ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kinship

Kinship is a way to describe how people in a family are related to each other. Imagine you have a family with your mom, dad, and siblings. Your mom is your mom because she gave birth to you and your dad is your dad because he helped make you. You and your siblings are siblings because you all have the same mom and dad. This means you are all related to each other by blood.

But there are also other ways that people can be related to each other that are not based on blood, like adoption, marriage, or step-relations. For example, if someone got adopted by a family, they become part of that family and can be considered their brother, sister, or son/daughter even though they are not biologically related.

Kinship also includes different types of relationships based on age and gender. For instance, in some families, the oldest member is considered the head of the household and has special responsibilities, while younger members might be expected to respect and obey their elders.

In summary, kinship is like a family tree that shows how different people in a family are related to each other, whether they are related by blood or by other means like adoption or marriage. It also includes rules and expectations about how people in the family should treat each other based on their age and gender.