The phrase "blood is thicker than water" really is just a way to show how family ties (by blood) are supposed to be much stronger than that of friends or strangers. In that respect, family should be considered the highest priority and family ties cannot be compromised. In the article concerning Iraqi marriages, this phrase really applies. Since many traditional Iraqi marriages take place between first and second cousins, everything stays within one family. Single men and women look for possible matches among similar family members, including cousins, instead of searching for a match within a different family. Many Westerners would find this practice taboo, because marrying or having sexual relations with a close family member is considered incest. However, the Iraqi people view strangers with much suspicion, and will maintain stronger family ties because the marriage is already between related family members. This practive also allows the married couple and their children to remain close to the grandparents and/or in-laws.
One instance in which the consanguineal vs. affinal kin principle is of crucial importance is when a family member dies and his/her property is divided according to that person's final will. Close family members are normally the ones to receive the deceased person's belongings and property because it'll stay within the family. However, sometimes the deceased person didn't or wasn't able to leave behind a will, so there is a problem with how the property will be divided. Houses, cars, and money can cause the biggest issues. Family members typically receive the property, but without the final will, complete strangers to the family cam get the property instead.
Another crucial importance for the kin principle includes paternity testing. I loooove the show Maury, and you can see the family aspect on there all the time! It's important to figure out who the biological parent(s) of a child are, and this is one principle that helps establish that. The paternity testing is especially important if the child has medical issues, and a close family member is needed if the child is not with its biological parents.
I agree with you on how important it is to know who the biological father of a child is for medical reasons, and for some people, closure. However, if a father/mother has not been there for a child growing up, and someone else has taken on that role, I think that person is just as, if not more important that the biological parent. I hate hearing/seeing stories about parents who try to jump back into a their child's life after not being a part of it for many years. It doesn't teach the right kind of lesson.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your example of how to divide the property of a family member that had recently passed away. It is so important that the immediate family have a say in what should stay within the family. Some items are so precious, and it is awful to believe that at times those possessions just go to an outsider that is unaware of the history behind a family heirloom. And like you said it doesn't stop just at the small things, the house, the car, and the bills, are also in question.
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