Chapter Goals

After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

1. Articulate the importance of kinship and marriage in social organization.
2. Compare and contrast the various descent systems.
3. Understand anthropological approaches to the study of marriage.
4. Describe the variety of family systems present in the Bible.

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Chapter Outline

Introduction

Kinship

Descent

Marriage

Family in the Bible

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Terms

affinal

ambilineal descent

bilateral descent

brideservice

bridewealth (also called brideprice)

cognatic (also called nonunilineal) descent

consanguineal kin

cross-cousin marriage

descent

dowry

dual descent

fictive kinship

incest taboo

kinship

marriage

marriage exchange

matriarchy

matrilineal descent

monogenesis

neolocal residence

parallel-cousin marriage

patriarchy

patrilineal descent

plural marriage (also called polygamy)

polyandry

polygyny

primogeniture

segment

teknonymy

unilineal descent

uxorilocal residence

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Discussion Questions

1. Why is kinship a cultural universal? What social needs are met through kinship?
2. How does your family reckon descent? Use anthropological terms to describe how your family views descent patterns. How can you see this social pattern reflected in family photographs or family trees (or other pictorial representations of family)?
3. Review the “Family in the Bible” section. What are some guiding principles for how Christians today can apply scriptural insights to their societies? What are some guidelines for taking cultural difference (between biblical cultures and a contemporary society) into consideration?

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