Question 1

Among Malay villagers on the island of Langkawi, kinship is not only given at birth, but also acquire through:

Accepted Answer

Among Malay villagers on the island of Langkawi, kinship is acquired through co-residence and co-feeding, in addition to being given at birth. This is because living and eating together creates a sense of shared identity and connection, strengthening the bonds of kinship beyond biological relatedness alone. Reproductive technologies and genealogical research may provide insight into biological relatedness, but they do not necessarily create or strengthen kinship ties. Initiation rituals may mark transitions into new social roles, but they do not necessarily involve the acquisition of new kinship ties.

Question 2

All of us are born or adopted into a family. When we make a choice to leave this natal family and choose a mate in order to have children, what kind of family are we becoming part of?

Accepted Answer

When we leave our natal family and choose a mate in order to have children, we are becoming part of a family of procreation. This term distinguishes this new family unit from the family of orientation (the family into which we were born or adopted) and emphasizes that this new family was created by our procreation activity. Option A, chosen family, refers to individuals not necessarily related by blood or marriage who are considered to be part of a person's network of supportive relationships. Option D, nuclear family, refers to a family unit consisting of parents and their children.

Question 3

Benny loves to tell mother-in-law jokes. What kind of relative is he joking about?

Accepted Answer

Benny is joking about his mother-in-law, who is his affinal kin (related by marriage).

Question 4

Marriage in various forms occurs all over the world. In the United States, we typically practice kindred exogamy. What is kindred exogamy and what are two examples of marriages that would violate its rules? How does exogamy generally differ from endogamy? Is endogamy officially or unofficially practiced in the United States? What are two examples of unofficial or implicit endogamy that may occur in a group of people? What are some benefits and drawbacks of exogamy and endogamy?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Marriage in various forms occurs all over...

Question 5

Why did members of the Chen descent group have difficulty reconstructing their genealogy?

Accepted Answer

The text mentions that members of the Chen descent group had difficulty reconstructing their genealogy due to migration and political pressures. This suggests that families may have been displaced or fragmented, making it difficult to trace their lineage accurately. Options A and B may also present some obstacles, but they are not explicitly mentioned in the text. Option D is not plausible as a primary reason.

Question 6

Anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard conducted ethnographic research with Nuer people of southern Sudan in the 1930s and argued that this group of people constituted a patrilineal descent group. What does it mean to be a patrilineal descent group and how does this differ from a matrilineal descent group? How were cattle used to reflect the patrilineal nature of Nuer descent? Provide at least two examples.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard conducted ethnographic research...

Question 7

The author of your textbook describes a situation in a Chinese village in which family and ancestral records had been destroyed as part of the national cultural revolution in the 1960s. The author uses this case to underscore the fact that political factors can shape efforts to construct and maintain kinship. What are two examples of ways in which political factors may have shaped kinship in the United States? Do you think that political factors continue to influence kinship in any way today? Why or why not? What future implications may current political factors have on future forms of kinship?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The author of your textbook describes a...

Question 8

Anthropologists argue that kinship is one of several ways in which individuals form groups. Name and describe three other ways in which humans form groups. Does kinship influence how these other groups are formed? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Anthropologists argue that kinship is one of...

Question 9

Your friend tells you about an event that took place before her cousin Ayla's wedding in Turkey in which her family gave furniture, kitchen appliances, and cash to the groom's family. In Turkey, it is called "ceyiz." How would anthropologist classify this kind of ritual?

Accepted Answer

The ritual described is a dowry, which is a transfer of wealth from the bride's family to the groom's family in order to establish or reinforce the marital bond. Dowry is a common practice in many cultures, including Turkey.

Question 10

Toguwagewa's society practices unilateral matrilineal descent. To whom does he consider himself related?

Accepted Answer

In a society practicing unilateral matrilineal descent, individuals trace their kinship and inheritance through their mother's line. This means Toguwagewa would consider himself related to his biological mother's brother, but not his biological father, his father's sister, or his father's mother.

Question 11

The Nandi of Kenya and the Nuer of Sudan are examples of societies that:

Accepted Answer

The Nandi of Kenya and the Nuer of Sudan are examples of societies that allow women to marry other women, a practice known as woman-to-woman marriage. This arrangement often serves social and economic purposes, such as preserving lineage and property rights.

Question 12

Ayako grew up with many brothers and sisters, but she and her husband currently have no children. What would you call her family unit that had many siblings?

Accepted Answer

Ayako's family unit that had many siblings would be considered her family of orientation, which refers to the family in which one is born and raised. The other options do not fit Ayako's situation as she has not yet started a family of her own and lineage refers to ancestry.

Question 13

The Nuer practice patrilineal descent. Through whom do boys inherit membership in the descent group?

Accepted Answer

The Nuer practice patrilineal descent, meaning descent is traced through the male's lineage. Therefore, boys inherit membership in the descent group through their father's father.

Question 14

Teresa and Caitlyn are successful professionals in their 50s. Although they don't feel any economic or social pressure, they decide to get married. What kind of marriage to they have?

Accepted Answer

Teresa and Caitlyn are in their 50s and are successful professionals, indicating that they are likely not entering into marriage for economic or social reasons, ruling out arranged marriage and exogamous marriage. Additionally, the term "family of orientation" refers to the family one is born into, not the family one creates through marriage, making it an incorrect option. A companionate marriage, which is based on friendship and mutual respect rather than romantic love or passion, is a possible choice for Teresa and Caitlyn.

Question 15

Carol Stacks found that poor African American families who lived in the Flats responded to structural poverty and long-term unemployment through:

Accepted Answer

Carol Stacks found that poor African American families in the Flats formed dynamic extended kinship networks with both biological and fictive kin to cope with structural poverty and long-term unemployment.

Question 16

Why might some gay men and lesbians turn to chosen families?

Accepted Answer

Some gay men and lesbians may turn to chosen families because their biological kinship ties have been cut off due to rejection, discrimination, or non-acceptance of their sexuality. Chosen families provide an alternative support system that is based on shared identity, values, and affection rather than blood ties.

Question 17

When Cesar speaks of his dream to get married and have children, he is talking about his:

Accepted Answer

Cesar's dream of getting married and having children is referring to his family of procreation, which includes his spouse and any children they may have.

Question 18

Through kinship studies across cultures, anthropologists have determined that the ways in which genealogies are constructed can be messy and far from exact. Gaps, interruptions, disruptions, uncertainties, and assumed connections are all found among genealogies. This fact is further underscored by Kathleen Gough's reexamination of anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard's kinship work with Nuer people in Sudan. Describe one example of a genealogical disruption that Gough found among Nuer kinship data collected in the 1930s, and discuss why the disruption likely occurred. What sorts of gaps and disruptions are present in your own genealogy, and why do you think they have occurred? Do you think that genealogies will undergo even greater gaps and disruptions in the future? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Through kinship studies across cultures, anthropologists have...

Question 19

What does Melanie Medeiros suggest caused the increased rate of divorce in the town of Brogoto, Brazil?

Accepted Answer

Melanie Medeiros suggests that the increased rate of divorce in Brogoto, Brazil is due to women's increased economic independence and shifting expectations about gender roles. This suggests that women are less willing to tolerate traditional gender roles and may seek divorce if their partners do not meet their expectations.

Question 20

The statement issued in 2004 by the American Anthropological Association noted that a "vast array of family types" all contributed to "stable and humane societies." Why did the organization issue this statement?

Accepted Answer

The statement was issued to support same-sex marriage by recognizing the diversity of family types that can contribute to stable and humane societies.

Quiz 9: Kinship, Family, and Marriage