2. • The smallest and most important social institution,
with the unique function of producing and rearing the
young.
• composed of a group of interacting persons united by
blood, marriage, or adoption, constituting a
household, carrying a common culture and
performing basic functions.
• a socially sanctioned group of persons united by
kinship, marriage or adoption who share a common
habitat generally and interact according to well-
defined social roles that maintain and protect its
members and perpetuate the society. (Bertrand)
• a relatively small domestic group of kin who functions
as a cooperative unit for economic and other
purposes (Popenoe)
THE FAMILY
3. CLASSIFICATION OFCLASSIFICATION OF
FAMILYFAMILY
FAMILY OF
ORIENTATION
> the family into which
people are born and in
which the major part
of their socialization
takes place.
FAMILY OF
PROCREATION
> the family that people
create when they
marry and have
children.
4. FAMILY STRUCTUREFAMILY STRUCTURE
Based on Internal Organization or Membership
Nuclear or conjugal
(based on marriage)
> a two generation family
group which consists of a
couple and their children
usually living apart from
other relatives; places
emphasis on the husband-
wife relationship.
Extended or consanguine
(shared blood)
> a group which consists of
one or more nuclear families
plus other relatives; consists
of the married couple, their
parents, siblings,
grandparents, uncles, aunts,
and cousins; place primary
emphasis on the “blood
ties” with various relatives.
5. Based on Dominance ofBased on Dominance of
AuthorityAuthority
• Patriarchal – a family in which the authority is
held by the father and makes the major
decisions
• Matriarchal – authority is held by the mother
• Matrifocal – the woman is the central and most
important member
• Matricentric – the female is the authority figure
in the absence of the male at work
• Equalitarian – a family structure in which the
husband and the wife are equal in authority and
privileges
6. Based on ResidenceBased on Residence
• Patrilocal – a custom in which the married couple
lives in the household or community of the
husband’s parent
• Matrilocal – involves a married couple living in
household or community of the wife’s parents
• Neolocal – the couple lives apart from either
spouse’s parents or other relatives
• Avunculocal – prescribes that the newly married
couple resides with or near the maternal uncle
(mothers’ brother) of the groom. This type of
residence is very rare. The opposite is amitalocal
residence.
7. Based on Descent orBased on Descent or
LineageLineage
• Patrilineal – the father’s side of the family is
defined as kin
• Matrilineal – the mother’s side of the family is
defined as kin
• Bilateral – the system used in most industrial
societies (e.g. U.S.), children’s kinship is tied to
both sides of the family and both male and
female children are entitled to inherit.
• Bilineal - descent is through the father’s and
mother’s line
8. Based on Number ofBased on Number of
SpousesSpouses
• Monogamy- consisting of only one husband and
one wife married at a time. This means that a
widower or a widow can marry again.
• Polygamy- one man married to two or more
women at the same time.
• Polyandry- one woman married to two or more
men at the same time.
• Cenogamy- group sex. Two or more men and two
or more women having sex together at the same
time one after the other.
9. Choice ofChoice of
MateMate
• All societies place some restrictions on the choice
of sexual and marriage partners.
• Incest taboos are powerful prohibitions, against
sexual relations between close relative (e.g.
between father and daughter, mother and son,
brother and sister).
10. Marriage Norms orMarriage Norms or
PatternsPatterns
• Endogamy – prescribes marriage within one’s
group – same social category (e.g. race, religion,
village, social class).
• Exagomy – the social norm that prescribes
marriage outside one’s own group
• Homogamy – the practice of marrying people with
the same social, racial, ethnic, and religious
background (as most Americans do)
11. IMPORTANT FUNCTIONSIMPORTANT FUNCTIONS
• It increases the chances
that the children of a
union will be exposed to
reasonably consistent
socialization experiences.
• It reduces disputes over
issues other that child
socialization.
Although people tend to
marry others much like
themselves, another
tendency operates and
this is called…
Marriage gradient – the
tendency of men to marry
women below them in
age, education, and
occupation
12. Other Forms of MarriageOther Forms of Marriage
• Monogamy – marriage between one man and one
woman – serial monogamy
• Polygamy – marriage involving more than one
husband or wife; plural marriage
• Polygyny (Greek, meaning many women) – one
man is married to two or more women at the
same time
• Polyandry (Greek, meaning many men) – one
woman is married to two or more men at the
same time
• Cenogamy – when two or more men mate with
two or more women in group marriage.
13. Reproduction and rearing of the young
Cultural transmission or enculturation
Provide the needed socialization of the child with
respect to his role and status
Provide love and affections and a sense of security
for its members
Provide environment for personality development
and growth of self-concept in relation to others
Serve as an important mechanism for social
control.
Sexual regulation
General Functions of theGeneral Functions of the
FamilyFamily
14. Alternative Family NormsAlternative Family Norms
(Macionis, 1998)(Macionis, 1998)
• One-parent families – headed by a single
mother/father
• Cohabitation – the sharing of a household by
an unmarried couple
• Gay and lesbian same sex couples
• Singlehood
15. Educational ImplicationsEducational Implications
• Since the family is a very important institution,
education for the family life should be part of the
curriculum
• People who intend to get married should be
oriented regarding their obligations so that the
marriage will be successful
• In Japan, there is a school for brides. There should
be a school or course, not only for the brides but
also for grooms.
• Since the average Filipino family is big, the school
should teach the advantages of small families.
16. • Enculturation being a function of the family
should pass on only worthwhile values, customs,
mores, beliefs, and traditions. (healthful living,
ethical standards, socialization, psychomotor,
others skills)
• Sex is the propagation of the race and should
therefore be engaged only by married people
• It is not only the children who need an education,
but also the parents
• Young people should not rush into marriage, but
should give themselves time to find out whether
they are really in love and suitable for each other.
Educational ImplicationsEducational Implications
17. • Since children are the ones who suffer from
broken homes, couples should try hard to be
reconciled and their parent, relatives, and
friends, should help them toward this end.
• Couples should consult marriage counselors
if they often quarrel or are drifting apart so
that the marriage may be saved.
Educational ImplicationsEducational Implications
18. All the educative functions mentioned above belong
to the cultural transmission or enculturation
function of the family, that of transmitting the
knowledge, beliefs and practices of the old
generation of the young generation.
