1. Chapter 9 Marriage, Family and Domestic Groups

2. Chapter Questions What are some of the universal functions of marriage and the family? What are some of the rule that regulate marriage in different societies? How can these rules be explained?

3. Chapter Questions How do arranged marriage and romantic love relate to the values of marriage and family in different societies? What kinds of changes are taking place in the family in the United States? How does a society’s subsistence strategy influence the shape of the family and the household?

4. Functions of Marriage Regulates sexual access. Creates a family. Expands social group.

5. Marriage Customs, rules, and obligations for relationships between: A sexually cohabiting man and woman Parents and children Families of the bride and groom

6. Regulate Sexual Access Reasons: Limits sexual competition. Provides stability for children. Allows for stable economic exchange.

7. Incest Taboos Prohibit sexual relations between relatives. Universal to most cultures. Exceptions : – Brother-sister marriages among royalty in ancient Egypt – Traditional Hawaiian society

8. Reasons for Incest Taboo Avoids inbreeding. Prevents disruption in the nuclear family. Directs sexual desires outside the family. Forces people to marry outside the family and create a larger social community.

9. Family Structure Marriage provides a stable structure: The male can provide food and protection. The female can nurse and nurture the children.

10. Expands Social Groups Links different families and kin groups. Leads to cooperation beyond the primary husband-wife pair. Allows people to share resources. Benefits the survival of the species.

11. Exogamy Rules specifying that a person must marry outside a particular group. Almost universal within the primary family group. Leads to alliances between different families and groups.

12. Endogamy Rules that marriage must be within a particular group. – In India, the caste is an endogamous group. – In the U.S., social classes tend to be endogamous.

13. Preferential Marriage Rules Rules about the preferred categories of relatives for marriage partners: – Levirate - A man marries widow of a deceased brother. – Sororate - When a man’s wife dies, her sister is given to him as a wife.

14. Number of Spouses All societies have rules about how many spouses a person can have at one time. Monogamy is the norm only in Europe and north America. 75% of the world’s societies prefer plural marriage.

15. Primary Marriage Rights Sexual access of husband and wife to each other. Obligations by one or both parents to care for children born to the union. Rights of husband and wife to the economic services of the other.

16. Nuclear Family A husband, a wife, and their children. High rates of divorce and remarriage create complicated kinship networks.

17. Composite Family Aggregates of nuclear families linked by a common spouse. Example: Polygynous household consisting of one man with several wives.

18. Extended Family Blood relations extending over three or more generations. Economic advantages: keeps land intact and provides security in times of crisis. Provides a sense of participation and dignity for the older family members.