The Family is the oldest and the most important of the major social institutions.
Social Functions of the Family:
1. Socialization (transmitting culture)
2. Sex and reproduction
3. Maintenance of the individual (material and emotionally)
Family Forms:
Family of Orientation - is the family into which an individual is born (mother, brother, etc.)
Family of Procreation - is the family which the individual forms by getting married.
Nuclear Family - Husband, wife., and their offspring.
Extended Family - nuclear family plus everyone else to whom you consider yourself to be related.
Endogamy - is the practicing of selecting a mate from within one's own group. (strongest-racial line; religion and social class)
Exogamy-is the practice of selecting a mate oustide of one's group.
Power and Authority in the Family:
Patriarchy - authority in family is held by a male (decision - maker)
Matriarchy - authority in family is held by a female. (Does not really exist)
Equalatarian - authority held or shared by both male and female. (direction U.S. society is going)
Marriage Partners:
Monogamy - one man to one woman
Polygamy - multiple mates.
Polygyny - one man to multiple wives (tendency of Islam)
(preferred marriage form in most cultures)
Polyandry - one woman to multiple husbands.
Group Marriage - multiple men and women share the marital relationship (doesn't work)
Family Residence Types:
Patrilocal - newly married couple establish residence w/the husband's family of orientation.
Matrilocal - newly married couple establish residence w/the wife's family of orientation.
Neolocal - newly married couple establish a new residence seperate from both families of orientation.
Family Descent:
Patrilineal - descent is traced through the father's family.
Matrilineal - descent is traced through the mother's family.
Bilineal - descent is traced thur both father and mother's family.