Final answer:
Bilateral descent involves tracing kinship through both mother's and father's lines, common in the United States. Double descent might imply a system where kinship involves both patrilineal and matrilineal aspects, although it's not a widely recognized term. Bilateral descent allows for a mixed-gender lineage consideration, acknowledging family from both sides.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "bilateral descent" refers to the tracing of kinship through both the mother's and father's ancestral lines. In bilateral kinship systems, individuals consider relatives from both sides of their family when determining their lineage and social connections. This form of descent is predominant in societies such as the United States, where both paternal and maternal ancestors hold significance in defining one's family.
On the other hand, "double descent" isn't a commonly used term in anthropology, but it might imply a mixture of both patrilineal and matrilineal descent systems, which are types of unilateral descent where kinship is traced either through the father's line only or the mother's side only. In a double descent system, if it were used, an individual might inherit specific rights or obligations from both the paternal and maternal sides, combining elements of both unilineal systems.
Double descent is less common and most people may be more familiar with the concept of bilateral descent especially in modernized nations where it's more common to acknowledge kin from both sides of the family. The United States predominantly follows a bilateral descent pattern, reflecting a mixed-gender lineage consideration.