Answer to Question #252833 in Sociology for Dr Bless

Question

The principles of inheritance, succession and residence have the propensity to impact kin relationships in traditional societies. Discuss

Answer 1

The transfer and inheritance of most important properties, rights, and obligations such as land, and status among others are always issues in all social societies around the world, therefore the kinship structure in societies has a responsibility of regulating the inheritance and status succession to prevent conflict among family members. However, principles that govern inheritance and succession differ from one society to another based on their social system. For instance, the inheritance and status transfer in the unilineal system states that social status and property inheritance passed exclusively through male or female descent line, usually in form of a collective group of kindred who own and control the land, status, and other family properties, unlike in the bilateral system where properties are owned and controlled by individual and not a group of people, in this context, the property inheritance, and succession are passed from either parent to children or siblings. Thus the division of properties among the deceased children or siblings is always an issue in all societies and leads to serious conflicts and even death when the rules of inheritance are not properly followed.