The Sociology of Family

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January 2010                                                        Ninn Goldsworthy

Sociology of Family

Defining family in Britain is problematic as until the 1960’s few sociologists questioned the importance or the benefits of the family. It was assumed that the family was evolving with the changes in Britain. From the 1960’s, with increasing divorce rates, living together before marriage, single parent families and one person households family traditionally seen as nuclear (based on 2 adults and children) became harder to define. Sociologists have concluded that family has become harder to define in the more traditional sense. Families of the same blood line that lived together in communities has become rare due to divorce, separation, unknown parentage and moving around the country for various reasons. A family can now consist of any group of people living together and/or bringing up children. This could separate due to divorce etc and another family created through remarriage or co habitation, with the introduction of step children or children born to the new parentage resulting in another family unit although the first one still technically exists.

George Peter Murdock (1949) claimed that family was universal. It is defined as a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. A family lives in the same home, has economic co-operation as in they share the bills, finances and food buying/consumption. The adults have socially approved sex, have one or more children either blood born or adopted. This definition of a universal family still has some relevance in post modern Britain. A family in the present day and age may just have one adult but still function as a unit. Defining socially approved sex would be a bit difficult as the differences between cultures and religious beliefs would make it harder to define socially acceptable. Two adults may live together as a family without having children and have independent finances other than the sharing of the mortgage/rent. Families, such as step parents, may call themselves a family even if the children do not actually live with them or haven’t officially adopted them through the courts.

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Polygamous means to have many relationships or marriages at the same time. Polygamous comes from the word polygamy which is Greek word meaning many marriages. Polygamous is also known as polyamorous or an open relationship. This may be conducted with or without the knowledge of the other person involved. Polygamy, when entered into within marriage is called polygny when a man takes more than one wife and polyandry when a woman takes more than one husband.

Patrilineal is a term used in kinship theory to denote the tracing of ancestors through the male blood line. It is also known as ...

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