Anthropology Practice Test 2026 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

The term that best describes a society primarily organized around kinship is "familism." Familism emphasizes the role of family structures and kinship ties in social organization and cultural values. In societies characterized by familism, the extended family often plays a crucial role in individuals' social lives, influencing decision-making, economic interactions, and social support systems. Familism promotes the idea that the family is central to social identity and welfare, highlighting the significance of familial bonds over individualism.

This term stands out as it specifically relates to kinship and the social dynamics that stem from family connections, as opposed to other options like bureaucracy, capitalism, and patriarchy, which refer to different organizational principles and societal structures that do not focus primarily on kinship relations. While those other terms may involve power dynamics or economic systems, familism focuses directly on the importance of family in organizing society.