Types of family based upon Lineage — patrilineal, matrilineal

In a Mumbai chawl, three generations share one kitchen. In a Powai high-rise, a couple and one child share a flat. In Shillong, a family traces its line through the mother and the youngest daughter inherits the house. All three are families, yet the law meets them with different tools. Which label fits which household, and why does the label matter when property, residence or maintenance is in dispute?

In two minutes

Families are classified by descent (patrilineal or matrilineal), by authority (patriarchal or matriarchal), by residence (patrilocal or matrilocal) and by the number of conjugal units (nuclear, extended, joint, composite); the law deals most directly with the joint family.

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