Chapter 15, Families and Intimate Relationships Key Terms

families Relationships in which people live together with commitment, form an economic unit, care for young, and consider their identity attached to the group. kinship Refers to a social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption.

extended family A unit composed of relatives in addition to parents and children who live in the same household. nuclear family Composed of one or two parents and their dependent children, all of whom live apart from other relatives.

monogamy A marriage between two partners, usually a woman and a man. polygamy The concurrent marriage of a person of one sex with two or more members of the opposite sex.

polygny The concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women. polyandry The marriage of one woman with two or more men.

patrilineal descent Tracing descent through the father's side of the family, whereby a legitimate son inherits his father's property and sometimes his position upon the father's death. matrilineal descent Tracing descent through the mother's side of the family; however, inheritance of property and position usually is traced from the maternal uncle to his nephew.

bilateral descent A system of tracing descent through both the mother and father's sides of the family. patriarchal family A family structure in which authority is held by the eldest male, who acts as head of household and holds power over the women and children.

matriarchal family A family structure in which authority is held by the eldest female, who acts as head of household. egalitarian family A family structure in which both partners share power and authority equally.

patrilocal residence The custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) with the husband's family. matrilocal residence The custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) with the wife's parents.

neolocal residence The custom of a married couple living in their own residence apart from both the husband's and the wife's parents. endogamy Cultural norms prescribing that people marry within their own social group or category.

homogamy The pattern of individuals marrying those who have similar characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, religious background, age, education, or social class. exogamy Refers to cultural norms prescribing that people marry outside their own social group or category.

cohabitation Refers to a couple who live together without being legally married. domestic partnerships Household partnerships in which an unmarried couple lives together in a committed sexually intimate relationship and is granted the same benefits as those accorded to married heterosexual couples.

dual-earner marriages Marriages in which both spouses are in the labor force. second shift The domestic work that employed women perform at home after they complete their workday on the job.