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Anthropology of kinship
Basic concepts Family Lineage Affinity Consanguinity Marriage Incest taboo Endogamy Exogamy Moiety Monogamy Polygyny Polygamy Concubinage Polyandry Bride price Bride service Dowry Parallel / cross cousins Cousin marriage Levirate Sororate Posthumous marriage Joking relationship Clan Cohabitation Fictive / Milk / Nurture kinship Descent Cognatic / Bilateral Matrilateral Lineal Collateral House society Avunculate Linealities Ambilineality Unilineality Matrilineality Patrilineality Household forms and residence Extended Matrifocal Matrilocal Neolocal Nuclear Patrilocal
Terminology Kinship terminology Classificatory terminologies By group Iroquois Crow Omaha Eskimo (Inuit) Hawaiian Sudanese Dravidian (debated)
Case studies Australian Aboriginal Burmese Chinese Philippine Polyandry in Tibet / in India Feminist Chambri Mosuo Sexuality Coming of Age in Samoa
Major theorists Diane Bell Tom Boellstorff Jack Goody W. D. Hamilton Gilbert Herdt Don Kulick Roger Lancaster Louise Lamphere Eleanor Leacock Claude Lévi-Strauss Bronisław Malinowski Margaret Mead Henrietta Moore Lewis H. Morgan Stephen O. Murray Michelle Rosaldo Gayle Rubin David M. Schneider Marilyn Strathern
Related articles Alliance theory Matrilineal / matrilocal societies Feminist anthropology Sex and Repression in Savage Society Social Bonding and Nurture Kinship "The Traffic in Women"
Social anthropology Cultural anthropology
v t e

In anthropology, a lineage is a unilineal descent group that traces its ancestry to a demonstrably shared ancestor, known as the apical ancestor. Lineages are formed through relationships traced either exclusively through the maternal line (matrilineage), paternal line (patrilineage), or some combination of both (ambilineal). The cultural significance of matrilineal or patrilineal descent varies greatly, shaping social structures, inheritance patterns, and even rituals across societies.

Etymology

From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age.

Characteristics

A lineage is a descent group characterized by unilineal descent. This means that lineage membership is determined by tracing ancestry through either a single line (unilineal), either maternal or paternal, or through a combination of both lines (ambilineal). This differentiates lineages from other descent groups like clans, which may have a shared ancestor but lack the demonstrably documented or traditionally accepted apical ancestor from whom all members descend. There are three forms of lineage, matrilineage, patrilineage, and ambilineal.

In matrilineage, descent is traced exclusively through the maternal line. Children inherit lineage membership from their mother, and the lineage consists of a mother, her children, and her children's children who are all matrilineally related. The Minangkabau people of Indonesia, being a Jew in the Jewish religion, and the Khasi people of India are well-known examples of societies with prominent matrilineal structures.

In patrilineage, descent is traced exclusively through the paternal line. Children inherit lineage membership from their father, and the lineage consists of a father, his children, and his children's children who are all patrilineally related. Patrilineages are more common globally, with examples found in many cultures, such as much of South East Asia.

In ambilineal lineage, descent is traced through either the maternal and/or the paternal lines, usually meaning that the individuals choose whether to affiliate with their mother or their father's group, or both. Ambilineal lineage can be bilineal or bilateral. Ambilineal lineages are relatively rare in more under-developed societies, such as South East Asia, and very common in modernized societies, such as the United States and Western Europe.

In Bilineal lineage (also known as double descent), children are part of both their mother and their father's groups. This results in many more people in a lineage. Examples of bilineal lineage include the Yako people of Nigeria.

Lineages play a large role in social organization across cultures. They influence inheritance patterns, with property and titles often passed down within the lineage. In addition, lineages often have religious significance, with one's ancestorial history often determining one's religion and position in that religion. The structure of lineages also leads to stability, social obligations, and reciprocity among members, providing support networks and a sense of shared identity.

See also

• Genealogy – Study of individual descent and bloodline
• Kinship terminology

References

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2. "Yinhawangka People". Paraburdoo, Western Australia: Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
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4. ^ "The Nature of Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1)". San Marcos, California: Palomar Community College. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
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6. "Clans and Lineages". Between Two Worlds. St. Olaf College. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
7. "Definition of Matrilineage". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
8. Paz RY (2021-09-29). "The Stubborn Subversiveness of Judaism's Matrilineal Principle". Verfassungsblog. doi:10.17176/20210930-004728-0.
9. "Matrilineal society | Definition, Examples, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannia. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
10. "Definition of Patrilineage". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
11. Strassmann BI, Kurapati NT (June 2016). "What Explains Patrilineal Cooperation?". Current Anthropology. 57 (S13): S118 – S130. doi:10.1086/685762. ISSN 0011-3204.
12. Shenk MK, Begley RO, Nolin DA, Swiatek A (September 2019). "When does matriliny fail? The frequencies and causes of transitions to and from matriliny estimated from a de novo coding of a cross-cultural sample". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 374 (1780): 20190006. doi:10.1098/rstb.2019.0006. PMC 6664135. PMID 31303165.
13. "Patrilineage | sociology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
14. Coult AD (February 1964). "Role allocation, position structuring, and ambilineal descent". American Anthropologist. 66 (1): 29–40. doi:10.1525/aa.1964.66.1.02a00030.
15. "Ambilineal Descent Definition & Explanation". Sociology Plus. 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
16. "The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms". www.palomar.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
17. ^ "The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms". www.palomar.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
18. "The Nature of Kinship: Glossary of Terms". www.palomar.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
19. Matresse C. "Reading: Lines of Descent and Family Stages | Sociology". Lumen Learning. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
20. Bell K (2014-12-24). "bilineal descent definition". Open Education Sociology Dictionary.
21. ^ "10.6: Kinship". Social Sci LibreTexts. 2018-04-28. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
22. "Types of Descent: Patrilineal, Matrilineal, and Bilateral Systems". Testbook. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
23. "Meaning of Double Descent in Anthropology | Anthroholic". 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
24. "What is Lineage in Anthropology?". Anthroholic. 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
25. "Heirs' Property Landowners". Farmers.gov. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
26. "Links between childhood religious upbringing and current religious identity". Pew Research Center. 26 October 2016.
27. "Tracing Roots: The Significance of Family Trees in Traditional Societies". The Intergovernmental College of Arms and Traditional Cultures (ICATS). Euclid University. Retrieved 2024-04-28.

Further reading

• Kuper A (1982). "Lineage Theory: A Critical Retrospect". Annual Review of Anthropology. 11: 71–95. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.11.100182.000443. JSTOR 2155776.

External links

• Media related to Kinship diagrams at Wikimedia Commons

• Kinship and descent