The question of what constitutes a family is a prime area of debate in family sociology, as well as in politics and religion. But what about families that deviate from this model, such as a single-parent household or a homosexual couple without children? Should they be considered families as well? family for most of the twentieth century. So what is a family? A husband, a wife, and two children-maybe even a pet-has served as the model for the traditional U.S.
Both marriage and family create status roles that are sanctioned by society. Sociologists are interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family because, historically, marriages are what create a family, and families are the most basic social unit upon which society is built. Other variations on the definition of marriage might include whether spouses are of opposite sexes or the same sex and how one of the traditional expectations of marriage (to produce children) is understood today. In practicing cultural relativism, we should also consider variations, such as whether a legal union is required (think of “common law” marriage and its equivalents), or whether more than two people can be involved (consider polygamy). For our purposes, we’ll define marriage as a legally recognized social contract between two people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship and implying a permanence of the union.
Not even sociologists are able to agree on a single meaning. What is marriage? Different people define it in different ways. The relationship between marriage and family is an interesting topic of study to sociologists. culture, their connection is becoming more complex. While the two institutions have historically been closely linked in U.S. Marriage and family are key structures in most societies.
What do you think constitutes a family? (Photo (a) courtesy Gareth Williams/flickr photo (b) courtesy Guillaume Paumier/ Wikimedia Commons) The modern concept of family is far more encompassing than in past decades.
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