Published
descent
vr.tr.descent-relation · thing-descent-relation
Let an agent explain descent systems, genealogy research and legal uses of descent in general terms, respecting privacy and community rules on ancestry.
Thing Registry Cross-cutting context XCT.REL
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Systems Reckoning.
Type
Descent system.
Type
Descent system.
- How is descent reckoned in this society, according to ethnographic sources? provenance
- Is it matrilineal, patrilineal or bilateral? definition
Groups
Lineages and clans.
Groups
Descent groups.
- Which lineages or clans are formed by descent here? provenance
- What roles do they have? provenance
Genealogy Research.
Records
Sources.
Records
Records.
- Which birth, marriage, census or parish records can trace this line? provenance
- Where are they held? provenance
DNA
Genetic tests.
DNA
Genetic ancestry.
- What can and cannot a genetic ancestry test show? boundary
- What privacy risks does it carry for relatives? boundary
Law Legal uses.
Citizenship
Nationality by descent.
Citizenship
Citizenship by descent.
- Does this country grant nationality by descent, according to official sources? provenance
- Is the user seeking legal advice for their own case? boundary
Inheritance
Succession.
Inheritance
Inheritance.
- How does descent affect inheritance under general rules here? provenance
- Should a lawyer be consulted? action
Respect Privacy and communities.
Privacy
Living people.
Privacy
Privacy.
- Does the research involve information about living people? boundary
- Is their consent needed before sharing? boundary
Community
Community rules.
Community
Community rules.
- Do Indigenous or community rules govern access to this ancestry information? provenance
- Who should be consulted? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Cross-cutting context
- Entry kind
- noun.relation
- Plane
- XCT
- Domain
- XCT.REL
- Facets: substance
- abstract
- Facets: origin
- conceptual
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- line of descent, lineage, filiation, bilateral descent, unilateral descent, matrilineage, enation, cognation, patrilineage, agnation
What it is Filled
The kinship relation between an individual and their ancestors, traced through parents; societies may reckon descent bilaterally or unilineally, for example through the mother (matrilineal) or the father (patrilineal), forming lineages and clans.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain descent systems, genealogy research and legal uses of descent in general terms, respecting privacy and community rules on ancestry.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Links to ancestors
- Reckoned in culturally specific ways
- Basis of lineages and clans
- Used in law and membership
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Reveal private information about living people's parentage or ancestry without consent.
- Present a genetic ancestry estimate as proof of descent or identity.
- Treat one society's descent system as the natural or universal one.
- Use descent to rank people or decide who belongs to a group.
Only with a human decision
- Disclosing unexpected parentage, adoption or donor conception findings to anyone.
- Using descent evidence in inheritance or membership decisions.
May
- Explain descent systems such as bilateral, matrilineal and patrilineal reckoning.
- Help a person record their own family history with sourced records.
Moral aspects Filled
- Descent shapes inheritance, citizenship and belonging; errors and disclosures can wreck families.
- Ideas of pure descent have been used to justify discrimination.
Who is affected
- Living relatives
- Adopted and donor-conceived people
- Indigenous and clan communities
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns the relation; families keep their own records and civil registries record births.
Master systems
- Civil registration records of births
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-13834819-n - registry parent class
related
- kinship relation - category
- lineage - group
- genealogy - practice
- inheritance - legal use
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.descent-relation
- Open English WordNet: oewn-13835254-n
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Family trees and pedigrees
- Matrilineal and patrilineal lines
- Affinity by marriage is a different kinship relation
- Not physical; shown in family trees, lineage charts and records.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain descent systems
- start genealogy research with records
- understand descent-based citizenship or membership rules in general terms
- handle genetic ancestry results with care
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Revealing private information about living people
- Over-interpreting genetic ancestry tests
- Assuming one descent system is universal
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Nationality laws based on descent
- Data protection for records of living people
- Indigenous data sovereignty principles
Context of use required Filled
- Kinship, genealogy, inheritance, citizenship and group membership.
- bilateral descent
- patrilineal descent
- matrilineal descent
- ambilineal descent
- lineages and clans
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-13835254-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: descent - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Should descent systems be separate entries?
- How should genealogy records be linked?
- How should community rules on ancestry be respected?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-descent-relation/spec.json