Sociology: Family and Lineage Concepts

Family Orientation

• Family orientation refers to the family in which a person is born and raised.
• Family of procreation refers to the family formed when a person marries and has children.

Lineage and Descent

• Lineage, also known as lineal, refers to a group of people who trace their ancestry back to a common ancestor.
• Clan, also known as lineage, refers to a group of people who believe they are descended from a common ancestor, but the actual genealogical link isn't always clear.
• Descent traces lineage through either the father's side (patrilineal), mother's side (matrilineal), or both (ambilineal).
• Patrilocal refers to societies where couples live with the husband's family.
• Matrilocal refers to societies where couples live with the wife's family.
• Neolocality refers to societies where couples establish a new residence independent of their parents.

Social Status

• Ascribed status is a social position that an individual is born into, such as race, social class, or family.
• Achieved status is a social position that an individual earns or achieves through their actions, such as becoming a doctor or a musician.

Belief Systems

• Animism is the belief that spirits and supernatural powers inhabit the natural world.
• Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods.
• Monotheism is the belief in a single god.
• Mana refers to a belief in supernatural powers that can be accessed through rituals or objects.

Rites of Passage

• Rites of passage are ceremonies that mark transitions in an individual's life.
• They involve three phases:
  • Separation: The individual is removed from their old status.
  • Liminality: The individual is in a state of transition, with neither their old nor new status.
  • Incorporation: The individual is reintegrated into society with their new status.

Levels of Political Organization

• Band is a small, egalitarian group of people, usually related by kin, who live together and share resources.
• Tribe is a larger social group, typically consisting of multiple bands, who share a common culture and language, often led by a chief or headman.
• Chiefdom is a hierarchical society with centralized leadership, with power vested in a chief or lineage, often with a complex system of social stratification.
• State is a highly complex society with a centralized government, a system of laws, and a professional bureaucracy.

Sexual Orientation

• Heterosexual refers to attraction to members of the opposite sex.
• Homosexual refers to attraction to members of the same sex.
• Bisexual refers to attraction to members of both sexes.

Other

• Edward Burnett Tyler is considered a founder of Anthropology and the study of religion.
• Sororate is a custom where, if a wife dies, her sister replaces her in the marriage.
• Levirate is a custom where, if a husband dies, his brother marries his widow.

Explore the intricate concepts of family orientation, lineage, and descent in sociology. This quiz covers various family dynamics, social status, and living arrangements across cultures. Test your understanding of the different types of family structures and their implications.