THE FAMILY: BASIC CONCEPTS• As sociologists, we are interested in studying

human society and all its institutions. Among these institutions, the family remains the fundamental building block of the individual.

• Our families are the first and most pivotal agents of socialization, which aids our initiation and survival within a specific society. Families have been at the center of our personal and emotional lives from day one and whether or not you’re traveling away to school next year, they will remain a fundamental piece of your own sociological puzzle.

• Generally, is defined as a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to oversee the bearing and raising of children.

• Family ties or are created in several ways:

- a common ancestor (blood)- marriage- adoption

family

kinships

• The is a social group of two or more people, related by blood, marriage or adoption who usually live together.

• When you were born, you became a member of a ____________, a family which is composed of your parents and siblings.

• When you, yourself, decide to get married, you and your spouse will form a _______ in order to have or adopt your own children.

family unit

family of orientation

family ofprocreation

THE FAMILY: GLOBAL VARIATIONS

• In the Western world, when we think of families we tend to focus our attention on the ______________. That is, a family unit composed of one or two parents and their children. Typically, this is the most recognized form of a family in the United States.

nuclear family

• Prior to the rise of industrialization, the ________________was often recognized as the typical family unit. The extended family consists of the members of the nuclear family (your parents and siblings) as well as other kin, usually connected by “shared blood”.

• Members of your extended family will usually include the following:

• Grandparents• ________________• Cousins

extended family

Aunts and Uncles

• Throughout the world, families form around ________ which is the legally sanctioned relationship, usually involving economic cooperation as well as sexual activity and child bearing, that people expect to be enduring.

marriage

MARRIAGE PATTERNS

• In every society, marriage patterns often reflect the cultural norms of that particular society. In some cases, __________ is the preferred form of marriage. – The marriage between people of the same social

category– Limits marriage prospects based on age, race,

_______ and social class– Maintains traditional social patterns

endogamy

religion

• In other cases, ________ is the preferred form of marriage, uniting people of different social categories.– Builds alliances– Encourages cultural diffusions

• __________ refers to the marriage of two individuals. This form of marriage is often used in industrialized societies.

• _________ refers to marriage that unites three or more individuals. – This form of marriage is often instituted for

religious or economic reasons and it will take one of two of the following forms:

exogamy

Monogamy

Polygamy

POLGAMY_________: marriage that unites one male and two

or more females. - more common - Greek for “_____________” - Illegal in the United States but practiced in many Asian and African nations

_________: marriage that united one female and two or more males

- less common/very rare - Greek for “__________” - connected to female infanticide; less

women to go around

Polygyny

Polyandry

many women

many men

RESIDENTIAL PATTERNS

Just as societies regulate mate selection, they also designate where a married couple will reside. In pre-industrial societies, couples often lived with one set of parents to obtain protection and economic assistance.

______________: “place of the father”; residential pattern in which the married couple lives with or near the husband’s family.

: “place of the mother”; residential pattern in which the married couple lives with or near the wife’s family.

______________: “new place”; residential pattern in which the married couple lives apart from both sets of parents.

patrilocality

matrilocality

neolocality

PATTERNS OF DESCENT

, which refers to the system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations, is also a large piece of the structure of the family.

There are ways which societies trace the descent of kinship.

descent

three

________________ is a system of tracing kinship through the men of the family.– more common form of descent– men produce the most valued resources• _______________________

________________ is a system of tracing kinship through the women of the family. – Less common form of descent– Women produce the most valued resources• __________________________________

Patrilineal descent

Matrilineal descent

protection and food

Property inheritance and food

_______________ is a system tracing kinship through both sides of the family (men and women).– Common in industrial societies with great gender

equalities– Children recognize both father’s and mother’s

sides as family

bilateral descent