Unilineal Descent: Patrilineal

In additional to cognatic descent (bilateral) the second major descent system is unilineal. Most horticultural and pastoral societies (as well as most intensive agricultural and many industrial societies) have some version of unilineal descent.

In unilineal descent, Ego traces kin either through males only, or through females only, but not through both. If he traces kin through males, descent is patrilineal, and if through females, descent is matrilineal.

Patrilineal Descent

All the cultures we are looking at in this unit have patrilineal descent: the traditional Hmong, the Yanomamo, and the Nuer. The Tiv (the horticultural society from Unit 1) are also patrilineal. The majority of horticultural societies known have or have had patrilineal descent. In pastoral societies, patrilineal descent was almost universal.

In any unilineal descent system, the main kin group formed is not the nuclear family, but the lineage. Everyone belongs to a specific lineage, all people in the lineage are related to each other, and lineages invariably have corporate functions. Lineages often own property and or "use rights" to certain land, which members of the lineage share in equally. There are two "rules" to remember about lineages which should make it easy for you to figure them out.

• Lineages are (almost) always exogamous. (In a very few unilineal systems, the lineage is endogamous. In this class we will not be looking at any examples of endogamous lineages; always assume the lineage is exogamous.)
• Everyone in a patrilineal system takes their lineage from their father. Women take their lineage from their father, but a woman's children will belong to their husband's lineage. Men take their lineage from their father, and a man's children will belong to his patrilineage; kinship can pass "through" males, but not "through" females.

A Patrilineage

The diagram above depicts Ego's patrilineage in blue. Note that there are many females in a patrilineage, and that brothers and sisters (since they have the same father) are always in the same patrilineage. Also, please note that Ego's patrilineage does not include everyone on Ego's father's side. Ego is not related to his cross cousin's on his father's side, that is, his father's sister's children. There are several consanguineal relatives on the father's side that are not in Ego's lineage.

Cross Cousin Marriage

Cross cousins, remember, are Ego's mother's brother's children and father's sister's children. In all bifurcate merging terminology systems (e.g. Iroquois), they are given a different kin term than parallel cousins (Ego's mother's sister's children and father's brother's children). Parallel cousins are in fact usually given the same kin term as "brother" and "sister". If that is the case, the culture probably has preferred cross cousin marriage, that is, Ego is supposed to marry a cross cousin if at all possible. Ego's parallel cousins are prohibited as marriage partners. This marriage pattern makes sense in a unilineal descent system. Look at the diagram below, with basic Iroquois kin terms indicated, and Ego's patrilineage in blue.

Iroquois Terminology System and Ego's Patrilineage

If Ego is supposed to marry a cross cousin, he can marry any girl labeled 8. Note that these would also be possible marriage partners for his brother, while his sister could marry a male cross cousin (7). Looking at the father's side only, it is clear that the parallel cousin labeled "6" is in Ego's patrilineage (and hence has the role of a sister), while the cross cousin labeled "8" is not in Ego's patrilineage. Since lineages are always exogamous, this marriage pattern is logical. Cross cousins, will never be Ego's lineage. However, normally (look at top diagram), the parallel cousins on the mother's side will not be in Ego's lineage either. However, if cross cousin marriage is preferred, it is highly likely that Ego's mother and father are cross cousins. If so, Ego's mother's sister and Ego's father's brother are also cross cousins. In any event, Ego's mother's sister may well have married someone in Ego's father's lineage. If so, then Ego's mother's sister's children (his parallel cousins) will also be in his lineage, and marriage would be prohibited! Even if Ego's father's sister is married to Ego's mother's brother (since they are also cross cousins), their children, Ego's cross cousins, will not be in his lineage, and he is free to marry them! (You are welcome to try to diagram this for yourself!)