Chp. 1: The Meaning of Marriage and Family

Family (inclusive definition)

Two or more persons related by birth, marriage, adoption, or choice.

Purposes of marriage:

Constructing political alliances

Organizing division of household labor

Supporting children and giving rights to inheritance

Promoting worth in the community

For all cultural groups, marriage marks:

Adulthood and respectability

Arranged Marriage

Consolidating wealth of 2 families

Transferring property

Political power

Economic investment

Culture dictates:

Who to marry, if you can marry, if you should marry, why you’ll marry

How many spouses one may have

Where to live

Resource sharing

Having/taking care of children

Institutional marriage

Need-based marriage

Family stability more important than individual needs

Marriage helped fulfill physiological needs (more about survival)

Romanticized marriage

Beginning of “love marriage”

Society expected separation of men and women

Lack of opportunity for partners to spend leisure time together

Companionate marriage

Desire for deep intimacy

Couple-based activities

Marriage as the most important social relationship

Self- expressive marriage

Means of pursuing personal growth

Birth control allowed women choice and control

Marriage no longer viewed as an essential institution

Marriage more about partnership and friendship

Status of Women

Changes in economic dependence and legal equality has changed relationships and way family exists

Advantages of marriage

Men benefit more than women (risky behavior)

Governments acknowledge marriage and give economic benefits

Children in married families achieve better

Economic and social advantages of being raised by married parents

Monogamy

One spouse at a time (widely practiced form of marriage)

Serial monogamy

Multiple partners at separate times

Polygamy

More than one spouse at a time (any gender)

Polygyny

Two or more wives (most preferred where it’s allowed)

Beneficial for child bearing

Polyandry

Two or more husbands (rare)

Ethical non-monogamy (ENM)

Multiple partners (NOT SPOUSES) at one time, may be romantic, sexual/physical, or neither

Polyamory

Multiple relationships (typically romantic or partnered) at one time

Hierarchical poly

Nesting/primary partner is most important

Polyfidelity

Three or more people partnered together, all engaged with each other

Open relationship

Partnered relationship where one or both people have additional physical/sexual partners (typically low or no commitment to outside parties)

Swinging

Couples consensually exchange sexual partners

Monogamish

Primarily monogamous, but allows for occasional casual sex outside of relationship

Family of orientation/origin (FOO)

Family into which we grow up or are born or adopted into

Family of procreation

Family formed through marriage and childbearing

Family of cohabitation

Families we form through living with or cohabitating with another person, whether married or unmarried

Family of choice

Family we choose when we need a different support system

Nuclear family

Two parents and children

Single parent family

One parent and children

Binuclear family

Parents maintaining 2 households (e.g. divorced and then re-married)

Extended family

In-laws

Grandparents

Aunts and uncles

Cousins

(depends on culture)

Multigenerational household

2 adult generations

3 or more generations

“Skipped generations”

Functions of Family: Relationships

Intimacy/closeness and connection

Awareness

Emotional Security and Support

Functions of Family: Economic

Cooperation

Consumption

Division of Labor (production)

Functions of Family: Children

Production

Rearing

Socialization

Functions of Family: Roles

Identity: daughter, sister, mother

Status

Values and expectations

Families and relationships are:

Dynamic (always changing)

Diverse

Have outside influences

Are interdependent on wider society