Chapter 8

Marriages and Families

Chapter Outline Some Definitions Marriage Marriage in Comparative Perspective Kinship Diagrams Postmarital Residence Patterns Family and Household Forms

Definitions Consanguines

People related by birth. 

Affines People related by marriage.

Definitions Kin group

People who view themselves as relatives, share an identity based on their kin ties, and cooperate in certain kinds of activities. 

Nuclear family A married couple and their children.

Extended family A group of related nuclear families.

Definitions Household

People who live together, share family wealth and property, rely on one another for emotional support, pool labor and resources to support the family and live together.

Fictive kinship Incorporating unrelated people into a family

and household, feeling toward them in the same way as consanguineous relatives.

Defining Marriage A culturally defined relationship between

a man and a woman from different families, which regulates sexual intercourse and provides for reproduction.

A division of labor in the domestic group.

Defining Marriage A set of rights the couple and their

families obtain over each other, including rights over any children.

An assignment of responsibility for enculturation to the spouses or to one or both sets of their relatives.

Functions of Marriage

1. Forms the social bonds and relationships that provide for material needs, support and enculturation of children.

2. Defines the obligations the couple have toward each other and toward other people.

3. Creates new relationships between families and other kinds of kin groups.

Incest Taboo Universal rule against members of the

same family having sex, marrying or producing children.

Exogamous Rules Marriage rules prohibiting individuals

from marrying a member of their own social group or category.

Endogamous Rules Marriage rules requiring individuals to

marry some member of their own social group or category.

How Many Spouses? Monogamy - one spouse. Polygamy - Plural spouses.

Polygyny - one man with multiple wives (allowed in most societies of the world).

Polyandry - one woman with multiple husbands (rare).

Group Marriage - several men and women are married simultaneously to one another.

Marriage Alliance A marriage that establishes an alliance

between members of two kin groups. Levirate - Custom whereby a widow

marries a male relative of her deceased husband.

Sororate - Custom where by a widower marries a female relative of his deceased wife.

Marital Exchanges Bridewealth - man and his relatives

transfer wealth to relatives of the bride. Brideservice - husband spends a period

of time working for the family of his bride. Dowry - family of a woman transfers a

portion of their wealth or property to their daughter and her husband.

Kinship Diagrams

Kinship Diagrams

 Postmarital Residence Influenced by inheritance patterns and

economic forces. Influences which kinship relationships will

be most emphasized in a society.

Residence Patterns Postmarital residence pattern

Where a newly married couple go to live after their marriage.

Patrilocal residence Couples live with or near the husband's

parents. Matrilocal residence

Couples live with or near the wife's parents. 

Residence Patterns Ambilocal residence

Postmarital residence is optional between either the wife’s or the husband’s kin.

Bilocal residence Postmarital residence is with either the wife's

or the husband's parents according to choice.

Residence Patterns Neolocal residence

Couples establish a separate household apart from both the husband and wife's parents.

Avunculocal residence Couples live with the maternal uncle of

the husband.

Family and Household Forms Two-Generation Households

Households made up of parents and children

Extended Households Households that include three or more

generations

Matrifocal Family A family in which the mother (with or

without a husband) bears most of the burden of supporting her children economically and nurturing them emotionally and intellectually.

Quick Quiz

1. Marriage:

a) can create important political alliances among affines

b) can sometimes continue even after death

c) can occur with individuals who have never met

d) all of the above

Answer: d Marriage can create important political

alliances among affines, can sometimes continue even after death and can occur with individuals who have never met.

2. What postmarital residence pattern would it be if the couple lives with or near

the wife’s parents?

a) Patrilocal

b) Matrilocal

c) Bilocal

d) Avunculocal

Answer: b

A matrilocal postmarital residence pattern is when the couple lives with or near the wife’s family.

3. The set of rules prohibiting marriage

within his/her group is called:

a) endogamy

b) a caste

c) exogamy

d) polyandry

Answer: c

The set of rules prohibiting marriage within her/her group is called exogamy.