Unlineal and Bilineal Descent: How Various Cultures Trace Their Heritage

Descent in societies is the act of tracing kinship relationships through percentage.

There are two types of descent practiced:
Bilinineal - which is descent traced back through both parents
Unilineal - which is descent traced back through one parent.

Bilineal Descent is practiced by approx. 33% of cultures.
Heritage Traced through percentage from both parents equally to child. Primarily found in foraging and industrial societies where society is more egalitarian and gender-equal. The residency of Bilineal cultures are usually neo local -Which means the new offspring leave the nest to create a new home someplace else away from extended family. The most common household type for cultures practicing Bilineal Descent is nuclear or single-parent.
Some Ethnographic examples would be: Ju'Honsi, foragers, and Americans, post-industrialists.

Unilineal Descent is practiced by approx. 60% of cultures
Heritage is chased back by one line. Primarily found in horticulturalist, pastoralist and agricultural societies where gender roles are un-equal and a specific sex generally controls the mode of production.

The two types of Unilineal descent are:
Patrilineal and Matrilineal

Patrilineal Descent is practiced by approx. 44% of all cultures
Offspring from patrilineal descent typically start new households near the rest of their male dominated family, called Patrilocal. The most common type of household is extended family, which is more family then nuclear and more often then not is part of the male of the house's family. A good Ethnographic example of patrilineal descent is the Yanomamo.

Matrilineal Descent is practiced by approx. 15% of all cultures
Offspring from matrilineal descent typically start new households near the rest of the female dominated family, called Matrilocal. The most common type of household is extended family, which is more family then nuclear and more often then not is part of the female of the house's family. Most matrilineal societies are horticultural because it is one of the most female dominated modes of production that exist.
A good example of matrilineal descent societies would be the Minankabau; which is the largest matrilineal culture in the world.