Marriage is widely recognized, but its meaning and social role vary across societies. This lesson introduces a sociological definition of marriage and explains why sociologists study its relationship to family and society.
There is no single definition of marriage accepted by all sociologists. For this unit, marriage is a legally recognized social contract between two people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship and implying a lasting union. This definition identifies a common pattern, but it does not capture every form of marriage found across cultures or history.
All flashcards
Cultural relativism
Understanding a practice in the context of the culture in which it occurs rather than judging it solely by another culture's standards.
Marriage and social consequences
Marriage can establish recognized rights and responsibilities involving finances, medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, and retirement benefits.
Status role
A socially recognized position that carries expectations; marriage and family can establish these positions.
Bilateral descent
A system in which people recognize family connections through both their mother's and father's sides.
Family of orientation and family of procreation
A family of orientation is the one a person is born into or raised in; a family of procreation is one the person forms.
Quiz questions
In sociology, what does functionalism examine when applied to family life?Answer: The roles families perform for members and society.
Which description matches the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of a family?Answer: Two or more people, including the householder, related by birth, marriage, or adoption and living together.
What is bigamy?Answer: Entering a marriage while still married to another person.
What does ambilineal descent mean?Answer: Kinship is traced through either the father's line or the mother's line.
What is one criticism of traditional family life-cycle stage models?Answer: They can treat a conventional sequence as universal and overlook varied family pathways.
Based on Introduction to Sociology 3e by Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes, Asha Lal Tamang (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.