What kinship system regards both parental sides as equally important?

Bilateral descent is a kinship system in which individuals trace their lineage through both their mother’s and father’s families, giving equal importance to both parental sides. This system allows individuals to inherit and be connected to relatives from both the maternal and paternal sides, which can influence social dynamics, inheritance rights, and familial obligations.

In contrast, other systems focus on one lineage over the other. Patrilateral descent emphasizes the paternal line, where lineage and inheritance are traced through the father’s family. Matriarchal descent, while not commonly used in many societies, would center around the maternal line, giving priority to the mother’s family. Unilateral descent refers specifically to tracing ancestry either through one side (either matriarchal or patrilateral), rather than equally from both parents as in bilateral descent. Hence, bilateral descent is distinct in its dual recognition of parental contributions to identity and social ties.