Transcript Families
Families Professor Janaki Natalie Parikh [email protected] Families • • • • • • • Concept that means diff’t things to diff’t ppl Every person has a family of orientatn Some will have a family of procreatn Diff’t shapes & sizes, 2 distinctns: Types of kin: affinal, consanguineal, fictive Nuclear family: what is that? 2 Parents & their children, non-permt unit • Expanded family: non-nuclear relatives • Household: task oriented resident’l unit where productn, consumptn, inherit’ce & child-rearing are accomplished • Extended family: expanded family ntwk w/ 3 or more generatns present • U.S. tends to privilege the nuclear fam. as an ideal family type, a “refuge” of sorts Domestic Violence • The reality is somewhat stark by comparison: • In the U.S.: nearly 1/3 of American ♀ (31%) report being physically &/or sexually abused by a male partner (husband, boyfriend) at some pt. in their lives • In the U.S., 4 ♀ a day are killed by their battering significant other • Around the world: Canada (29%), Uganda (41%!), U.P. India (45%!) Abuse against ♂ & lack of reporting http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181574.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4468396.stm Patterns of descent • Bilateral descent: descent traced equally through ♂& ♀: network assoc. w/: kindred • Unilineal descent: descent traced through only 1 parent: • 2 types of unilineal: matrilineal & patrilineal • Network assoc. w/ unilineal: lineage & clan • Clan: collectn of closely related lineages • Lineages may have corporate fxns (can own propty as a grp, rather than individually) Descent networks • Kindred: an ego centered network of bilateral kin • Doesn’t have a cohesive common identity like a lineage • Unique to individ’s., only full siblings share same kindred • All other relatives will have distinct kindreds Kin Charts • Tracing patrilineage & matrilineage • Identifying types of cousins Parallel & Cross cousins • Parallel cousins: childn Of same sexed siblings • Cross cousins: childn of opposite sexed siblings • Apical ancestor: original ancestor of a lineage • Clans may be totemic: apical ancestor linked to a feature of the nat’l environ. Cross-cult’l alternatives to the nuclear family • Nayar: tribal group from Malabar coast of S. India • Matrilineal descent • ♂: tracing back to Chola Wars extens. involvemt in military campaigns • tarawad: extd. family compound headed by a sr ♀ • Ofcl marriage at maturity, for both not regarded significant since paternity not an issue Marriage • Incest taboo: (c. univers.) prohibitns against sexual relatns w/ a close relative • Endogamy: rules that dictate marriage w/in one’s own grp • Exogamy: rules that dictate marriage outisde of one’s own grp Functions • Functns of exogamy: widens netwk of alliances • Functns of endogamy: maintains grp distinctns • Caste (jati) as an extreme form of endogamy: w/in are subcastes & sub-sub castes, etc However, oft. divided into separate lineages that marry exogamously for lineage & endogamous for caste -Dbl standards: separate set of expectatns for 2 grps, favoring 1 grp Post marital residce patterns • • • • • Matrilocal: coup. Resides w/ bride’s family/commty Patrilocal: coup. Resides w/ groom’s fam./commty Ambilocal: can choose to live w/ either Neolocal: coup. sets up a new household Avunculocal: coup. Resides w/ groom’s mother’s brother (specif. to matrilineal socieities) Forms of marriage • • • • • • Monogamy: both partners have only 1 spouse Technically, what do we have? Serial monogamy:series of monogam. relatnships polygamy: 2 types Polygyny: sing. ♂ married to mult. ♀ Polyandry: sing. ♀ married to mult. ♂ -Same sex marriage: benefits afforded by marriage -Pangamy (group marriage) Fraternal polyandry • Fraternal polyandry: Himalayas (Tibet) • A ♀ marries a ♂ & all of his brothers • Young ppl growing up in Tibet have a choice & will oft. select this arrangemt • Why? • Find out in AE: When Brothers Share A Wife Customary gifts @ marriage • Bridewealth: gifts from groom & his kin to bride & her kin @ time of marriage • Dowry: gifts from bride & her kin to groom & his kin @ time of marriage • Neither is a purchase, simply making intentns known not unlike a customary gift we give… • 1 of these has a hist. of being abused, which one? dowry, burning & deaths • • • • • • Nuer: strongly patrilin.& patrilocal (low divorce rate) Genitor: biolog. father Pater: socially recognized father (secured by bridewlth) Bridewealth traditn, Nuer wealth determined by? Ghost marriage ♀-♀ marriage: • Sororate: if a bride dies young, her close kin may provide a substitute (oft. her sister) • Reasons: continues alliance, no need for 2nd bridewealth transfer • Levirate: If a husband dies young, his widow marries his brother • Plays out difft than sororate, due to age factor