Chapter Twelve

Section One

A. The family is the most universal social institution

B. Definition varies from culture to culture

A. Definitions1. Family: a group of people who are related by

marriage, blood, or adoption and who often live together and share economic resources

2. Nuclear Family: one or both parents and their children (typical in America)

a) Family of Orientation: the nuclear family you are born into

b) Family of Procreation: the nuclear family you create

3. Extended Family: multiple generations living under one roof (grandparents, parents, children, aunts and uncles, and cousins)

B. Kinship

1. Definition: a network of people who are related by marriage, birth, or adoption

2. Primary Relativesa) Members of the families of orientation and

procreationb) Mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, daughter,

and son

3. Secondary Relativesa) The primary relatives of a person’s primary

relativesb) Grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, aunts,

uncles, nephews, and nieces

4. Tertiary Relativesa) The primary relatives of a person’s secondary

relativesb) Great grandparents, great grandchildren, great

aunts, great uncles, and cousins

List five of your own primary, secondary, and tertiary relatives.

A. Family organization is determined by answering four questions

1. How many marriage partners may a person have?

2. Who will live with whom?3. How will family membership be determined?4. Who will make the decisions in the family?

1. Monogamy is common to industrialized nations

2. Polygamy is often permitted in pre-industrial societies

a) Polygyny: a man with more than one wifeb) Polyandry: a woman with more than one

husband Primarily in parts of Asia

Where a newly married couple will live

1. Patrilocality: live with or near the husband’s family

2. Matrilocality: live with or near the wife’s family

3. Bilocality: live with or near the family of choice

4. Neolocality: live apart from both sets of parents

How kinship is traced

1.Patrilineal descent: trace kinship through the father’s family; property is passed from father to son

2.Matrilineal descent: trace kinship through the mother’s family; property is passed from mother to daughter

3.Bilateral descent: trace kinship through both parents; property can be inherited from either side of the family

Who is in charge

1.Patriarchy: the father holds the authority2.Matriarchy: the mother holds the authority3.Egalitarian: shared authority

A. Regulation of Sexual Activity1. Enforce incest taboo: forbids sex

between certain relatives—parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews

2. Patrilineal groups do not consider some on their mother’s side to be family

B. Reproduction: who can have children, how many to have, how to raise them, etc.

C. Socialization: teach children how to interact with society

D. Economic and Emotional Security1. The family is the basic economic unit2. Divide labor based on gender and age3. The basic and most intimate group in society;

provides emotional support

Section Two

A. The majority of Americans marry at least once for romantic love

B. Most marriages are homogamous: we marry people very similar to ourselves (opposite is heterogamy)

A. Family Violence1. The most devastating problem2. A problem for all groups3. In 1975, 1/3 of all interviewed had been

affected by family violence; did decrease through the 1980s

B. Divorce1. 50% of marriages end in divorce2. Most common among teen marriages,

lower educated persons, and African Americans

3. Women are affected financially and psychologically; men are affected psychologically

C. Empty Nest Syndrome: when the kids leave home

D. Death of a Spouse

A. Delayed Marriage1. Median age for first marriages

2. It’s again acceptable to be single3. Women are pursuing education and careers

before marriage

Men Women

1960 22 20

1990 26 23

2013 29 27

B. Delayed Childbearing1. Time between marriage and childbirth

2. Sandwich Generation: people are caring for aging parents and young children at the same time

C. Childlessness1. Choose careers over family2. Wait too long and have infertility issues

1960s 15 months

1970s 27 months

Today varies

**some people choose to never marry

D. Dual-earner Marriages1. Number of married women employed outside

the home

2. Women are working for personal and economic reasons

1940 < 10%

1948 22%

2000 37%

Today 61%

E. One Parent Families1. Formed through separation, divorce, death of

a spouse, birth to unwed mothers, or adoption by unmarried persons

2. Represents a large number of the families in the United States today (55% of African Americans, 31% of Hispanics, and 21% of European Americans)

F. Remarriage1. 40% of those that divorce remarry; has

dropped as couples choose to cohabitate instead

2. Has led to an increase in step/blended families—close to 60% of all people have step-relatives

3. 67% of 2nd marriages and 74% of 3rd marriages end in divorce