Which term refers to a kinship pattern where children's kinship ties extend to both parental sides?

Which term refers to a kinship pattern where children's kinship ties extend to both parental sides?

• A. Endogamy
• B. Polygyny
• C. Bilateral descent
• D. Exogamy

Answer: (C)

Bilateral descent describes tracing kinship through both maternal and paternal lines. In systems with bilateral descent, you recognize and maintain kinship ties with relatives on both sides of your family, so your extended network includes your mother’s relatives as well as your father’s. This contrasts with patterns that follow only one parent’s line, such as when lineage, inheritance, and family belonging are traced exclusively through the father’s side or the mother’s side. Endogamy and exogamy are about whom you marry (within a group vs outside a group), and polygyny is a marriage arrangement, not a way of tracing kinship. So the term that fits the idea of extending kinship ties to both parental sides is bilateral descent.

Bilateral descent describes tracing kinship through both maternal and paternal lines. In systems with bilateral descent, you recognize and maintain kinship ties with relatives on both sides of your family, so your extended network includes your mother’s relatives as well as your father’s. This contrasts with patterns that follow only one parent’s line, such as when lineage, inheritance, and family belonging are traced exclusively through the father’s side or the mother’s side. Endogamy and exogamy are about whom you marry (within a group vs outside a group), and polygyny is a marriage arrangement, not a way of tracing kinship. So the term that fits the idea of extending kinship ties to both parental sides is bilateral descent.