Practice question · Multiple choice
Matrilineal descent traces membership through the mother, yet authority in such societies often rests with a man, the mother's brother rather than the father. Why does that follow?
Hints
- Ask which lineage the father belongs to.
- Descent and authority are answering different questions.
Show the answer
A. Because descent and authority are separate rules
Why
Tracing membership and allocating authority are independent rules. The avunculate is what you get when a lineage runs through women but its offices are held by men, which is why matrilineal is not the same as matriarchal.
Practise Kinship and Family Systems
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