Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

KINSHIP AND MARRIAGE

I. TOPICS:
1. The Concept of Family
2. Marriage Systems
3. Kinship
4. Descent Groups

II. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Through discussion and the module, the learners are able to:
1. Trace kinship ties and social networks.
2. Compare different types of kinship based on lineage
3. Discuss the functions of family and marriage; and
4. Identify the different types of families based on the number of spouses and residential
patterns.

III. INTRODUCTION

Man is a gregarious animal; in other words, man lives in social groupings. Understanding man
and society implies appreciating and understanding the very nature of man and the structural
organization of human society. This very nature of man not wanting to live in isolation but instead in
association with fellow humans necessitated the need for man to create the institutions of the family
and marriage, kinship and decent systems through which every individual in the social group develops
an identity and a distinctive origin. The institutions of the family, marriage, kinship and decent systems
are the basic social building blocks in any society linking otherwise separate groups in a common social
unit (Kottak 2004: 487).
This module discusses the vital role of family in the society. Furthermore, it is also centralized in
understanding kinship, marriage, descent groups which are categorically divided in every part of the
discussion. An activity about kinship diagram will follow afterwards.
Note: Please read and understand the entire module first before doing the activity.

IV. DISCUSSION:
PART 1. FAMILY – simply defined as the smallest unit of the society.
• Ferraro and Andreatta (2010) defined family as a “social and economic unit that consists of
one or more parents and their children”.

A. Sociological Theories of Family

Functionalism and the Family Family: Conflict Family: Symbolic
Perspective Interactionism

The Family Satisfies Common Social ✓Power relationships

Functions: • Men control ✓ People construct their
✓ Socialization wealth own families
✓ Family is responsible for primary • Norms require • No two families are
care and early learning women to do most alike
✓ Birth; regulates sexual activity domestic chores ✓ Family is source of major
✓ Choosing mates and perpetuating Perpetuation of roles and identity
population social inequality • As new roles are
✓ Economic • Family is a model learned
• Assigning assets of patriarchy that • New concepts of
• Important economic production dominates society reality are created
and consumption unit
✓ Support and comfort
• Help with problems
✓ Social placement
• Children inherit status and class of
parents
 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

B. Forms of Family
• According to Ingiabuna and Obaro (2009) families are categorized based on the number and
generations of people involved in the family groups and the leadership or power/authority holders
in the group.
1. Nuclear Family: refers to a couple along with any dependent, unmarried children who share
a residence and form a social unit. In other words, it is made up of a husband, wife and
dependent children living together in a single dwelling.
2. One or Single Parent Family: This consists of one parent and his or her children. One-parent
families may be formed through widowhood, divorce, or separation. They may also be
formed when an unmarried person, usually a woman, raises children on her own.
3. Extended Family: Units larger than the nuclear family are usually known as the extended
families; they are extended nuclear units (Haralambos and Holborn 2008).
4. Blended Families: This is a family made up of a couple and children either or both raised in an
earlier marriage, and children they raised together (if any). Most people who divorce
eventually get remarried.
5. Compound Family: This form of family organization can be seen as an overlapping set of
nuclear families, each with the same man as family head.
• It consists of a man (head of households); his wives and concubines who live in
different homestead with their children. In this case, the wives become head of their
own respective household while the man rules and runs all households.
C. Types of Family According to Authority and Power Structure
• Authority and decision making in the family varies from society to society and as earlier
mentioned authority structure is one of the parameters to categorize families. The following
kinds of families have been identified based on authority and power structure:
1. Patriarchal Family: In this kind of family structure, decision making authority and power lies in
the hands of the man whether be it a nuclear family, single family or an extended family.
Male headed households are obtainable in most societies; and in absence of the man, the
eldest son becomes the leader of the household.
2. Matriarchal Family: This is a female headed family. Matriarchal family is sometimes called
“matrifocal‟ family (Haralambos and Holborns 2008). Here authority is vested on the woman,
resulting especially where the man or husband of a woman has died, or when the men
desert their wives.
3. Egalitarian Family: This describes an arrangement in the family where power and decision-
making authority are equally distributed between the husband and wife.

PART 2. MARRIAGE
• The beginning of a legitimate family is marked by a socially and culturally acceptable legally
consummated union called marriage.
• Smith and Preston (1982) on their part conceptualized marriage to be an enduring socially
approved sexual and economic relationship between at least two persons.
• From the foregoing, it is deducible that the conventional definition of marriage is that it is a
union between a man and a woman such that children born to the woman are recognized
as legitimate offspring of both parents. However, Okodudu (2010) assert that the idea of
marriage has changed in recent times. In much of the Western European countries, marriage
has been conceptualized as a union between two consenting adults irrespective of their
sexes with or without approval from their parents of family; hence same sex marriages are
being contracted today without the possibility of having children, except that it is a
relationship between two consenting adults that has been recognized by law.
• The Family Code of the Philippines (Executive Order 209 s. July 6, 1987) defines marriage as a
special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in
accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.
A. Forms of Mate Selection
• In selecting a marriage partner, certain social dimensions are considered:
a. Endogamy: This is a marriage practice of selecting mates only from within one’s own social
group, especially from one’s own ethnic group.
b. Exogamy: This is mate selection outside one’s social group or ethnic group.
c. Hypergamy: A marriage between a high-class man and a low-class woman in society.
 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

d. Hypogamy: Marriage between a high-class woman and a low-class man.

e. Homogamy: Mate selection based on similar characteristics between couple such as;
educational, religious and race affiliation.
B. Types of Marriages
1. Monogamy: This is a form of marriage between one man and a woman. This implies that a man
can have only one wife at a time.
• Should any reason arise for the man to marry another wife, the first marriage must be
dissolved through divorce or death of a spouse. A man whose wife dies could marry
another one in what is called serial monogamy.
2. Polygamy: is a form of marriage in which a person has more than one mate.
• Polygamy has two sub-divisions:
i. Polygyny which has to do a man having more than one wife. Most traditional Nigerian societies
practice this kind of marriage or the Muslim societies.
ii. Polyandry which involves a woman having more than one husband. This practice was
dominant in parts of India and Tibet; Lele of central Africa.
3. Group Marriage: As the name suggests, in this type of marriage all men share marital relations with
a group of women.
• This implies that a group of men and women are married to one another. They all share
reciprocal obligations, as it is required in all marriages jointly. No one particular man owns
a wife and vice versa (Okodudu 2010).
4. Levirate Marriage: This is a type of marriage where a widow is expected to marry her late
husband’s brother. The brother is then expected to extend all support to her as if she was his in the
first place.
5. Ghost Marriage: This is a marriage arrangement whereby in order to perpetuate the name of a
dead male member of a family, a living brother gets married to a woman on behalf of the dead
brother who died a bachelor hence never had an opportunity to get married or raise a family.
• In this case the wife is socially married to the dead man whom she probably never knew
and the children born belongs to the dead man who is the Pater (Social Father), while
the living brother happens to be the Genitor (Biological Father).
6. Woman-to-Woman Marriage: In this kind of marriage, a wealthy barren woman acquires a wife
by performing all traditional rites and pay appropriate bride wealth.
• The woman becomes the husband while the lady being married becomes the wife. The
female husband determines the manner of allocation of her sexual favors by screening
and approving her sexual partners (Ingiabuna 2012).
7. Child-to-Child Marriage: In this kind of marriage, parents of betrothed children make perfect the
marriage pact as soon as the boy was of school age between 5-7 years.
• The children are formally married by their parents and allowed to grow under the watch
for eyes of the parents. This practice was found to have existed among the Oron people
of Akwa Ibom State by Charles (2008).
8. Sororate and Sororal Polygyny: Sororate marriage is culturally opposite to levirate marriage.
According to Gluckman (1975), in sorate, the sister of the dead wife is culturally required to marry
the late sister’s husband, (serial monogamy).

PART 3. KINSHIP
A. Kinship – refers to the “web of social relationships” that humans form as part of a family, which is
the smallest unit of the society.
• Kinship is one of the main organizing principles of human societies which have its roots in the
predominant extended family.
• Radcliffe-Brown (1952) define kinship as a social construct that expresses the social relationship
between an ego, his parents and siblings.
• From the foregoing, blood ties happen to be the basis for kinship, however kinship goes beyond
actual biological ties or a common ancestry; but they are socially constructed by people within
a culture (Ewuruigwe (1994) when he asserted that kinship is a socially recognized fact based
on the assumption of genealogical connection between a person and his forebears, real or
putative.
B. Four Principles of Kinship
a. Blood or consanguinity – connected by blood relationship
 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

2 Types:
i. Descendants – involve people of next generations related to a person through his/her
children.
ii. Ascendants – involve relatives from the earlier generations directly to the person.
b. Marriage or affinity – person who are related to each other because of marriage, such as
parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and the like.
c. Adoption – relationship ensued from the process assuming the parenting of a child, transferring
permanently all the rights and responsibilities of the biological parents to the adopting parents.
d. Ritual or fiction – not related by blood or marriage e.g. Godfather, a very close friend, etc.

PART 4. DESCENT SYSTEMS

• Decent group which is closely related to kinship is any social group which membership depends
on common descent from a real or mythical ancestor (Kottak 2004). In other words, descent
groups are kin groups who are lineal descendants of a common ancestor.
• Descent groups may be lineages or clan who traces genealogy to one apical ancestor who
stands at the apex of the common genealogy (Kottak 2004).
• EGO - the person to whom all kinship relationships are referred.

A. Two Categories of Decent System

1. Unilineal Descent – a lineage of relationship is traced only with single line of ancestors, either
through the father/mother.
Two (2) Types:
a. Matrilineal Decent System: This descent system also known as “Matriclan‟, individuals trace
their genealogy through their mother’s ancestry.
b. Patrilineal Decent System - known as “Patriclan‟, people automatically have a lifetime
membership in the father’s group.
• An individual trace his or her genealogy through male ancestry i.e. from father, to
grandfather, to the great grandfather, to great great-grandfather and then to other very
great ancestors up to the eponymous ancestor.
2. Cognate decent system - where an individual trace his/her decent from more than one ancestor.
Two (2) Types:
a. Bi-lineal/Double Decent - individuals acquire membership from both the matrilineal and
patrilineal lineages/an individual is both a member of his paternal and maternal descents.
b. Bilateral Decent/Non-unilineal - Everyone, as a member of both father’s and mother’s
families, is recognized as relative. Describes a pattern of property inheritance system in which
the individual inherits property and positions from any of the kin so recognized by him.

B. Types of Unilineal Descent Groups

1. Lineage – A unilineal kinship group descended from one (1) common ancestor or founder who
lived four (4) to six (6) generations ago, and in which relationships among members can be stated
genealogically.
2. Clan – An extended unilineal kinship group, often consisting of several lineages, whose members
claim common descent from a remote ancestor, usually legendary or mythological.
3. Phratries – A unilineal descent group composed of two or more clans that claim to be of common
ancestry. If only two such groups exist, each is a moiety.
4. Moieties – each group that results from a division of a society into halves on the basis of descent.
(2 or more Phratries)

C. Marital Residence Pattern

• Patterns of residence among newly married couple are very important in perpetuating the
structure of the particular group’s decent system. Different marital residence patterns are
adopted by different societies and communities depending on the needs and social
organization of such societies.
1. Patrilocal or Verilocal Residence: In this form of marital residence married couples are required to
live in or near the husband’s family or lineage.
 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

• Here, the authority of the lineage head rests with the father, or in his absence, the eldest son
who settles disputes, arranges marriages and other ceremonies and in some cases decides
the bride-wealth payable on daughters of the lineage.
2. Matrilocal or Uxorilocal Residence: This is a residence system where married couples are expected
to live with or near the wife’s family. Here the man is subject to the rule and authority of his wife’s
kinsmen.
• This kind of residence pattern is mainly popular in matriarchal/ matrilineal societies and
societies where dowry payment is predominant.
3. Bilocal Residence: In this kind of residence, couples can reside either with the man’s relatives or the
wife’s relatives.
• According to Elman Service (cited in Ingiabuna 2003), this residence pattern became popular
with the emergence of infectious diseases brought about by European travelers who
contracted such diseases, which eventually caused mass death thereby completely erasing
some families. Therefore, people began to live with whichever parents or relatives that was
alive.
• Another reason given by Ingiabuna (2012), for the existence of this residence style is that
couple often needed the material support of one set of parents before setting up a home of
theirs.
4. Avunculocal Residence: This refers to a marital residence pattern in which a man and his wife settle
down with his mother’s people after marriage.
5. Neolocal Residence: This is a system of residence where married couples leave home for an
independent residence after marriage.

V. ACTIVITY 7: FAMILY HISTORY CHALLENGE!

Task 1. Draw a kinship diagram of your family. Start with ego (you) towards the bottom-center of your
paper. Go as far back as you can (you might have to call you parents or grandparents to get some
of this information). Use the key symbols below. A sample of the Kinship diagram of Larry Dalisay
Ricardo will be your guide. You may use pencil/ball pen.
• Use a Long bond paper (written or printed). If it is not enough use ½ white cartolina or 1/8
illustration board. You may also utilize your paint application provided that you have a
PC/laptop.

Key Symbols
→ MALE → FEMALE → Marriage/Cohabitation • Additional
symbols:
→Annulled/Divorced/ Mother – (M)
→(BLACKEN →(BLACKEN Legally Separated Father – (F)
IF DECEASED) IF DECEASED) → Connects parents and children Daughter – (D)
→ connects siblings Son – (S)
➔ IF EGO IS Sister – (Z)
MALE → IF EGO IS ----- → Adoption Brother – (B)
FEMALE Wife – (W)
• Conditions: Husband – (H)
1. If unknown parents/relatives just write the appropriate symbol. (check Aunt – (A)
the sample in the kinship diagram) Uncle – (U )
2. Please limit only to the family’s knowledge of relationships and avoid Grand Mother –
inventing names. (GM)
3. Just focus on the 1st and second degree of consanguinity and not on Grand Father – (GF)
Affinity (e.g. parents-in-law) Niece – (NI)
4. Write 1st names only. Nephew – (NP)
5. If single parent, just draw a single square or circle followed by his/her Cousin in Law – (C-L)
children. (check the sample in the kinship diagram) Brother in Law – (B-L)
6. For multiple unions, just add the wives/husbands together with their Sister in Law – (Z-L)
children. Cousin – (C)
Ego – (ME )
 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section: Grade 11/12
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 7– UCSP Subject Teacher: KIMBERSON P. ALACYANG

• RUBRICS SCORES
Category: 5 4 3 2 1
A. Kinship diagram is complete with no
errors.
B. Generations are on the same
horizontal lanes and follows the proper
symbol systems.
C. Presentable and organized
TOTAL 15 POINTS

Sample of a Kinship Diagram

Task 2. Describe your own family in the table according to the following. Then, provide a short
explanation. Use ½ crosswise or short bond paper (written/printed).
Name of Form of Authority/Power Mate Type of Residence
Family Family Structure Selection Marriage Pattern
e.g. Ricardo
Family

• Rubrics:
Content Knowledge 5 points
Consistency of Thought & Application 5 points
Total 10 points

VI. REFERENCES:
• Aguilar, M., et al. (2016) Society, Culture and Politics. Quezon City: The Phoenix Publishing
House Inc.
• Alejandria-Gonzalez, M. (2019) Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Module. Second
Edition. Makati City: DIWA LEARNING SYSTEMS INC.
• Charles, J.O. (2012). Social Anthropology: Concept, Theory and Ethnography. Lagos: Serenity
Publishers.
• Jack, J. The Institution of the Family, Marriage, Kinship and Descent Systems, Federal University,
Otuoke: Sociology and Anthropology. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316880496