Descent Succession

Descent Succession and inheritance

Introduction to Descent Succession

The study of kinship has directed much attention to the terms people use to classify and identify their relatives. Kin are everywhere categorized into distinct groups with specific roles and behavior.

The way in which people classify their kin has many practical applications. Thus, the familial relationships peculiar to a society will largely determine the allocation of rights and their transmission from one generation to the next. The succession of office and titles and the inheritance of property are implicit in the kinship system. Property can pass across generations in several ways, as, for example, from the mother’s brother to the sister’s son (in matrilineal societies); from the father to the father’s younger brother (in some patrilineal cultures); or from the father to his son (in many patrilineal societies).

In some societies, kinship terms may also indicate how the family is split over the inheritance of goods and property. The Iatmul of New Guinea, for instance, assign five different terms to designate the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth child. In any quarrels over patrimony, the first and third children are expected to join forces against the second and the fourth.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Descent Succession in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Descent Succession

In this Section

Descent, Descent systems, Descent Succession and Descent Theories of Kinship.