In anthropology, “affine” refers to a relative by marriage, rather than by blood. It is a technical kinship term used in social anthropology to distinguish between different types of kinship ties.

🌍 What Does “Affine” Mean?

• Definition: An affine is someone related to you through marriage.
• Examples:
  • Spouse
  • Mother-in-law, father-in-law
  • Brother-in-law, sister-in-law
  • Step-relatives created through marital unions
• Contrast:
  • Consanguineal kin: Relatives by blood (parents, siblings, children, cousins).
  • Affinal kin: Relatives by marriage (in-laws, spouses).

🔑 Anthropological Contexts

• Kinship Studies:
  • Affines are central to alliance theory (Claude Lévi-Strauss), which emphasizes marriage as a way of linking groups.
  • Marriage creates social, political, and economic bonds between families or clans.
• Social Obligations:
  • Affinal ties often carry duties of reciprocity, hospitality, and ritual respect.
  • In some cultures, affines are treated with special avoidance rules (e.g., son-in-law/mother-in-law taboos).
• Cross-Cultural Variation:
  • In patrilineal societies, affines may be crucial for cementing lineage alliances.
  • In matrilineal societies, affines help balance power between clans.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Marriage as Exchange: Affines highlight how marriage is not just personal but a social institution linking groups.
• Political Alliances: Affinal ties underpin diplomacy, trade, and resource sharing in many traditional societies.
• Identity & Belonging: Affines expand kinship beyond blood, shaping broader networks of obligation and cooperation.

In short: In anthropology, an affine is a relative by marriage, central to kinship systems, alliance theory, and the material exchanges that bind families and communities together.