Stanley R.

Correos
BSCA-3
Activity#7

I. What is kinship?
Answer: Family ties are called kinship, a social bond based on blood, marriage, or
adoption. Although all societies have families, just whom people regard as their
kin has varied from history and changed today from one culture to another
II. What is a family unit?
Answer: family unit as a social group of two or more people, related by blood,
marriage, or adoption, which usually live together. Initially, people are born into a
family composed of parents and siblings; this is sometimes called the family of
orientation because it is vital to socialization.
III. What is the difference between nuclear and extended families?
Answer: if we say nuclear families is one that is composed of one or two parents
and their dependent children, all of whom live apart from other relatives. It is also
called the conjugal family, meaning “based on marriage” (Macionis, 2003).
Nuclear families exist in very simple economic systems such as hunting and
gathering societies, in which economic tasks require geographic mobility and
individual initiative. Nuclear families are also typical of industrial societies where
career advancement often requires workers to be geographically mobile (Conklin,
1987). While extended families on the other hand, is a unit composed of relatives
in addition to parents and children who live in the same household. This type of
family is often composed of grandparents, uncles, aunts, or other relatives who live
close to the parents and children, making it possible for family members to share
resources (Kendall, 2003). Extended families are functional in economic systems
in which each additional person is an asset in a collective enterprise, such as in
fishing or agricultural societies (Conklin, 1987).
IV. How important is marriage in family formation?
Answer: Marriage is the beginning—the beginning of the family—and is a life-
long commitment. It also provides an opportunity to grow in selflessness as you
serve your wife and children. Marriage is more than a physical union; it is also a
spiritual and emotional union. This union mirrors the one between God and His
Church.
V. In what ways does the family differ from one society to another?
Answer: Cultural norms, and often laws, identify people as suitable or unsuitable
marriage partners. Some marital norms encourage endogamy, marriage within
certain defined groups and categories (Macionis, 2003). It specifies the groups
within which a spouse must be found and prohibits marriage with others
(Schaefer,2001). For example, in the Philippines, many people are expected to
marry within their own racial or religious group and are strongly discouraged or
even prohibited from marrying outside the group. By limiting an individual's
choice of marital partners, rules of endogamy help to ensure the continued
existence of a group. If people married at random, group membership would
decline as people leave their own group for those of their spouses (Conklin, 1987).
VI. How do expanded choices of mate selection affect choices on spouse in
modern societies?
Answer: It affect because modern societies provides expanded opportunities for
people to meet others from different social backgrounds and geographic areas — at
school, in the workplace, singles bars, personal advertisements, and video dating
services. As a result, an increasing number of marriages are heterogamous in terms
of race, religions, ethnicity, and social class. The benefit of heterogamy is that it
exposes partners to other ways of doing and thinking, adding an element of variety
and challenge to the relationship (Hess et al., 1996).
VII. How is power distributed in the families?
Answer: Societies vary in the way power within the family is distributed. The most
prevalent forms of familial power and authority are patriarchy, matriarchy, and
egalitarianism. Patriarchal family is a family structure in which authority is held by
the eldest male (usually the father). The male authority figure acts as head of the
household and holds power and authority over the women and children, as well as
over other males (Kendall, 2003). In Iran, for instance, the eldest male wields the
greatest power, although wives are expected to be treated with respect and
kindness. A woman's status in Iran is typically defined by her relationship to a
male relative, usually as a wife or daughter (Schaefer, 2001).
VIII. What are the six dominant functions of the families in the society?
Answer: The six dominant functions of the families in the society are:
1. Reproduction. For a society to continue, it must replace dying members. In this
sense, the family contributes to human survival through its function of
reproduction.
2. Protection. Human infants need constant care and economic security. In all
cultures, it is the family that assumes responsibility for the protection and
upbringing of children.
3. Socialization. Parents and other relatives transmit the norms, values, and
language of a culture to the child.
4. Regulation of sexual behavior. Standards of sexual behavior are most clearly
defined within the family. The structure of society influences these standards. In
male-dominated societies, for instance, norms generally permit men to express and
enjoy their physical attraction more freely than women may.
5. Affection and companionship. Ideally, the family provides members with warm
and intimate relationships and helps them feel satisfied and secure. We expect our
relatives to understand us, to care for us, and to be there for us when we need them.
6. Provision of social status. The family presents the newborn child with an
ascribed status of race and ethnicity that helps to determine her or his place in the
society’s stratification system. Also, family resources affect children’s ability to
pursue certain opportunities such as higher education and specialized lessons.

IX. How do families reflect inequality in the society?

Answer: Conflict perspective looks at the family not as a contributor to social
stability, but as a reflection of the’ inequality in wealth and power found within the
larger society (Schaefer, 2001). For instance, the version of the family that is most
prominent in society is likely to be the one that is consistent with the values and
benefits of the dominant groups. Patriarchy is the most common type of authority
structure in families because it serves the interests of men by enabling them to be
dominant (Sullivan,1995).
X. What are the various alternative family forms?
Answer: The various alternative family forms are Singlehood, Cohabitation, One-
Parent Families, Families Without Children, Blended Families, Gay Male and
Lesbian Couples.