Since my guess is that this posting was "lifted" from a recent RootsWeb news letter -- where I also read it with some interest -- the niceties of copywrite law, etc, would suggest that the appropriate attribution be provided. HMWEBBER@aol.com wrote: > MY COUSIN, MY SELF > > by Duane F. Alwin dfa@umich.edu > > The word "cousin" has a variety of meanings, some of which are > > more precise than others. We often use the word in a general way > > to refer to any collaterally related persons more distant than > > siblings who share a common ancestor. When we want to be more > > specific, we use the term in a different way: cousins (or first > > cousins) are the children of siblings. That is to say, the > > children of my aunts and uncles are my first cousins. > > Second cousins, on the other hand, are the children of first > > cousins, and third cousins are the children of second cousins, > > and so on. In other words, my second cousins are the children of > > my parents' first cousins, and my third cousins are the > > grandchildren of my grandparents' first cousins. > > The degree of cousinness, thus, simply follows generational > > lines, given kinship relations defined by a common ancestor. By > > contrast, when one crosses generational lines to express > > relationships among cousins in an adjacent generation or across > > several generations, one normally expresses these cousin > > relations as "once removed" or "twice removed" according to how > > many generations separate the related individuals. Thus, one is > > a first cousin once removed (1C1R) to his or her parents' first > > cousins, or to the children of his or her first cousins. > > I have always gotten a kick out of telling people that I am a > > cousin to myself. My maternal grandparents were first cousins > > once removed -- my grandfather married the daughter of his first > > cousin. His cousin was 15 years his senior and he was a few > > years older than my grandmother. In any event, following the > > above definitions -- second cousins are the children of first > > cousins -- we can see what may appear to be a contradiction. > > Because they are both daughters of first cousins, my mother is a > > second cousin to her own mother. This makes me a third cousin to > > my mother, as she and I are both children of second cousins in > > the same ancestral lineage. And, of course, to myself I am a > > third cousin, once removed (3C1R). Thus, when I use my genealogy > > software to print out the descendants of Samuel CHACEY (our > > common ancestor) I appear twice (and in different generations)-- > > once as a descendant of my grandfather and once in my > > grandmother's line. What better proof that I am my own cousin. > > Matings between cousins are called consanguineal, meaning that > > the members of the pair have one or more common ancestors. In > > some geographical areas at some times such matings can be quite > > common. Whether we know it or not, each of us probably has some > > consanguineous marriage in their pedigree. Most cultures have > > rules that regulate the degree of relationship permitted between > > two individuals who wish to marry. > > In many societies, including our own, marriages between first > > cousins, uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews, are typically > > discouraged or in some cases outlawed. Although it would mean > > fewer grandparents to keep track of, such matings are probably > > not a good thing. Individuals with rare recessive sex-linked > > traits are often the offspring of such matings. On the other > > hand, such consanguineous matings are not necessarily > > undesirable. Charles DARWIN married his first cousin Emma > > WEDGWOOD, and the entire Darwin-Wedgwood lineage was highly > > inbred. Some have speculated that the pre-eminence of this > > lineage in the arts, sciences, and the professions may have > > resulted from some inbred genetic trait. But this is probably > > the exception, and genetic diversity in families is probably > > healthier over the long run. > > [Duane F. Alwin is Professor of Sociology at the University of > > Michigan, where he teaches social psychology, the family and > > research methods. In his spare time he actively pursues the > > history of his own family.] > > ==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== > To post a message to this list, send your message to > PACHESTE-L@rootsweb.com