Q.1 In kinship studies, what is the primary focus of cultural anthropology?
Genetic inheritance patterns
Economic transactions
Social relationships and family structures
Religious rituals
Explanation - Cultural anthropology studies human societies, emphasizing social relationships, kinship, and family structures rather than purely biological or economic factors.
Correct answer is: Social relationships and family structures
Q.2 Which type of kinship system classifies relatives primarily through the father's line?
Matrilineal
Patrilineal
Bilateral
Ambilineal
Explanation - Patrilineal systems trace descent and inheritance through the male line, from father to children.
Correct answer is: Patrilineal
Q.3 In which kinship system do individuals trace descent equally through both mother and father?
Matrilineal
Patrilineal
Bilateral
Unilineal
Explanation - Bilateral descent recognizes both the maternal and paternal lines, often influencing inheritance and family obligations.
Correct answer is: Bilateral
Q.4 Which term refers to a family unit consisting of parents and their children only?
Extended family
Nuclear family
Joint family
Clan
Explanation - A nuclear family is a basic social unit composed of two parents and their children, distinct from extended or joint family structures.
Correct answer is: Nuclear family
Q.5 In matrilineal societies, property and inheritance are usually passed down through which side?
Father's side
Mother's side
Either side
Grandparents only
Explanation - Matrilineal descent emphasizes inheritance and lineage through the female line, often including property, names, and clan membership.
Correct answer is: Mother's side
Q.6 Which of the following best describes a joint family system?
Two parents and their children living separately
Multiple generations living together
A group of unrelated individuals cohabiting
A family that lives in urban areas only
Explanation - A joint family system includes grandparents, parents, children, and sometimes other relatives sharing a household and resources.
Correct answer is: Multiple generations living together
Q.7 Cross-cousins in kinship terminology are defined as:
Children of same-sex siblings of parents
Children of opposite-sex siblings of parents
Children of cousins
Children of unrelated individuals
Explanation - Cross-cousins are the children of a brother and a sister (opposite-sex siblings), while parallel cousins are children of same-sex siblings.
Correct answer is: Children of opposite-sex siblings of parents
Q.8 Parallel cousins refer to:
Children of opposite-sex siblings of parents
Children of same-sex siblings of parents
Cousins through marriage
Step-siblings
Explanation - Parallel cousins are offspring of either two brothers or two sisters, often sharing similar social roles and inheritance patterns in some societies.
Correct answer is: Children of same-sex siblings of parents
Q.9 Which anthropologist is best known for his studies on kinship systems and structural-functionalism?
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Bronislaw Malinowski
E. E. Evans-Pritchard
Franz Boas
Explanation - Claude Lévi-Strauss analyzed kinship structures and alliances using structuralist theory, emphasizing how marriage rules shape social organization.
Correct answer is: Claude Lévi-Strauss
Q.10 Endogamy refers to:
Marriage within a specific social group
Marriage outside a social group
Marriage between cousins only
Marriage without consent
Explanation - Endogamy is a social rule that encourages or requires individuals to marry within a certain community, caste, or social group.
Correct answer is: Marriage within a specific social group
Q.11 Exogamy is best defined as:
Marrying within one's clan
Marrying outside a designated group
Marrying multiple spouses
Marrying only cousins
Explanation - Exogamy requires individuals to seek spouses outside their own social, familial, or clan group, often to form alliances.
Correct answer is: Marrying outside a designated group
Q.12 Polyandry refers to a marriage system where:
A woman marries multiple men
A man marries multiple women
Multiple men and women marry each other
Marriage occurs only between cousins
Explanation - Polyandry is a rare marriage practice where one woman has more than one husband, often observed in certain Himalayan societies.
Correct answer is: A woman marries multiple men
Q.13 Polygyny is defined as:
A woman with multiple husbands
A man with multiple wives
Multiple men and women in one household
Marriage restricted to a clan
Explanation - Polygyny is a common form of polygamy in which a man has multiple wives simultaneously.
Correct answer is: A man with multiple wives
Q.14 Which type of kinship system uses both matrilineal and patrilineal descent?
Unilineal
Bilineal
Matrilineal
Patrilineal
Explanation - Bilineal (or cognatic) descent recognizes lineage through both mother and father, unlike unilineal systems which follow only one line.
Correct answer is: Bilineal
Q.15 The term 'affinal kin' refers to:
Blood relatives
Relatives by marriage
Neighbors
Clan leaders
Explanation - Affinal kinship refers to relationships created through marriage, distinguishing them from consanguineal (blood) kin.
Correct answer is: Relatives by marriage
Q.16 Consanguineal kin are:
Related by marriage
Related by blood
Step-relatives
Clan allies
Explanation - Consanguineal relationships are those that arise from biological descent, connecting individuals through bloodlines.
Correct answer is: Related by blood
Q.17 A household in which siblings share property and responsibilities is typical of which family system?
Nuclear family
Joint family
Matrilineal family
Monogamous family
Explanation - Joint families often feature siblings and their offspring sharing property, labor, and household duties across generations.
Correct answer is: Joint family
Q.18 Which of the following is a social function of kinship systems?
Regulating marriage and inheritance
Determining climate patterns
Organizing trade networks only
Controlling population growth directly
Explanation - Kinship systems structure social life by defining marriage rules, inheritance, and responsibilities among relatives.
Correct answer is: Regulating marriage and inheritance
Q.19 Which type of marriage involves one spouse from each of two different lineages exchanging partners?
Bride exchange
Dowry system
Arranged marriage
Levirate marriage
Explanation - Bride exchange is a practice where two families exchange women as spouses to establish alliances and reciprocity.
Correct answer is: Bride exchange
Q.20 Levirate marriage occurs when:
A widow marries her deceased husband's brother
A man marries multiple women
A woman marries multiple men
Siblings marry each other
Explanation - Levirate is a traditional practice ensuring protection and continuity for the widow and her children by marrying her to a close male relative of the deceased.
Correct answer is: A widow marries her deceased husband's brother
Q.21 Soral marriage, such as sororate, refers to:
A widower marrying his deceased wife's sister
A widow marrying multiple men
Cross-cousin marriage
Polyandry
Explanation - Sororate marriage ensures alliance continuity, typically involving a widower marrying the sister of his deceased wife.
Correct answer is: A widower marrying his deceased wife's sister
Q.22 Which anthropological approach emphasizes understanding kinship through cultural meanings rather than just biological ties?
Structural-functionalism
Symbolic or interpretive anthropology
Evolutionary anthropology
Biological anthropology
Explanation - Symbolic anthropology examines how people assign meanings to kinship roles, rituals, and family relations beyond biological connections.
Correct answer is: Symbolic or interpretive anthropology
Q.23 The Nayar community in Kerala is historically known for which unique family structure?
Joint patrilineal family
Matrilineal extended households
Nuclear families with polygyny
Polyandrous nuclear families
Explanation - The Nayar practiced matriliny where lineage and inheritance were traced through women, with large extended households headed by senior women.
Correct answer is: Matrilineal extended households
Q.24 In many traditional societies, kinship terminologies serve to:
Identify social roles and obligations
Determine economic production
Calculate age and birth dates
Set legal court procedures
Explanation - Kinship terminology classifies relatives and clarifies roles, responsibilities, and social expectations within the family and community.
Correct answer is: Identify social roles and obligations
Q.25 The Omaha and Crow kinship systems are examples of:
Bilateral descent systems
Unilineal patrilineal systems with generational skewing
Matrilineal descent systems
Clanless societies
Explanation - The Omaha and Crow systems are patrilineal but classify cousins and relatives in ways that collapse generations, showing complex social patterns.
Correct answer is: Unilineal patrilineal systems with generational skewing