Sociology of Family and Marriage

Introduction

• Blood vs. Water: Common saying implies family relationships are stronger than others.
• Question posed: Can friends be considered family? How strong are familial relationships and obligations?

Definition of Family

• Sociological Definition: Groups related by genetics, marriage, or choice, sharing material, emotional, and economic resources.
• Social Institution: Families organized by social status for mutual support and well-being.
• Kinship: Social bonds based on ancestry, marriage, or adoption.

Types of Family Relationships

• Biological Relationships: Parents and children.
• Legal Bonds: Marriage, adoption.
• Family by Choice: Includes marriage and fictive kin (close friends treated as family).

Family Structures

• Family of Orientation: Family you grow up in.
• Family of Procreation: Family you create as an adult.
  • Nuclear Family: Two parents and biological/adopted children.
  • Single Parent Family: One parent raising children.
  • Extended Family: Includes all non-immediate family members.

Marriage and Society

• Marriage Definition: Legally recognized relationship involving economic, social, and emotional bonds.
• Historical Context: Marriages often based on practical concerns, not love.
• Endogamy vs. Exogamy:
  • Endogamy: Marriage within the same social category.
  • Exogamy: Marriage between different social categories.

Marriage Practices

• Monogamy: Marriage between two people (common in high-income countries).
• Polygamy: Legally recognized in some African and South Asian countries.
  • Polygyny: One man, multiple women.
  • Polyandry: One woman, multiple men.
• Bigamy: Marrying while still legally married to another.

Residential Patterns and Descent

• Patrilocality: Living with husband's family.
• Matrilocality: Living with wife's family.
• Neolocality: Living independently from both families, common in industrial societies.
• Patrilineal vs. Matrilineal Descent
  • Patrilineal: Descent through father's line.
  • Matrilineal: Descent through mother's line.

Sociological Theories on Family

• Structural Functionalism
  • Socialize children, provide emotional/material support, regulate sexual activity.
  • Taboos like incest promote social ties outside the family.
• Social Conflict Theory
  • Examines how family perpetuates social inequality.
  • Historical and legal contexts of marriage and property.
• Symbolic Interactionism
  • Emphasizes daily interactions and role expectations.
  • Social exchange theory sees relationships as cost-benefit exchanges.

Conclusion

• Overview of sociological definitions and terms related to family.
• Discussion on marriage practices and societal norms.
• Exploration of sociological theories on the role of family.

Credits

• Crash Course Sociology filmed in the Dr. Cheryl C. Kinney Studio, Missoula, Montana.
• Supported by patrons through Patreon.