AP French — Unité 1 : Les familles dans différentes sociétés (structures et valeurs)

Family structure

How a household is composed and functions (who lives together, how decisions are made, and how kinship is defined).

Nuclear family

A family unit consisting of parents and their children living together.

Extended family

A family network that includes relatives beyond parents and children (e.g., grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins), sometimes living together or strongly involved.

Single-parent family

A family in which one parent assumes most day-to-day responsibilities.

Blended family (stepfamily)

A new family configuration after separation/divorce that may include stepparents and half-/stepsiblings.

Adoptive family

A family formed through adoption, where belonging is built through a long-term educational and emotional commitment.

Foster family

A family that temporarily cares for a child, providing stability and support even if the legal ties differ from adoption.

Family role

The set of explicit or implicit expectations tied to someone’s position in the family (child, parent, older sibling, etc.), negotiated in everyday life.

Parental authority

Parents’ power to set rules and make decisions, which can vary in style (more negotiated vs more top-down).

Negotiated authority style

A rule-setting approach that emphasizes discussion, explanation, and compromise between parents and children.

Vertical (top-down) authority style

A rule-setting approach where parents make the final decision with less negotiation.

Autonomy (for adolescents)

The degree of independence a teenager is granted, often increasing with demonstrated responsibility and trust.

Household chores

Routine tasks at home (e.g., dishes, cleaning, taking out trash, babysitting, grocery shopping) that reflect values like fairness and cooperation.

Division of labor in the home

How chores are distributed, often influenced by age, available time, family traditions, and sometimes gender expectations.

Sibling relationship (ambivalence)

The idea that relationships between brothers and sisters can include both closeness and rivalry at the same time.

Reconciliation

Restoring a good relationship after a conflict or argument (e.g., siblings making up after fighting).

Obligation language

Grammar and phrasing used to express necessity and duties (e.g., “it is necessary to,” “must,” “need to”).

Permission and prohibition

Ways to express what someone is allowed or not allowed to do (e.g., “have the right to,” “forbid,” “ban”).

Cultural comparison (without stereotypes)

Comparing practices across cultures by citing a trend from a source and adding nuance (e.g., it depends on families, regions, or socioeconomic context).

Customs and traditions

Repeated family practices that give meaning to life, mark time, strengthen belonging, and transmit values.

Ceremony

A more formal event (religious or civil) such as a wedding that makes family bonds visible and socially recognized.

Ritual

A repeated action (meal, visit, gift, speech) that gains meaning through shared participation and symbolism.

Cultural transmission

The passing of values, language, stories, and practices from one generation to the next—intentionally taught or implicitly modeled.

Social pressure around traditions

Stress created when family expectations (attendance, dress codes, costs, roles) feel obligatory or unequal for some members.

Generational differences

Gaps in viewpoints between teens, parents, and grandparents shaped by different life experiences, historical contexts, and family responsibilities.