There is a close relationship between the descent system used and the mode of subsistence in a society.​

The descent system determines the pattern of inheritance and succession within a society, which is closely linked to the economic and social organization of the society. In societies with a communal or group-oriented subsistence strategy, such as hunting and gathering or communal agriculture, the descent may be traced through both maternal and paternal lines. In contrast, societies with a more individualistic or market-oriented subsistence strategy, such as pastoralism or commercial agriculture, may trace descent primarily through one parent or may have a more flexible or non-unilineal descent system.