Theoretical overview
Descent is the cultural rule which affiliates an individual at birth with particular group of relatives. Descent concerns the tracing of relationships through succeeding generations, i.e., who has descended from whom. According to Murdock, there are three principals ways of tracing descents
Unilineal descent or one line descent: It is that form of descent in which a relationship is emphasized through one sex or line. Unilineal descent has two types:
- Patrilineal or Agnatic Descent: It is a form of unilineal descent traced through males only. The child is affiliated solely with the consanguineal kin group of the father Authority and economic survival are vested on the men. The household in this type of society is male-headed which is also known as the patriarchal household. as the patriarchal household. Both the male and the female children belong to their father’s lineage or kin and not the mother’s. This is why the children bear their father’s name, inherits
- Matrilineal or Uterine Descent: It is a form of unilineal descent traced through females only, i.e mother only. This type of descent system is not common as the patrilineal descent system. The children are traced to their mother’s lineage. The means of survival is carried out mostly by the women. This system is not the direct opposite of the patrilineal system in terms of authority. The authority is vested on the men but the economic means of survival is by the women. The maternal uncle( brother of the mother) holds a vital role in social responsibilities and inheritance. He is the social father and has a stronger relationship with his sister’s children than the biological father of these children. The children pay more respect to their social father (maternal uncle) than to their biological father. The children born into such society inherits directly from their mother’s side, which is mostly from their maternal uncle
Bilineal descent: It is a form of descent which combines both patrilines and matrilines. Descent is traced through female and male lines for different purposes. In India patrilineal and matrilineal descent systems are prevalent. However, patrilineal descent is more prevalent than matrilineal descent system.
Lineage: It is a set of kin, whose members trace their descent from a common ancestor through known links. If the members of an unilineal kin group can’t actually trace their relationship but only acknowledge a common descent from a known or a fictional ancestor-the group is called clan or a sib. This group usually includes several lineages.
Points to remember
- Descent is the cultural rule which affiliates an individual at birth with particular group of relatives. Descent concerns the tracing of relationships through succeeding generations, i.e., who has descended from whom.
- It is a form of unilineal descent traced through males only. The child is affiliated solely with the consanguineal kin group of the father Authority and economic survival are vested on the men.
- It is a form of unilineal descent traced through females only, i.e mother only. This type of descent system is not common as the patrilineal descent system. The children are traced to their mother’s lineage.
