Final answer:
The statement is false. While a bilateral descent system is common in the United States, only about sixty percent of world societies follow this pattern, with the remaining practicing unilateral descent systems such as patrilineal, matrilineal, or ambilineal descent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false; not all societies, including the United States, have bilateral systems of descent. In a bilateral descent system, an individual's kinship is traced through both the mother's and father's lines. This type of descent is common in the United States and other modernized nations, where both paternal and maternal ancestors are considered part of one's family.
However, this pattern is not universal. Around sixty percent of societies follow a bilateral descent pattern, while the other forty percent practice some form of unilateral descent, where kinship is traced through only one parent's line. Within unilateral descent, there are patrilineal, matrilineal, and ambilineal types, each tracing lineage through either the father's or mother's side alone, or allowing a choice based on the situation.
For example, in patrilineal societies, which are prevalent in parts of rural China and India, only males carry on the family surname, creating a distinction in how family membership is perceived between genders. Conversely, some U.S. traditions, such as children generally taking their father's surname, demonstrate a blend of bilateral traditions with aspects of patrilineal descent.