Deck 11: Marital Residence and Kinship

Question 1

Whether the couple lives with the husband's or wife's kin can have important consequences for the __________.

A) status of the husband or wife
B) economic stability of the family
C) educational potential for the children
D) relationship with elderly parents

Answer 1

status of the husband or wife

Question 2

In a matrilineal descent group, __________.

A) females rarely exercise authority in their kin groups
B) authority is passed down the line to the current female head of household
C) the elder woman makes all decisions concerning marriage and residence for the group
D) all decisions are made by a group of related women

Answer 2

females rarely exercise authority in their kin groups

Question 3

Patrilineal societies, but not matrilineal societies, tend to be __________.

A) locally exogamous
B) kin group endogamous
C) kin group exogamous
D) locally endogamous

Answer 3

locally exogamous

Question 4

Children in all societies are required to marry outside of their __________.

A) nuclear family
B) village
C) religious community
D) caste

Question 5

In a unilineal descent system, an individual __________.

A) belongs to only one line of descent
B) belongs to two distinct lines of descent
C) may belong to multiple lines of descent
D) changes his or her line of descent several times throughout his or her life

Question 6

Although avunculocal residence is rare, nearly all avunculocal societies are __________.

A) matrilineal
B) ambilineal
C) bilineal
D) patrilineal

Question 7

A phratry is a __________ descent group composed of supposedly related __________.

A) unilineal; clans
B) unilineal; moieties
C) bilateral; clans
D) bilateral; moieties

Question 8

How are members of a lineage connected?

A) They can trace descent from a common ancestor through known links.
B) They believe themselves to be descended from a common ancestor.
C) They are related through frequent marriage between their two communities.
D) They are all members of a multi-generational, extended household.

Question 9

The term "totem" refers to __________.

A) an animal or plant name used to refer to a kin group
B) any object with magical powers
C) any object considered taboo
D) an identifying mark on one's skin

Question 10

What factor has been discovered by Elman Service to explain bilocal residence?

A) a drastic loss of population because of infectious disease
B) population increase due to increased health care delivery since WWII
C) an indifference to social change by the married couple
D) a complete breakdown of social customs

Question 11

Matrilineal descent affiliates individuals with __________.

A) kin of both sexes related to them through women
B) only male kin related to them through both men and women
C) only female kin related to them through both men and women
D) kin of both sexes related to them through men

Question 12

In societies with unilineal descent, __________.

A) some very close biological relatives are excluded from one's kin group
B) all individuals who reside together are considered kin
C) the kin group rarely acts as a unit
D) no biological relatives are excluded from the kin group

Question 13

How common is the neolocal residence pattern practiced by most North Americans?

A) It is very rare, being seen in only about 5 percent of known societies.
B) It is practiced by over half of all known societies.
C) It is fairly uncommon, being found in about one quarter of known societies.
D) It is nearly universal, being found in 99 percent of known societies.

Question 14

Which is by far the most common marital residence pattern (found in 67 percent of all societies) documented by anthropologists?

A) patrilocal
B) matrilocal
C) bilocal
D) neolocal

Question 15

Societies with __________ descent have two rules of descent, each traced through links of one sex only, operating at the same time.

A) double
B) binary
C) dual
D) twofold

Question 16

Which of the following characterizes the Kapauku Papuans?

A) patriclans
B) matrilineal descent
C) neolocal residence
D) moieties

Question 17

Lineages are usually designated by __________.

A) the name of the common ancestor
B) the totem animal representing the group
C) the surname of the current head of household
D) a new name representing a new nuclear family unit

Question 18

Among which group did anthropologist James Watson study a modern use of kinship relationships?

A) Chinese migrants
B) African pastoralists
C) aboriginal Australians
D) urban Londoners

Question 19

While there are many different possible combinations of unilineal descent groups, which two types of groups must go together?

A) phratries and clans
B) lineages and phratries
C) moieties and lineages
D) clans and moieties

Question 20

Which of the following shows the different descent groups from least to most common?

A) ambilineal, bilateral, unilateral
B) bilateral, ambilineal, unilateral
C) bilateral, unilateral, ambilineal
D) unilateral, ambilineal, bilateral

Question 21

One of the most important political functions of unilineal descent groups is their role in __________.

A) warfare
B) discussion
C) elections
D) mediation

Question 22

What is one way in which descent group members support each other economically?

A) providing food for feasts or ceremonies
B) determining who is a suitable marriage partner
C) fighting together in warfare
D) revering a shared ancestor

Question 23

Which kinship terminology system is used by most North Americans?

A) Inuit
B) Crow
C) Omaha
D) Sudanese

Question 24

Why is the Tallensi religion considered by anthropologists to be a religion of one's specific descent group?

A) They believe that one's ancestors are the only force that can plague or protect them.
B) Their creator god is significantly different from those of neighboring cultures.
C) They are the only known culture to believe in their particular religious system.
D) They revere the living elders of their community rather than any sort of supernatural entity.

Question 25

The North American tradition of giving a child the father's last name __________.

A) does not denote membership in a particular lineage
B) indicates membership in the father's clan
C) determines the patrilineal kin group of the child
D) does not suggest that the biological father is also the social father

Question 26

In which system of kinship terminology are the terms for father and father's brother the same, mother and mother's sister the same, as well as mother and mother's brother's daughter?

A) Omaha
B) Inuit
C) Iroquois
D) Crow

Question 27

Unilineal descent groups, such as clans and moieties, appear to perform which important social function?

A) regulate who is and who is not a suitable marriage partner
B) provide a system of laws to standardize behavior
C) defend territorial boundaries between other groups
D) determine which individuals will become leaders

Question 28

Because of its ego-centered nature, which of the following is least likely to serve as a permanent or persistent group?

A) kindred
B) patrilineage
C) matrilineage
D) ambilineal descent group

Question 29

Who represents an ambilineal society?

A) Samoans
B) Chuukese
C) Ache
D) Kayapo

Question 30

The kin terms of a society are __________.

A) very resistant to change
B) dynamic and creative
C) tightly linked to family structure
D) associated with economic system

Question 31

In general, the incest taboo in unilineal societies is __________.

A) extended to all presumed unilineal relatives
B) limited to parallel cousins
C) extended to all cross and parallel cousins
D) limited to the nuclear family

Question 32

Which of the following rights may be afforded to the headman or the elders of a clan?

A) to assign land for use by a clan member
B) to charge someone a fine for breaking a law
C) to force a settlement between two arguing parties
D) to restrict access to wealth and prestige to certain groups

Question 33

In societies that practice matrilineal descent, a man belongs to the same descent group as his __________.

A) sister's son
B) daughter
C) brother's daughter
D) uncle's mother

Question 34

Among foraging societies, what factor favors a bilocal residence pattern?

A) low rainfall
B) a lack of big game
C) frequent warfare
D) reliance on low-protein foods

Question 35

In societies that recognize bilateral kinship, members of the household use the same kinship terms for both __________ and __________ kin.

A) consanguineal; affinal
B) neolocal; patrilocal
C) matrilineal; patrilineal
D) ambilineal; marital

Question 36

Many anthropologists suggest that neolocal residence is related to the presence of __________.

A) a commercial economy
B) overpopulation
C) an egalitarian social structure
D) food collecting

Question 37

In a bilateral system, your __________ shares your exact kin group.

A) brother
B) mother
C) child
D) grandparent

Question 38

Depopulation is likely to change a(n) __________ system into a(n) __________ one.

A) unilineal; ambilineal
B) bilateral; unilineal
C) ambilineal; bilateral
D) bilateral; ambilineal

Question 39

Among the Chuukese, who have a matrilineal system, a mother may receive aid from whom when disciplining her adolescent child?

A) her brother
B) an elder son
C) her mother
D) her sister

Question 40

What modern factor is making it less common for people to seek help from their kindred?

A) aid from the state
B) increasing population
C) more frequent divorce
D) smaller family size

Question 41

Why is an ambilineal society not divided into separate kin groups, as in unilineal systems?

A) A person belongs to more than one group and cannot live in several places at once.
B) They are organized by religious group membership, rather than kin groups.
C) The number of relatives in an ambilineal society is too small to create large kin groups.
D) Intermarriage between groups makes it hard to keep track of kin groups in ambilineal systems.

Question 42

Compare and contrast matrilocal and patrilocal residence, giving specific examples where appropriate.

Question 43

How does the Samoan ambilineal system differ from unilineal systems?

A) Individuals may belong to a number of ambilineal groups.
B) Marriage is often regulated by group membership.
C) Groups are identified by an emblem or totem.
D) The descent group may own shared land.

Question 44

Marital residence largely predicts the __________.

A) types of kin groups found in a society
B) average fertility rate
C) dependence on market transactions
D) style of marital exchange practiced

Question 45

In which type of societies are adolescents most likely to be rebellious?

A) those with neolocal residence and considerable geographic mobility
B) those with unilocal residence and little geographic mobility
C) those with unilocal residence and considerable geographic mobility
D) those with neolocal residence and little geographic mobility

Question 46

What is the primary contrast between avunculocal and matrilocal societies?

A) Avunculocal societies fight internally, while matrilocal societies fight externally.
B) Avunculocal societies fight externally, while matrilocal societies fight internally.
C) Avunculocal societies have exogamous marriage, while matrilocal societies have endogamous marriage.
D) Avunculocal societies have endogamous marriage, while matrilocal societies have exogamous marriage.

Question 47

Unilineal descent groups are nearly universal. What important social functions do they serve cross-culturally?

Question 48

The presence of patrilocal residence pattern can often be predicted in societies that __________.

A) frequently fight with neighboring groups, so the sons are needed close to home for defense
B) rely on women to contribute the largest portion of food to the diet
C) live in countries with commercial or money exchange systems
D) practice hunting and gathering

Question 49

What feature of unilineal descent groups enables them to act as separate and distinct units?

A) Individual membership in a group is very clear.
B) Individuals may be members of multiple groups simultaneously.
C) The group allows for a very large unit of related individuals.
D) The group is naturally limited to a small, tightly knit unit.

Question 50

Why is matrilocal residence not quite a mirror image of patrilocal residence?

A) In matrilocal societies, the husband's kin often are not far away.
B) In matrilocal societies, the head of the family is the eldest man.
C) In patrilocal societies, the wife moves into the household of her father's uncle.
D) In patrilocal societies, the wife's move to her husband's household is temporary.

Question 51

Explain the differences between a lineage and a clan, and give examples of societies that use each descent system.

Question 52

How is a culture's kinship terminology related to other aspects of social life? Connect kinship terminology to residence and descent patterns.

Question 53

What sort of residence pattern is usually seen in societies whose warfare is purely external?

A) matrilocal
B) patrilocal
C) bilocal
D) neolocal

Question 54

Which system of kinship terminology is the least complex?

A) Hawaiian
B) Crow
C) Iroquois
D) Sudanese

Question 55

Imagine how your life might be different if unilocal-rather than neolocal-were the rule in North American society. What social trends are generally associated with these residence patterns?