Family
A group of people united by partnership and parenthood, typically including adults recognized as parents or caretakers and their socially acknowledged children.
Family of orientation
The family you are born into; includes you, your parents, and any siblings.
Family of procreation
The family you create through marriage or long‑term partnership; includes your partner and any children you have.
Fictive kin
Individuals considered “kin” despite no biological or marital ties; relationships formed through adoption, religious practice, ritual, or social honor.
Kinship
A cultural system that defines who is related to whom and outlines mutual expectations, rights, responsibilities, and social roles.
Bilateral descent
A descent system that traces kinship through both the mother’s and father’s sides equally.
Patrilineal descent
A descent system emphasizing the father’s lineage; inheritance and identity pass through the male line.
Matrilineal descent
A descent system emphasizing the mother’s lineage; inheritance and identity pass through the female line.
Neolocal residence
A post‑marital residence pattern where a couple establishes an independent household separate from both families.
Patrilocal residence
A residence pattern where a married couple lives with or near the husband’s father’s family.
Matrilocal residence
A residence pattern where a married couple lives with or near the wife’s family, often found in matrilineal societies.
Exogamy
A marriage rule requiring individuals to marry outside their social group, lineage, or kin group.
Endogamy
A marriage rule requiring individuals to marry within a specific social group, caste, or kin group.
Incest taboo
A cultural rule prohibiting sexual relations or marriage between close relatives.
Arranged marriage
A marriage in which families or community members play a central role in selecting partners.
Love marriage
A marriage based on personal choice, affection, and romantic attraction rather than family arrangement.
Polygamy
A marriage system involving more than two spouses.
Polygyny
A form of polygamy in which one man has multiple wives.
Polyandry
A form of polygamy in which one woman has multiple husbands.
Kinship boundaries
The cultural ideas that determine when kinship begins, ends, and who counts as a relative.
