The Family

The Family The most universal social institution is the

familyEvery society organizes its members into

familiesWhat

constitutes a family varies from culture to culture

Family SystemsA family is a group of people who are

related by marriage, blood, or adoption who often live together and

share economic resources

Nuclear FamilyA nuclear family consists

of one or both parents and their children.

This is the most recognizable family unit in America.

There are two overlapping nuclear families:

1.Family of Orientation

2.Family of Procreation

Family of Orientation

An individual’s family of orientation is the nuclear family into which the person is born or adopted.

This family consists of his or her brother, sisters, and parents

Family of Procreation

When an individual marries, a new nuclear family is formed

This new family is now a family of procreation, consisting of the individual, his or her spouse and their children

Extended FamilyAn extended family

consists of two or more generations

In an extended family, grandparents, parents, children, aunts & uncles and cousins may all live in one house or a grouping of houses

KinshipFamilies are part of a much larger

kinship system

Kinship is a network of people who are related by marriage, birth, or adoption

MarriageThe set of norms that

establishes and characterizes the relationship between married individuals

There are no universal norms limiting the number of marriage partners an individual may have, where married couples reside, how they trace their decent, or who has authority in the family

Marriage PatternsIn most industrial

societies, people are married to one person at a time, called monogamy

In pre-industrial societies, people are permitted to have multiple marriage partners at one time, called polygamy

PolygamyPolygamy can take two forms:

polygyny and polyandryPolygyny is when a man is permitted to

marry more than one woman at a timePolyandry is when

a woman is permitted to marry more than one man at a time

Residential PatternsOnce individuals are married, they must decide

where to live.Patrilocality, most commonly in the world, is

when married couples are expected to live near the husband’s parents

Matrilocality is when married couples are expected to live near the wife’s parents

Descent PatternsSocieties trace kinship in

different mannersSocieties that trace descent

through the father’s family is called patrilineal descent

Societies that trace descent through the mother’s family is called matrilineal descent

Societies that trace through both mother and father (industrial societies) are called bilateral descent

Authority PatternsThere are three possible patterns of authority in

families:

1. Patriarchy: father holds the most authority

2. Matriarchy: mother holds the most authority

3. Egalitarian: mother & father share authority

Most societies in the world are patriarchial, although industrial societies like the USA are becoming more egalitarian.

Functions of the Family

The most important functions of the family are:

1.Regulation of sexual activity: cannot marry or have sex with relatives

2.Reproduction: Allows societies to survive

3.Socialization: Children are taught the ways of the society

4.Economic & Emotional Security: labor is divided among members and needs of family members are met