AnthropologyLesson 1 of 2 in the course Forming Family through Kinship

Anthropological Concepts of Family, Kinship, and Family Forms

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Family and household are closely related ideas, but they do not mean the same thing. This lesson introduces both concepts and explains why family definitions vary across cultures.

A family is two or more people in an adaptable social and economic alliance involving kinship. Kinship may be understood through perceived biological connection, marriage, or another lasting or semipermanent arrangement. Families often—but not always—include reproduction, care of offspring, and living in the same place.

All flashcards

What does EGO mean in a kinship chart?
The person whose relationships the chart represents.
How do consanguineal and affinal ties differ?
Consanguineal ties are perceived blood relationships; affinal ties arise through marriage or mutual agreement.
What is a nuclear family?
One or two parents and their immediate offspring.
What is a joint family?
An extended family in which married siblings live together with their children.
What is compadrazgo?
A godparent relationship that connects a child, the child’s parents, and godparents.

Quiz questions

  1. In a basic kinship chart, which line style represents an affinal tie?Answer: A double line
  2. What is a family of orientation?Answer: The nuclear family in which a person was raised as a child and adolescent.
  3. Which description best defines an extended family?Answer: Two or more family units functioning together as an integrated family.
  4. What distinguishes asymmetrical compadrazgo?Answer: It connects families across status differences, often with godparents of higher status.
  5. In many societies, what can informal adoption or fostering do?Answer: Provide care while strengthening ties and creating opportunities for a child.

Based on Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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