Sociology: The Family Unit

Defining Family

• A family is a group of individuals intimately related, supporting and maintaining each other socially, economically, and emotionally.

Types of Families

• Nuclear Family: consists of a father, mother, and their child/children, considered the "ideal" family type.
• Single-parent Family: consists of a father or mother and their child/children, where the other parent/spouse is no longer present.
• Sibling Family: both parents are absent, and the elder siblings take care of the younger siblings.
• Blended/Reorganized Family: formed when one or both parents have exited a previous union and formed a new one with each other, leading to half-siblings and step-siblings.
• Extended Family: an addition to the nuclear family where grandparents/aunts/uncles live together.

Family Formation

• Courtship is the first sign of building a family, typically involving developing proper relationship attitudes and learning about each other.
• Marriage is a type of union, traditionally between a man and a woman, where they share a residence and are lawfully recognized.

Kinship Terms

• Monogamy: marriage between one partner to the other.
• Polygamy: having multiple partners at a time.
• Polygyny: where one man has two or more wives.
• Polyandry: where one woman has two or more husbands.
• Bigamy: where someone marries another person while a previous marriage still exists.
• Patrilocal: husband and wife live with the husband's parents.
• Matrilocal: the couple lives with the wife's parents.
• Neolocal: the married couple live together by themselves.
• Patriarchal: father is the head of the household.
• Matriarchal: mother is the head of the household.
• Equalitarian: equal sharing of authority between both parents.

Functions of the Family

• Unit of Procreation: the family serves as a way to sustain the population of a community, society, country, etc.
• Agent of Education: parents provide opportunities for education and contribute to the informal education of children.
• Economic Unit: parents provide economic security in the form of food, clothing, shelter, medicine, books, and recreation.
• Social/Psychological/Emotional Unit: the family provides love, affection, and security.
• Unit of Cultural Transmission: the family passes culture from one generation to the next.
• Unit of Socialization: socialization is the process where persons learn certain disciplines such as punctuality, respect, industry, social roles, and skills.

Preparing for Parenthood

• Good parents need to:
  • Create a peaceful environment.
  • Be healthy and drug-free.
  • Pursue education to secure employment.
  • Be knowledgeable of and practice one's religion.
  • Build emotional strength and intelligence.
  • Learn child psychology.
  • Learn time management.

Family Planning

• Family planning allows partners to plan for the size of their family, typically through birth control options such as:
  • Abstinence.
  • Condoms.
  • Birth control pills.
  • Vasectomy.
  • Spermicides.
  • Cervical cap.
  • Tubal ligation.
  • Hysterectomy.

Changing Roles in the Family

• Changes in women's status in society led to changes in traditional family roles.
• Women's rights movements and advancements in medical science have given families control over the number of children they bear.
• Increased availability of educational opportunities and childcare/day-care centers have led to changes in family roles.
• Changes in traditional roles have affected the identity of individuals, particularly men.

This quiz covers the basics of family sociology, including definitions, types, and functions of families. Learn about kinship terms and how families are formed.