Final answer:
There is a close relationship between a culture's infrastructure and its descent system because the economic base of a society influences social structures, such as family and kinship, which in turn affects resource distribution and social stratification.
Step-by-step explanation:
The close relationship between a culture's infrastructure and its descent system lies in how a society's economic base (infrastructure) influences its social structures, such as family (descent system). In societies that rely on subsistence farming or pastoralism, little is produced beyond local consumption, leading to minimal accumulation of wealth. As modes of production evolve, societies may adopt intensive farming methods, generating surplus that allows for craft specialization, trade, and the emergence of political and religious leadership. This in turn affects kinship structures and the dissemination of resources through inheritance, alliances, and marriage rules.
Descent systems are key to understanding how societies maintain coherence and continuity. For instance, in societies with lineage-based orders, wealth accumulation can directly affect social stratification, reinforcing existing descent lines and potentially influencing decision-making and the allocation of power within the community. Therefore, the intersection of both infrastructure and kinship systems is fundamental to the organization and perpetuation of culture.
Ultimately, these systems don't just reflect existing social values; they also shape them. As anthropologists have observed, changes in one element of a society, such as its economic practices, can have significant, sometimes unexpected, impacts on other aspects, including gender roles and social class structures. Similarly, the descent system can perpetuate cultural values and norms, playing a crucial role in the reproduction of the societal status quo and reinforcing concepts such as cultural capital.