Unilineal Descent Groups Matriliny, patriliny and the rule of property

Combinations of descent rules Lineages and clans: lineages are defined as kin groupings in which direct descent is known, often goes back to a great-great grandparent. Clans consist of several lineages, and are defined as groups which believe they share a common ancestor, but whose ancestor may be so far in the past that descent cannot be traced. Clans and lineages can also combine in different ways: –Several clans can join together to become phratries. –More commonly, various clans are divided into two known sections, called moieties.

Moieties and their permutations Moieties are also referred to as dual organizations and are widespread throughout the world. Not only do they order kinship, but also provide a conceptual classification of the environment and the spiritual world. –Winnegabo: ‘those above’ and ‘those on earth’, the former comprising clans named after birds, the latter called after land and water animals. The moieties formerly each occupied a definite half of the village and were pitted against each other in lacrosse. –Tlingit: a man never gives property to one of his own half-tribe, nor employs him for any services. A Raven always gets a Wolf to put up a house for him, to pierce his children’s ears, to initatie the youngsters into secret societies and vice versa. Feasts are given exclusively for the other half. –They are usually exogamous: this applies particularly if cross- cousin marriage is the rule. In fact, the exogamous marriage rule can produce cross-cousin marriage patterns.

Unilineal Descent and the status of the sexes Formerly, evolutionary theorists (Bachofen) postulated that matriarchies dominated in an early stage of human history. Lowie: cannot associate matriarchies with matrilineal descent. –No society is purely matriarchal or purely patriarchal. –E.g. the Iroquois: descent is matrilineal and women have the right to nominate and impeach chiefs. Can also withhold food if they wish to terminate a war. However, men always hold political office and have the right to declare war. Societies that we consider strongly patrilineal also often accord special privileges to women. –E.g. Women in the middle east, where descent is patrilineal and residence patrilocal, also control the purse strings of the household, have control over their dowry, and husbands are required to part with 1/3 of their income to their wives. –Another example: Igbo society of Nigeria: dual sex-gender system. Nominally patrilineal, there are special political and economic offices held only by women. Those women who accumulate wealth can also become ‘social husbands.’

Intensive agriculture, the rule of property and transformations in kinship Historically, patrineality has become more frequent than matrilineality. Today, 65% of the world’s peoples are patrilineal, 30% are matrilineal and 5% are bilateral. Patrilineality is found much more frequently among peoples that are involved in intensive agriculture, i.e. that associated with the use of ploughs, draught animals and irrigation. These new technologies produced much greater surpluses than previously imagined. More concern with the control of wealth and of the importance of inheritance to maintain a family’s status over generations. Men also dominated production in plough agriculture and personal, private property in land became increasingly important. –Also increasing separation of public and private spheres. –Men wished to pass inheritance to sons. –Dowry became a form of inheritance for daughters, and dowry, i.e. the payment through a bride to the husband’s family, became more predominant.

Conical clan, kinship, and the emergence of an aristocracy: What happens to kinship when wealth and property differences become Important? Mini-lineage ‘a’ is the direct descendant of the eldest sons of the founding ancestor Mini-lineage h is less directly descended from the founding ancestor, being descended from the younger son of the younger son. aristocracycommoners