Quote Originally Posted by gilmore View Post
I don't agree with this at all.

What makes a family a family, and a descent a descent, is culturally determined and not carved in stone. E.g., in some cultures the groom sometimes becomes part of his wife's family, and their progeny are thought of as her family's, regardless of genetics or "blood." There are many other such examples. This is the pluralistic 21 Century. The notion that only genetic connections are normative and worthy of genealogical research is no longer applicable.

In fact that was never the case.

In both Europe and American cultures, some 3.7% to 4% of births are misattributed paternity. That is, the alleged father of a child is not the mother's husband. That is of course about one in 25. This is a seemingly small number, but over the generations it accumulates until on average after some 19 or 20 generations or so there is at least one non-paternal event (NPE), as they are called in genetic genealogy. There is a formula for determinning the likelihood of an NPE having occured in any given number of generations that I can dig up, if anyone interested.

Twenty generations is only something less than six centuries usually, at 27 years per male generation, a standard calculation.

So, most of us who liked to boast that we descend from the Magna Carta Sureties, Companions of the Conqueror, Charlemagne, Niall of the Seven Hostages, Somerled, etc, may very well be, but, more likely than not, not in the ways that the paper trails indicate.
Setting aside your personal belief that we live in the "pluralistic 21st century" I think you have confused the concept of lawfully born children vs. naturally born children. Both have a paternal line of descent. On the one hand that descent is relatively easy to prove; on the other hand it may be more difficult if the identity of the father is hidden (for whatever reason) from the child.

It does not matter if the culture the child is born into is patriarchal or matriarchal-- the child is still the product of two parents, and claims equal descent from both the mother and the father.

Broadly speaking NEPs do occur in about +/- 4% of births. However, in about +/- 85% of these instances the actual father is known, although the fact of paternity may be disguised for social, cultural, or legal reasons.

To suggest, as you seem to do, that it was never the case that genetic connections are normative and are not worthy of genealogical research, really does overlook biological, cultural and legal factors.

While "statistical" genealogy can imply that most people of western European background are descended from Charlemagne, only "traditional" genealogical research can prove if you are actually descended from Charlotte the Maid and James the Coachman or the Duke and Duchess of Zenda.

The concept of "family", in social and emotional terms, is determined by culture. Descent, however, is determined by science, and that is (at least for the moment) "carved in stone."