Sociology: A South African Perspective - Family Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers concepts from Sociology: A South African Perspective, focusing on family definitions, theoretical views, marriage laws, and South African family structures.

Family

A social institution that binds people together through blood, marriage, law and/or social norms, where members are generally expected to care for and support each other.

Kinship

A definition of family that emphasizes members linked together by blood, marriage, or adoption.

Ideal

A standard against which real cases can be compared.

The Marriage Act (1961)

A South African law that allows for the solemnisation of a civil or religious marriage between spouses of different sexes (a man and a woman).

Recognition of Customary Marriages Act (1998)

A law that allows for the registration of marriages under African customary law, including polygamous marriages under certain conditions.

Civil Union Act (2006)

A law allowing for the solemnisation of a civil or religious marriage or civil partnership between same-sex couples, making South Africa the fifth state in the world to recognize same-sex marriage.

Functionalist View of Family

A perspective that defines family in terms of the social functions it performs, such as regulating sexual behavior, replacing deceased members, and socializing the young.

Socialisation

A learning process beginning after birth where the family acts as the most significant agent, providing early exposure to relationships and the rules of life.

Life chances

A critical set of potential social advantages, such as surviving the first year of life or living independently in old age, which are predicted by parents' occupations and incomes.

Total fertility rate

The average number of live births per woman; in South Africa, this declined from $2.71$ in 2002 to $2.34$ in 2013.

Conflict View of Family

A perspective arguing that family life passes on social privilege and disadvantage, maintains racial divisions, and is structured to value productive work over reproductive work.

Productive work

Work that involves the creation of what humans need to exist, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Reproductive work

Work involving the creation of human beings, including bearing children, caregiving, managing households, and educating children.

Exogamy

Norms requiring or encouraging people to choose a partner from a social category other than their own, such as outside the immediate family.

Endogamy

Norms requiring or encouraging people to choose a partner from the same social category as their own, such as the same race, religion, or social class.

Nuclear family (Murdock definition)

A universal human social grouping characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, reproduction, and containing adults of both sexes with one or more children.

Monogamy

A marriage structure consisting of one husband and one wife.

Serial monogamy

A marriage pattern involving two or more successive spouses over time.

Polygamy

A marriage structure involving multiple spouses at one time.

Polygyny

A form of polygamy where one husband has multiple wives at one time.

Polyandry

A form of polygamy where one wife has multiple husbands at one time.

Homogamy

Marriage to a partner whose social characteristics, such as class, religion, and level of education, are similar to one's own.

Patriarchal authority

A family or social system that is male dominated.

Matriarchal authority

A family or social system that is female dominated.

Egalitarian authority

A system where there is equal authority between the sexes.

Patrilineal descent

Tracing family lineage throughout the father's side.

Matrilineal descent

Tracing family lineage throughout the mother's side.

Bilateral descent

Tracing family lineage through both the mother's and father's sides.

Extended family

A household type where three or more generations live together under one roof.

Skip-generation household

Households where grandparents live with and are responsible for the care of their grandchildren.

Child-headed household

A household where all members are under $18$ years old; according to Section $137 (1)(c)$, the child leading the house must be at least $16$.

Feminisation of poverty

A trend where an increasing proportion of the poor are women, often linked to female-headed single-parent households.

Absent fathers (Father absence)

A phenomenon where surviving fathers rarely participate in their offspring's lives, frequently failing to attend births or acknowledge their children.

Patrilocal residence

A residence arrangement where the wife lives with or near the husband's family.

Matrilocal residence

A residence arrangement where the husband lives with or near the wife's family.

Neolocal residence

A residence arrangement where the wife and husband live apart from their parents.