Kinship : definitions, forms, kinship system in north n south India-imp

features

Meaning
- Kinship provides the framework of social relationship. Kinship _~eans relationship of the
individual with the other members due to either a bond of marriage or through blood. Kinship
bonds are very strong. Kinship oegins with nuclear family. The kins found in this group are
husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister. Kinship is that part of culture which deals with
notions of, or ideas about 'relatedness' or relationship through birth and through marriage.
A kinship system is not a group like family 1_1or it is a set of institutionalised rules like
marriage.

According to Murdock, "It is a structured system of relationship in which individuals are

bound to one another by complex interlocking and ramifying ties". Radcliffe-Brown says that
Kinship system is a part of social structure and insists upon the study of kinship as a field of
rights and obligatiQns.
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- ··---~ 'Primary:kins: E~~cy-hldividual who bei~ng t~ a ~uclear family finds his primary kin~ within
the family. There are 8 primary kins- husband..wife, father-son, mother-son, father-daughter,
mother-daughter, younger brother-elder brother, younger sister-elder sister and brother-sister. ·

Secondary kins: Outside the nuclear family the individual can have 33 types of secondary
rel~tives. For example mother's brother, brother's wife, sister's husband, father's brother~

Tertiary kins: Tertiary kins refer to the secondary kins of our primary kins. For example
wife's brother's son, sister's husband's brother and so on. There ar~ 151 types of tertiary kins.

Kinship in North and South India

North Indian kinship systems
This kinship system is present in Hindi speaking belt and also in areas where Aryan
culture influence is substantive. It includes West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. In case of North
India kinship system, the terminology used for father's brother is not used for mother's
brother ,therefore Patrikins are distinguished from Matrikins. Within Patrilineal system
father's brother are distinguished from father's sister therefore differential terminologies are
used. Father's brothers are also distinguished in terms of age and so deferential respect is
attribute to them.

In North India kinship systems, the rules of marriage is highly exhaustive because a large

2
 body of people are excluded from alliance relationship. One is not supposed to receive a
woman from a group to which women is offered within 5 to 7 generations. In addition to that
one cannot receive women from his mother's group or mother's mother group, father's
mother group and from within his own village. Hence exogamy is quite exhaustive and
marriage involves not intra-family ties but inter-village ties. Residential system is very
Virilocal (bride lives with husband's father's group) type and marriage involves a series
of presentational obligations.

In North Indian kinship father - .son relationship pre~d~ over husband - wife relationship.
Elaborating on this Veena Das in an analysis of Punjabi kinship system indicates that natural
sexual relationship between husband and wife are subdued to social established relationship
between father and son
thereby glorifying the values of patriarchy (system of kinship where authority rests with
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Sooth Indian kinship - systems
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This type of relationship syste'm is largely present in ail southern states and some of
its influence is also largely noticed in pockets of Maharashtra and Orissa. In southern India
kinship systems, no distinction is made between patrilineal or l!)atrilineal ,therefore father•~
brother is equated with mother's sister's husband and both their children being parallel
cousins so no marria e is allowed between them. To its contrast father's sister's group is
equated with mother's brothers group, ence mo r's brother Is equivalent to father's sisters
fiusband
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Thus in South India specific patrilineal kins are equated with specific matrilineal Kins. In
South India father is equated with elder brother ,moth~r is eq~tec!_.with elder sister , daughter
~ na!ed-=~ th votyjg:er .sister and son i' is equated with · younger _, ~brother
and subsequently/correspondingly _tef!!1.inologi_es .,~are acljusfoa. These termmoTogi'ess pefiles - - ·
about love for younger, respect for el de rs cutting a~ros~ generational principles.

In case of South India cross cousins marriage take place and so exogamy is not exhaustive
like in North India. The relationship between husband and wife is not subdued to father - son
relationship as in case of North India. Hostility of relationship between the in laws driven by
suspicion is also weak in South lndia.

Functions:

(!)Kinship assigns guidelines for interactions between persons. It defines proper, acceptable
role relationship between father- daughter, brother-sister etc.

~inship determines family line relationships, gotra and kula.

~nship decides who can marry with whom and where marital relationship are taboo.

(4)Kinship helps us to determine the rights and obligations of the members in all the
sacraments and religious·practices starting from birth to death .

.)8'1kinship system maintains solidarity of relationships.

 (6)In rural and tribal societies kinship or kinship relations determine the rights and
obligations of the family and marriage, system of production and political power.

~nship through its different usages regulates the behaviour of different kin.

(8)Kinship helps in (through kinship terms) designating kin of various types such as
classificatory and descriptive.

ftinship through its usages creates special groupings of kin.

p.e,fGnship rules govern the role relationships among kins.

/4.inship acts as a regulator of social life.

~inship influences ownership of land, concept of wealth and the system of production
and its use.
/

Bases of Kinship:

Famous Sociologist H.M. Johnson identified six important bases of kinship which are
described below:

(1) Sex:

Kinship relation is differentiated in each society on the basis of sex. The term 'brother' and
'sister' shows the sex of blood relations.

(2) Generation:

Kinship tie is established between the persons in relation to generation. The term 'father' and
'son', grand-father and grandson show the relation between two generations.

(3) Close relations or intimacy:

It refers to relationships through marriage. It does not based on blood relations. The intimacy
or relationship with son-in-law and father's sister's husband is based on close relations or
intimacy.

(4) Blood Relations:

The kinship based on blood relations is divided into two such as lineal and collateral. Close
blood relatives in a direct line of descent are called lineal relatives. Grandfather, father, son
and grandson are the example of lineal relatives. Other descendants of one's lineal kin such
as uncle and their children refer to collateral relatives.

(5) Division:

This bases of kinship based on division and sub-division. Almost all kinship relations are
divided into two parts. For example father's father i.e. paternal grand father and mother's
 father i.e. maternal grand father. Similarly brother's daughter and sister's daughter, son's son
and daughter's son are two types of relations.

(6) Binding Thread:

Kinship ties are connected with a linkage. The affinal relatives or consanguineous relatives
acts as binding thread. In other words the binding thread of these relations is close or intimate
blood relationships. For example the relationship of father-in-law is based on the relation
binding thread either of the husband or that of the wife.

Classification of kins:

On the basic rules of descent

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Importance of Kinship:
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Kinship has several importance in-a soci~ s_!_Iucture.·,Kiv::

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whom and where marital relationships are taboo~It determines the rights and obligations of
the members in all the sacraments and religious practices from birth to death in family life.
Importance of kinship is observed on the occasion of mmiage and family functions. It
determines family line relationships i.e. gotra and kula.