How Society is Organized
Groups: The Heart of Interaction
Social group – can be defined as a collection of people who regularly interact with one another
on the basis of shared expectations concerning behavior and who sharea sense of common
identity.
Primary group - this is typically a small social group whose members share close, personal and
enduring relationships.
Secondary group - this group can be small or large and they are mostly impersonal and usually
short-term. These groups are typically found at work and school.
Comparison of Primary and Secondary Groups
Group Examples
Primary – Small; characterized by long-lasting intimate relationship which binds the members
together more than the goal.
Family, Childhood friends
Secondary – can be large or small; common interests bind the members together more than their
relationship.
Project group, Committee
Reference group - This is a group to which we compare ourselves. It is also called as “identity
association group” since their creation is fueled by a person’s desire to provide a character
connection.
Examples: Reference group
1. In group: social groups to which an individual feels he or she belongs. One feels loyalty
and respect for these groups. (Fraternity)
2. Out-Group: social groups that an individual does not identify with. One feels antagonism
and contempt for these groups. (Sports team, opponent)
Cultural, Social and Political Institutions: Kinship and Marriage
Kinship – is a social institution that refers to relations formed between members of society.
Sociologists define kinship as the different forms of socially accepted relations among people
developed through blood or consanguineal relationships, marriage or affinal relationships,
adoption, and other culturally accepted rituals.
Types of Kinship
1. Kinship by Blood
a. Consanguineal kinship or kinship based on blood is considered as the most basic and
general form of relations. The relationship is achieved by birth or blood affinity.
b. Descent refers to a biological relationship.
c. Lineage – on the other hand, refers to the line where one’s descent is traced.
d. Patrilineal form of descent – both males and females belong to the kin group of their
father but they do not belong to their mother’s kin group.
e. Matrilineal form of descent – on the other hand, focuses on the unilineal descent that is
traced through the female line.
f. Bilateral descent – kinship is traced through both ancestral lines of the mother and father.
2. Kinship by Marriage
 Affinal kinship or kinship based on marriage refers to the type of relations developed
when a marriage occurs. The husband forms new relations with his wife and with his
wife’s family. In the same manner, the wife also develops new relations with her husband
and with her husband’s family.
Degree of Kinship
Kin relationship may be classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary.
1. Primary Kin
a. Husband and wife
b. Father and son
c. Father and daughter
d. Mother and son
e. Mother and daughter
f. Brother and sister
2. Secondary Kin – they are the primary kin of primary kin or related through primary kin. In
other words, they are not our primary kin of our primary kin.
For example, you, your father and your father’s brother. Between you and your father, your
father is the primary kin. Between your father and his brother, they are primary kin. However,
between you and your father’s brothers, who is primary kin of primary kin, we establish the
secondary kin between you and your father’s brother.
3. Tertiary Kin – they are the secondary kin of our primary kin or primary kin of our secondary
kin.You and your sister are primary kin. If your sister has a husband, the husband of your sister
(brother in-law) is your secondary kin and those primary kin of your brother in-law become your
tertiary kin.
Kinship According to Authority
1. Patriarchal – a group in which the father or eldest male is recognized as the head of the
family, kinship group, or tribe.
2. Matriarchal – a group in which the mother or the eldest female is recognized as the head of
the family, kinship group, or tribe.
3. Equalitarian – equal sharing of practical responsibilities and decision making by men and
women.
Kinship According to Place of Residence
1. Patrilocal – the married couple is required to live with the family or near the residence of the
parents of the groom.
2. Matrilocal – the married couple is required to live with the family or near the residence of the
parents of the bride.
3. Bilocal – the newlywed has the freedom to select where to live (either with or near the parents
of the groom or the bride.)
4. Neolocal - the newlywed can decide independently where to live.
5. Avunlocal – the newlywed should live with or near the maternal uncle of the groom.
Marriage
Article 1 of the Family Code of the Philippines defines marriage this way.
It is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in
accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of the
family and an inviolable social institution whose nature, consequences, and incidents are
governed by law and
not subject to stipulation, except that marriage settlements may fix the property relations during
the marriage within the limits provided by this Code.
Four Basic Forms of Marriage
The following are the most common forms of marriage:
1. Monogamy – is the marriage of one man and one woman while polygamy is a plural
marriage or having several husbands or wives at the same time. Polygamy may be further
classified into polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage.
2. Polygyny – is the marriage of one man to two or more women at the same time. This is
particularly popular in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa
3. Polyandry – is the marriage of one woman to two or more men. This type of marriage is
rather rare and preferred in societies such as Tebetans, the Toda of India, and the
Marquesians of Polynesian Islands.
4. Group marriage – is the marriage of two or more men to two or more women. This form
of marriage requires a minimum of four individuals but is really rare and common only in
societies that allow polygamy or plural marriage.
Requirements of a Valid Marriage
The Family Code of the Philippines, Article 2 provides the essential requirements of a valid
marriage. These are:


Capacity of the contracting parties who must be male and female
And consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer.
Meanwhile, Article 3 provides the formal requirements of marriage. Which are:



Authority of the solemnizing officer
Marriage license
And marriage ceremony
The Marriage Impediments
Marriage Impediment is a circumstance affecting the individual rendering him/her
incapable of getting married validly. Here are the following marriage impediments:
1. Age: below 18 years old
2. Perpetual/Antecedent Impotence
3. Previous marriage
4. Person who received Sacred Order/Public Perpetual Vows.
5. Abduction – abducting a partner for marriage purposes
6. Conjugicide – Killing the present partner in view of a new marriage.
7. Consanguinity – married to any member of the family:
a. Direct line – a marriage in descending line
b. Collateral line – a marriage to any of the relative until the third degree of relationship.
8. Legally related by Adoption.
9. Public Concubinage.
The Solemnizing Officials
1. Priests/Pastor/Imam/Rabbi
2. Judge
3. Tribal Leader
4. Commanding Officer
5. Aircraft Pilot
6. Captain of the Ship
7. Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul
Trends in Marriage
1. Divorce – is the legal separation of husband and wife, affected by the judgment or decree of a
court, and either totally dissolving the marriage relation, or suspending its effects so far as
concerns the cohabitation of the parties.
2. Annulment – as regards marriage, it means to nullify, to abolish, to make void by competent
authority. It differs conceptually from divorce in that a divorce terminates a legal status,
whereasan annulment establishes that a marital status never existed.
3. Legal Separation – this is also known as “relative divorce” (a mensa at thoro), which means
separation from bed and broad, but the parties remain married.
4. Cohabitation – this refers to two people living ina sexual relationship without marriage.