Family groups are an important part of many cultures and societies. They can be defined as a group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Two common terms for family groups are CLANS and kindreds. CLANS are a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent, while kindreds are a group of related individuals descended from a common ancestor. Both CLANS and kindreds are important in many cultures and societies, and are often used to define social and political relationships.