Sociology Family

Families

Relationships in which people live together with commitment, form an economic unit and care for any young, and consider their identity to be significantly attached to the group

Kinship

a social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption

Family of orientation

the family into which a person is born in and which early socialization usually takes place

Family of procreation

the family that a person forms by having or adopting children

Extended family

a family unit composed of relatives in addition to parents and children who live in the same household

Nuclear family

a family composed of one or two parents and their dependent children, all of whom live apart from other relatives

Marriage

a legally recognized and/or socially approved arrangement between two or more individuals that carries certain rights and obligations and usually involves sexual activity

Monogamy

a marriage between two partners, usually a woman and a man

Polygamy

the concurrent marriage of a person of one sex with two or more members of the opposite sex

Polygyny

the concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women

Polyandry

the concurrent marriage of one woman with two or more men

Patrilineal descent

a system of tracing descent through the father's side of the family

matrilineal descent

a system of tracing descent through the mother's side of the family; Native Americans

bilateral descent

a system of tracing descent through both the mother's and father's sides of the family

Patriarchal family

a family structure in which authority is held by the eldest male (usually the father)

Matriarchal family

a family structure in which authority is held by the eldest female (usually the mother)

egalitarian family

a family structure in which both partners share power and authority equally

patrilocal residence

the custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) as the husband's family; China

matrilocal residence

the custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) as the wife's parents

neolocal residence

the custom of a married couple living in their own residence apart from both the husband's and wife's parents

endogamy

the practice of marrying within one's own social group or category

exogamy

the practice of marrying outside one's own social group or category

sociology of family

the subdiscipline of sociology that attempts to describe and explain patterns of family life and variations in family structure

cohabitation

a situation in which two people live together, and think of themselves as a couple, without being legally married

domestic partnerships

household partnerships in which an unmarried couple lives together in a committed, sexually intimate relationship and is granted the same rights and benefits as those accorded to married heterosexual couples

homogamy

the pattern of individuals marrying those who have similar characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, religious background, age, education, or social class

dual-earner marriages

marriages in which both spouses are in the labor force

second shift

Arlie Hochschild's term for the domestic work that employed women perform at home after they complete their workday on the job

Blended family

a family consisting of a husband and wife, children from previous marriages, and children (if any) from the new marriage

Love

You tend to fall in love with and marry people of the same education level, same age, same social class and same race; determined by our social background

Functionalist Perspective

1. Sexual regulation
2. Socialization
3. Economic and psychological support for members
4. Provision of social status and reputation

Incest Taboo Functionality

Tells people which relatives are too close to marry; reduces role confusion; forces people to look outside family to marry; creates more ties in society

Nuclear Family Dysfunctionality

predominantly higher divorce rate; loss of social networks when in need

Conflict Perspective

families in capitalist economies are similar to workers in a factory; women are treated the same as factory workers

Why people get married

being in love; desiring companionship and sex; want children; social pressure; escape from parents' home; believe they'll have greater resources

Why people get divorced

marry too early; short acquaintanceship before marriage; disapproval by family and friends; limited economic resources; low education; presence of children prior to marriage

What makes marriage work

religious people; lot of time together; communication; common goals; best friends

Race and marriage

African american women have lowest rates of marriage - higher education, exogamy