,' considered incomplete?

Because it excludes same-sex marriages and other culturally recognized forms of marriage. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to Murdock's perspective, what is the essential combination that defines marriage?

A socially approved sexual and economic union between a man and a woman. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Family

A social institution intertwined with other institutions like religion.

Nuclear Family

Consists of parents and children living together.