Kinship Structures

Kinship structures refer to the way societies organize relationships and roles among family members and relatives. These systems define how individuals are related, obligations they have to each other, and social responsibilities like marriage, inheritance, and kinship recognition. Different cultures have various kinship arrangements—such as nuclear families, extended families, clans, or lineages—that shape social interactions and community cohesion. Understanding kinship helps explain social organization, cultural values, and identities within a society, showing how people connect and support one another across generations.