SH1661

Cultural, Social, and Political Institutions

Kinship (relationship or affinity)
Kinship by Blood (applies to people who enter marriage and can be traced to their ancestry)
· Unilineal – descent through either the maternal or paternal line only
· Matrilineal – descent through the female line
· Patrilineal – descent through the male line
· Bilateral – descent through both the mother and father
(Lineal means having a direct family relationship or affinity.)
Kinship by Marriage
· Monogamy – Mono means single while gamy comes from the Greek word “gamos”, which means
marriage. Thus, it means being married to one (1) spouse.
· Polygamy – Poly means many. Therefore, polygamy means the practice of having more than one
(1) spouse.
Types of Household
· One-person – An arrangement in which one (1) person makes provision for his/her own food or
other essentials for living without combining with any other person
· Multi-person – A group of two (2) or more persons living together who make common provision
for food or other essentials for living
Family
· Refers to the members of the household who are related, to a specified degree, through blood,
adoption or marriage
· Consists of at least two (2) members
· Members of a family must be related
· Cannot comprise more than one (1) household
Household
· May consist of only one (1) person
· Members of a multi-person household need not be related to each other
· Can contain more than one (1) family; or one (1) or more families together with one (1) or more
non-related persons; or it can consist entirely of non-related persons
Types of Political Organization
· Bands – These are most often found in foraging societies, and associated with low population
densities, distribution systems based on reciprocity, and egalitarian social relations.
· Tribes – These are found among horticulturists and pastoralists societies, has larger and more
sedentary populations, lack centralized political leadership, and egalitarian in nature.
· Chiefdoms – These involve a more formal and permanent political structure, political authority
rests with individuals, and rely on feasting and tribute.
References:
Family. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/fam/fammethods.htm
Types of Household. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/fam/fammethods.htm
Political Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.zeepedia.com/read.php?political_organization_bands_tribal_organizations_chiefdoms_cultural_anth
ropology&b=98&c=25
06 Handout 1 *Property of STI
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