Question 1

Traditionally, in some areas of the former Yugoslavia, several nuclear families were embedded in an extended family household called a zadruga.Among the Nayar in southern India, it was typical for people to live in matrilineal extended family compounds called tarawads.Descriptions of these two culturally specific cases highlight how

Accepted Answer

These two culturally specific cases demonstrate that the nuclear family is not the only stable or viable kin group arrangement. People have adapted to their cultural and environmental circumstances by developing alternative forms of extended family households, such as the zadruga and tarawad. The fact that these arrangements have persisted over time suggests that they have provided some benefits to their members. Therefore, there are many alternatives to the nuclear family.

Question 2

What are the two basic social units of foraging societies?

Accepted Answer

The two basic social units of foraging societies are the nuclear family and the band. The nuclear family consists of parents and their children, while the band is a larger group of related nuclear families who live and work together.

Question 3

What postmarital residence rule is most often found in societies with lineal kinship terminologies?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

What term refers to the kind of descent in which people choose the descent group that they join?

Accepted Answer

Ambilineal descent allows individuals to choose to belong to either their mother's or father's descent group. Unlike patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilineal descent, the choice of descent group is not predetermined by gender. The term "neolineal" is not a recognized form of descent, so A is incorrect. D is incorrect because it refers specifically to tracing descent through the mother's line, while E refers to tracing descent through both the mother's and father's lines.

Question 5

Anthropologists are interested in kinship calculation, which is

Accepted Answer

Kinship calculation refers to the system by which people in a society reckon their kin relationships. This includes understanding how different kinship terms are assigned, the rules governing who is considered family, and how kinship ties affect social interactions and obligations. Anthropologists study kinship calculation to better understand the ways in which different societies structure their families and communities.

Question 6

What is the most common system of kinship classification used in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Lineal kinship classification is the most common system used in the United States. This system distinguishes between direct ascendants and descendants along a single line of descent (such as parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren) and does not differentiate between collateral relatives (such as aunts, uncles, and cousins).

Question 7

Anthropologists distinguish between kin terms and genealogical kin types.What is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Kin terms refer to the words used for different relatives in a particular language, whereas genealogical kin types refer to the actual genealogical relationship. The distinction is important because different cultures may have different kinship systems and use different kin terms to refer to relatives, but the genealogical relationship remains the same regardless of the terms used to describe it.

Question 8

What does it mean that kinship, like race, is culturally constructed?

Accepted Answer

Kinship, like race, is constructed by society and its rules and definitions vary across cultures. The concept of who is considered a relative and who is not is subjective and varies from culture to culture. Therefore, it is not a fixed or biologically-determined category.

Question 9

What does ego represent in a depiction of a kinship system?

Accepted Answer

Ego represents the point of reference used to determine which kin terms go where in a kinship system. Ego is typically the starting point for tracing relationships, and the terminology used to describe kinship relationships will vary depending on whether Ego is male or female.

Question 10

Which term refers to the family in which a child is raised?

Accepted Answer

Family of orientation refers to the family in which a child is raised, typically consisting of parents and siblings. Family of procreation refers to the family formed by an individual when they have children of their own. Family of nucleation is not a commonly used term in sociology. Genealogical family refers to the extended relatives of an individual, including ancestors and descendants. Family of kin is a broad term that can refer to any group of individuals related by blood or marriage.

Question 11

What is the name of the postmarital residence pattern in which the married couple is expected to establish their own home?

Accepted Answer

Neolocality is the postmarital residence pattern in which the married couple is expected to establish their own home. Patrilocality is the postmarital residence pattern in which the married couple is expected to live with or near the husband's family. Matrilocality is the postmarital residence pattern in which the married couple is expected to live with or near the wife's family. Ambilocality is the postmarital residence pattern in which the couple can choose to live with either the husband's or the wife's family. Uxorilocality is the postmarital residence pattern in which the married couple is expected to live with or near the wife's family, which is uncommon.

Question 12

The Bari of Venezuela recognize multiple fathers, even though biologically there can be only one actual genitor.This example shows

Accepted Answer

The example of the Bari of Venezuela illustrates that kinship, like race and gender, is culturally constructed. The Bari recognize multiple fathers even though biologically there can be only one actual genitor, demonstrating that kinship relationships are not solely determined by biological factors but rather by cultural beliefs and practices.

Question 13

A unilineal descent group whose members demonstrate their common descent from an apical ancestor is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A lineage is a unilineal descent group that can trace their descent from a common ancestor through a known genealogical relationship. Clans are also unilineal descent groups, but they may not necessarily have a known common ancestor and instead may claim descent from a mythical or legendary figure. Extended families refer to multiple generations of related individuals living together, while a family of procreation refers to a nuclear family created through marriage or the formation of a new household. A family of orientation refers to the family a person is born into and raised in.

Question 14

What kind of kinship is most common in the contemporary United States?

Accepted Answer

Bilateral kinship is the most common form of kinship in the contemporary United States. In bilateral kinship, individuals trace descent and kinship through both their mother's and father's sides of the family. This differs from patrilateral and matrilateral kinship, which focus solely on either the mother's or father's side of the family. Collateral kinship refers to relationships between relatives who are not direct ancestors or descendants, while generational kinship refers to relationships between individuals in different generations (such as grandparents and grandchildren).

Question 15

Although the nuclear family remains a cultural ideal for many Americans, nuclear families accounted for just 20 percent of American households in 2012.In fact, other domestic arrangements outnumber the traditional U.S.household five to one.All of the following are among the reasons for this trend EXCEPT that

Accepted Answer

The passage states that "other domestic arrangements" outnumber nuclear families, but it does not mention anything about the growing importance of kinship. Therefore, option E is the correct answer as it is not given as a reason for the trend. The other options (A, B, C, and D) are valid reasons discussed in the passage for why the traditional nuclear family is becoming less prevalent.

Question 16

Contemporary North American adults usually define their families as consisting of their husbands or wives and their children.In contrast, when middle-class Brazilians talk about their families, they mean their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and on, down to their children.They rarely mention the spouse.Which of the following is among the reasons for this stark cultural contrast?

Accepted Answer

Brazilians live in a less mobile society and generally have closer relationships with their extended family members, often staying in closer contact with them than North Americans do. This cultural difference in mobility and family proximity likely affects how individuals define their families.

Question 17

In Arembepe, Brazil, a degree of community solidarity was promoted by the myth that everyone was kin.However, social solidarity was actually much less developed in Arembepe than in societies with clans and lineages.Why?

Accepted Answer

Intense social solidarity often relies on the inclusion of some individuals and the exclusion of others to strengthen group identity and bonds. By claiming everyone was kin and excluding no one, Arembepe weakened the potential strength of kinship in fostering group solidarity.

Question 18

In North America, the relatively high incidence of expanded family households in the lower class is

Accepted Answer

Expanded family households can be an important strategy for the urban poor to adapt to poverty. This is because by pooling resources and sharing living expenses, extended family members may be better able to make ends meet and provide support for one another. This is particularly common among immigrant families where cultural values may emphasize the importance of familial relations and interdependence. Therefore, option B is the best choice as it describes a plausible and supported explanation of why expanded family households are more common in the lower class.

Question 19

Understanding kinship systems is an important part of anthropology because

Accepted Answer

Kinship ties are important to the people anthropologists study, and understanding them provides insight into social relations and cultural practices.

Question 20

In what kind of kinship calculation are kin ties traced equally through males and females?

Accepted Answer

In bilateral kinship calculation, kin ties are traced equally through both the mother's and father's sides of the family. This means that both male and female relatives are considered equally important, unlike other kinship calculations such as bilineal or bifurcate merging where one side of the family is given more importance.

Quiz 10: Families, Kinship, and Descent