Related topics: marriage
Family
hideFamily denotes a group of people or animals (many species form the equivalent of a human family wherein the adults care for the young) affiliated by a consanguinity, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," anthropologists[who?] have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts rather than through genetic distance.
One of the primary functions of the family is to produce and reproduce persons, biologically and socially. Thus, one's experience of one's family shifts over time. From the perspective of children, the family is a family of orientation: the family serves to locate children socially, and plays a major role in their enculturation and socialization. From the point of view of the parent(s), the family is a family of procreation the goal of which is to produce and enculturate and socialize children. However, producing children is not the only function of the family; in societies with a sexual division of labor, marriage, and the resulting relationship between two people, is necessary for the formation of an economically productive household.
A conjugal family includes only the husband, the wife, and unmarried children who are not of age. The most common form of this family is regularly referred to as a nuclear family.
A consanguineal family consists of a parent and his or her children, and other people.
A matrifocal family consists of a mother and her children. Generally, these children are her biological offspring, although adoption of children is a practice in nearly every society. This kind of family is common where women have the resources to rear their children by themselves, or where men are more mobile than women.
For more information about Family, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with family
World's earliest nuclear family found
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 17, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (13) |
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The researchers dated remains from four multiple burials discovered in Germany in 2005. The 4,600-year-old graves contained groups of adults and children buried facing each other – an unusual practice in Neolithic ...
Today's parents 'not to blame' for teenage problem behaviour
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Jul 31, 2009 |
2.9 / 5 (21) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Poor parenting is not the reason for an increase in problem behaviour amongst teenagers, according to research led by Oxford University.
Dog bites a particular threat to young children, especially as temperatures rise
Mar 01, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (11) |
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Young children are especially vulnerable to severe dog bites in the head and neck areas, and there is a correlation between cases of dog bites and rising temperatures, according to new research published in the March 2009 ...
The relative risk of brain cancer
Nov 12, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (10) |
1
Doctors know that you're at a higher risk for breast, colon and prostate cancers if they've been found in your family. Brain cancer can now be placed on that same list, says a new study by Tel Aviv University and the University ...
Table for Two: Family Dinners Also Good for Couples
Sep 17, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (9) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Families who eat together are more likely to stay together, as the saying goes. One University of Missouri researcher has discovered that the importance of mealtime also applies to newlywed couples, not just ...
Research shows why parents are born and not made
Biology /
Nov 03, 2008 |
3.9 / 5 (10) |
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Research published today reveals for the first time that the different roles of mothers and fathers are influenced by genetics. The study, by the Universities of Exeter and Edinburgh, shows how variation in where males and ...
Hippo ancestry disputed: Researchers rebut family tree involving hippos, whales and pigs
Mar 18, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (8) |
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Hippos spend lots of time in the water and now it turns out (or researchers argue), they are the closest living relative to whales. It also turns out, the two are swimming in a bit of controversy.
Panda genome resembles dog: Chinese media
Dec 13, 2009 |
4 / 5 (9) |
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A detailed genome map of the giant panda completed by Chinese scientists has shown that the notoriously shy animal is genetically similar to the dog, state media reported Sunday.
UN: Fight climate change with free condoms
Nov 18, 2009 |
2.9 / 5 (12) |
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(AP) -- The battle against global warming could be helped if the world slowed population growth by making free condoms and family planning advice more widely available, the U.N. Population Fund said Wednesday.
International team discovers gene associated with epilepsy
Nov 18, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (6) |
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A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help ...
Study: Common wisdom about troubled youth falls apart when race considered
Jul 21, 2008 |
3.5 / 5 (8) |
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One of the most widely accepted beliefs about the differences between troubled boys and girls may need to be revised, according to new research.
Unmarried dads' involvement with child secured during pregnancy, study says
Dec 15, 2008 |
4.2 / 5 (6) |
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The best chance of "reeling-in" an unmarried father and building the foundations for a stable family life are the critical months of pregnancy, says new research from the University of Maryland.
Nintendo's Game Boy turns 20
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Apr 23, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
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Twenty years ago Japan's Nintendo Co. launched the Game Boy, the iconic handheld video game player that spawned characters from Super Mario to Pokemon and sold 200 million units worldwide.
When Mom Dates, Dad Stops Visiting His Kids
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Aug 03, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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New research from the Journal of Marriage and Family shows that children born outside of marriage are less likely to be visited by their father when the mother is involved in a new romantic relationship. Many children born out ...
The therapeutic benefits of the human-animal bond
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Nov 30, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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A pet owner knows the enormous joy and comfort that an animal can provide, especially in troubled times. Most pets are considered important members of the family and irreplaceable companions. A growing body of research now ...
