Family and Household

Lecture Outline  What is the family?  What is the difference between family and household?  What are some of the challenges of family and household organization?

Family  In 1950, 60% of all U.S. households conformed to the nuclear family model.  Today, only 26% of U.S. households conform to the independent nuclear family ideal.  In the U.S. 28% of women have experienced domestic violence, and 10 are killed by their batterers every day.

Diagram: Independent Nuclear Family

Functions of the Family  Nurturance of children.  Economic cooperation.  Provide child with models from whom they can learn gender appropriate roles.

Definition of the Family  A group composed of a woman and her dependent children, with at least one adult man joined through marriage or blood relationship.  In most societies, families constitute households or households are built around families.

Forms of the Family Conjugal family – formed on the basis of marital ties Consanguineal family – consists of related women, their brothers, and the women’s offsprings

Households Basic residential units that implement:  Economic production  Consumption  Inheritance  Child rearing  Shelter

Five Basic Residence Patterns  Patrilocal  Matrilocal  Ambilocal  Neolocal  Avunculocal

Diagram: Patrilocal Extended Family

Diagram: Avunculocal Residence

Family Organization and Problems  Polygamous families - potential conflict among spouses of the individual to whom they are married.  Polyandrous families - older husbands are apt to dominate the younger ones.

Family Organization and Problems  Extended families - decisions are made by an older individual whose views may not coincide with those of the younger family members.

Female-Headed Households 1970’s  45% households were nuclear families.  4.7% households were single parent families  26% households were nuclear families.  18.2% households were single parent families.  Nuclear families - husbands and wives must work out their own solutions to the problems of living together and having children.

Homework 1. Read Chapter 10 – Haviland Kinship and Descent 2. Study Household and Domestic Organization: anthropology/tutor/residence/toc.html