Family Systems and Functions
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Family is a group of people who are related by
marriage, blood, or adoption and often live
together and share economic resources
Nuclear Family consists of one or both parents
and their children (immediate family)
Family of Orientation is the nuclear family into
which a person is born or adopted
Family of Procreation is the family made up of an
individual, their spouse, and their children
Extended family is two or more generations of a
family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc.)
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Kinship is a network of people related by birth,
marriage, or adoption.
Three main categories of kinship:
 Primary-closest relatives (families of orientation and
procreation) [mother, father, sister, brother, spouse,
daughter, and son]
 Secondary- the primary relatives of the primary relatives
(extended family) [grandparents, grandchildren, aunts,
uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces, and nephews
 Tertiary-the primary relatives of an individual’s
secondary relatives [great-grandparents/children, greataunts/uncles, 2nd and 3rd cousins]
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Family organization exists in all societies
Family organization is determined by four
questions:
 How many marriage partners may a person have?
 Who lives with whom?
 How is family membership determined?
 Who makes the decisions in the family?
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Marriage refers to the set of norms that
establishes and characterizes the relationship
between married individuals
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Monogamy-the marriage of one man to one woman
Polygamy-the marriage of multiple partners
 Most common form involves the marriage of one man to
several women (polygyny)
 Rare form involves the marriage of one woman to several
men (polyandry)
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Most societies are monogamous for several reasons
 Economic strain (very expensive and most cannot afford it)
 Social disruption (population) most population are roughly
equal between men and women, if polygamy was widely
practiced there would not be enough partners for most
people to marry
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Residential Patterns- where will the married
people live?
 Patrilocality, matrilocality, bilocality, neolocality
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Descent Patterns- how do people determine
or trace kinship?
 Patrilineal, matrilineal, bilateral
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Authority Patterns- Who makes family
decisions?
 Patriarchal, matriarchal, egalitarian
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All families perform similar functions, even if
how these functions are carried out varies
from culture to culture.
Regulation of Sexual Activity
 Incest taboo
 Number of partners
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Reproduction
 Society provides norms for childbearing and child
rearing, responsibilities of parents
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Socialization
 A society’s survival depends on teaching its children the
ways and values of the society; most children first learn
about social norms and expectations from their family
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Economic and Emotional Security
 Labor can be divided by gender, age, ability
 The division of tasks ensures all members are fed,
clothed, and housed
 Family also provides psychological development and
support (loving and caring environment)
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Pg. 265 #1-7