4.1 Marriage and Family

Ambilneal

a type of unilateral descent that follows either the fathers or the mothers side exclusively

Bigamy

the act of entering into marriage while still married to another person

Bilateral descent

the tracing of kinship through both parents ancestral lines

Cohabitation

the act of a couple sharing a residence while they are not married

extended family

a household that includes at least one parent and child as well as other relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins

family

socially recognized groups of individuals who may be joined by blood, marriage, or adoption and who form an emotional connection and an economic unit of society

Family life course

a sociological model of family that sees the progression of events as fluid rather than as occurring in strict stages

Family life cycle

a set of predictable steps and patterns families experience over time

Family of orientation

the family into which one is born

Family of procreation

a family that is formed through marriage

Intimate partner violence

violence that occurs between individuals who maintain a romantic or sexual relationship

Kinship

a person’s traceable ancestry (by blood, marriage, and/or adoption)

Marriage

a legally recognized contract between two or more people in a sexual relationship who have an expectation of permanence about their relationship

Matrilineal descent

a type of unilateral descent that follows the mother’s side only

matrilocal residence

a system in which it is customary for a husband to live with the his wife’s family

monogamy

the act of being married to only one person at a time

nuclear family

two parents (traditionally a married husband and wife) and children living in the same household

patrilineal descent

a type of unilateral descent that follows the father’s line only

patrilocal residence

a system in which it is customary for the a wife to live with (or near) her husband’s family

polygamy

the state of being committed or married to more than one person at a time

shaken-baby syndrome

a group of medical symptoms such as brain swelling and retinal hemorrhage resulting from forcefully shaking or impacting an infant’s head

unilateral descent

the tracing of kinship through one parent only.