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How do kinship systems separate social relatedness from genetic relatedness?
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consanguinity
(Left) Absence of inbreeding: horizontal lines connect mates, vertical lines connect parents with their child; (right) an inbreeding loop: horizontal bar at top of loop connects brother and sister, all other lines and bars as above
Kinship systems separate social relatedness from genetic relatedness by treating kinship as a cultural and symbolic construct rather than a strictly biological one. While genetic relatedness is defined by common ancestry and the transmission of genes, social relatedness is defined by the systems of relationships, obligations, and categories that a culture uses to organize its members.1234
Anthropologists note that these systems often diverge in the following ways:
- Terminology: Kinship terms frequently group individuals who have different genetic relationships under a single label. For example, in many societies, a father and his brother may be called by the same term, even though they are genetically distinct to the community.5
- Fictive and Affinal Kin: Societies often incorporate individuals into kinship networks who share no common ancestors, such as through marriage (affinal kin), adoption, or godparenting (fictive kin).2
- Cultural Codes: As explored in the culturalist approach, kinship is often based on shared symbols and codes for conduct—the "order of law"—which can exist independently of biological ties.1
- Social Regulation: Communities may use social rules, such as avoidance or joking relationships, to dictate behavior between relatives regardless of their specific genetic degree of consanguinity.46