Kinship-like social ties recognized by anthropologists and ethnographers that are based on neither blood (consanguineal) nor marriage (affinal) relation, created instead through ritual, shared residence, economic ties or close friendship; recent scholarship increasingly questions whether the real-versus-fictive distinction itself holds up cross-culturally. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Disputed
Descent RuleNot a descent rule at all, but a category anthropologists themselves now debate: many recent scholars have abandoned the sharp real-versus-fictive distinction, since numerous cultures do not base their own idea of kinship on genealogical relation in the first place. 1 Sourced to the subject's own accountMarked debated because the underlying analytic category, not just a specific claim, is contested within anthropology itself. Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountAlso documented among the Gurung people of Nepal: the Rodi institution has teenagers form fictive-kinship bonds and become Rodi members to socialize, perform communal tasks and find marriage partners. 1 Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountDocumented across many cultures; its best-known named form, compadrazgo (godparenthood), is rooted in Central Mexico. 1 Connections
Associated With
Blood brotherhood is a documented real-world instance of fictive kinship: a socially recognized kin-like bond created between people with no birth relation.
Compadrazgo, ritual godparenthood most often established through Catholic baptismal sponsorship, is a classic anthropological example of fictive kinship.
Milk kinship, recognized in Islamic law as arising when a woman breastfeeds a child not her own, is a specific documented form of fictive kinship that creates marriage prohibitions equivalent to blood relation.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Fictive Kinship
WikipediaOpening section, description
Fictive kinship...is a term used by anthropologists and ethnographers to describe forms of kinship or social ties that are based on neither consanguineal (blood ties) nor affinal ("by marriage"), nor nursery (milk) ties.
Critiques section, category debate
Recently, many anthropologists have abandoned a distinction between 'real' and 'fictive' kin, because many cultures do not base their notion of kinship on genealogical relations.
Examples section, compadrazgo
Compadrazgo is a form of fictive kinship that is rooted in Central Mexico history for many years.
Examples section, Gurung Rodi paragraph
A noted Gurung tradition is the institution of "Rodi", where teenagers form fictive kinship bonds and become Rodi members to socialize, perform communal tasks, and find marriage partners.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.