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Introductory
Terms
Agnatic:
Descent traced through males (sometimes misleadingly termed "patrilineal")
Uterine: Descent traced through females (sometimes termed "matrilineal")
Agnates: "Male or female descendants by male links from the
same male ancestor" (Schusky)
Uterine Kin: Male or female kin linked to ego through female links
Bilateral: "A practice which links a person with a group of
close relatives through both sexes" (Schusky) (sometimes also termed
"cognatic")
Cognatic Kin: Relatives by "blood" without particular
emphasis on male or female links
Unilineal Descent: The tracing of relationship through either the
male or female line
Bilineal Descent: The tracing of relationship through both male
and female links
Double Descent: An individual belongs to one group through agnatic
descent, another through uterine descent; frequently different types of
property and rights are passed through the two sexes.
Group: Set of persons who meet regularly, are self-aware of their
membership
Corporation: A property-holding unit, never dies
Unilineal Descent groups (UDG): Group of persons recruited on the
basis of links through one sex; lineages and clans are examples
Lineage: "A consanguineal kin group practicing unilineal descent,
which includes only persons who can actually trace their relationship
to a common ancestor; that is, a lineage is all the unilineal descendants
of a known common ancestor or ancestress" (Schusky)
"Nuer lineages are not corporate, localized, communities, though
they are frequently associated with territorial units…" (Evans-Pritchard)
Clan: "A clan may be defined as a group of persons of both
sexes, membership of which is determined by unilineal descent, actual
or putative… the clan may consist of a group of lineages" (Notes
& Queries): "in a lineage group each member can actually, or
at least theoretically, trace his genealogical connection with any other
member by descent from a known common ancestor, connection with any other
member by descent from a known common ancestor, whereas in a clan…
this is not possible… it is usual to apply the term ‘clan’
to both patrilineal and matrilineal groups, but some American ethnographers
use the term ‘clan’ only for matrilineal groups and ‘gens’
for patrilineal…" (Radcliffe-Brown)
Patrilineage: Lineage based on links through males (composed of
both sexes)
Matrilineage: Lineage based on links through females (composed
of both sexes)
Segments: "Each male member of a patrilineage is himself the
potential founder of a lineage of his own, which then forms a branch or
segment of the original lineage. Thus in some societies each lineage is
a segmented group, divided into major segments each of which is divided
into lesser segments…" (Barnes). (The three usual terms are
maximal [largest] –major -minimal).
Segmentary: "A merging series of subgroups of increasing inclusiveness,
two groups that stand in contraposition at one level of segmentation merge
when opposed to a group of a higher order of segmentation" (Goody).
When centralized administration is absent these are known as "segmentary"
(or ‘acephelous’ – without a head) societies.
Reference
Fortes,
M. (1953) "The structure of Unilineal Descent Groups", American
Anthropologist, 55 (reprinted in Fortes, Time and Social Structure and
Other Essays, and partially in Goody, J., Ch.17, (eds) Kinship, Penguin)
Fox, R., Chs. 3-6, in Kinship & Marriage, Penguin
Goody, J. (1968) "Descent Groups" in Int. Enc. Soc. Sci
Keesing, R., Chs. 2-4, in Kin Groups and Social Structure
Malinowski, B. "The Principle of Legitimacy", reprinted in Goody
J., Ch.2, (eds) Kinship, Penguin
Richards, A.I., "Some Types of Family Structure amongst the Central
Bantu" in Radcliffe-Brown, A.R. & Forde, D. (eds) African Systems
of Kinship and Marriage, partially reprinted in Goody, J., Ch.18, (eds)
Kinship, Penguin
Fox, R., Chs. 6 & 9, in Kinship & Marriage, Penguin
Freeman, J.D. (1961) "On the Concept of the Kindred", Jnl. Roy.
Anth. Inst., 91, partially reprinted in Bohannon, P. & Middleton,
J., Ch. 17, (eds) Kinship & Social Organizations
Friedl, Vasilika
Goody, J. (1969) "Inheritance, Property and Marriage in Africa and
Eurasia", Sociology, 3(1)
Homans, G.C., Chs. 8 & 9, English Villagers of the Thirteenth Century
Keesing, R., Chs. 6 & 7 in Kin Groups and Social Structure
Pherson, R.N., "Bilateral Kin Groupings" reprinted in Goody
J., Ch. 19, (eds) Kinship, Penguin
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