SOCA02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Talcott Parsons, Bride Price, Bilateral Descent
Document Summary
Most definitions of families focus on legal obligations and family structures rather than on feelings of love in the past the family was referred to as a monolithic social institution with one acceptable structure and common behavioral patterns. Academics have always differentiated between nuclear and extended families. Most common definition used in policy research is statcan"s census family: includes married couples and cohabiting couples who have lived together for >1 year, with or without never-married children, as well as single parents living with never-married children. Canadian government also uses concept of household in gathering stats. Modified extended family: relatives don"t share a household but still rely heavily on one another. Nuclear families were always most prevalent in europe and n. a, also among lower ses groups. Polygyny (having several wives at a time) practiced in some countries in africa and asia, especially those using islamic law.
