What is Family

Question 1

fictive kin

Answer 1

family by choice, not necessarily blood or legality

Question 2

Definition of family in ancient Greece

Answer 2

“family” (Oikos) referred to the household economy, including land, house, and servants

Question 3

Family in medieval Europe

Answer 3

peasants who lived on feudal estates were considered part of the lord’s “family”
=>including ppl he inherited privilege and property from

Question 4

What ties were prioritized in the US law for a long time

Answer 4

Biological ties (adopted children unable to inherit historically)

Question 5

In Mexican culture, what particular relationship is considered as family?

Answer 5

Godparents (fictive kin)

Question 6

American Heritage Dictionary current definitions of family

Answer 6

-a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of 1 to 2 parents and their children
-2 or more ppl who share goal and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place
-grp of persons sharing common ancestry

Question 7

US Census Bureau defines family as

Answer 7

2 or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption, who live together in the same household

Question 8

important questions

Answer 8

-aren’t “extended family” family too
-is it necessary to have children to be a family
-What about polygamous relationships, same-sex relationships, cohabitating couples(with or without children), or married couples living apart
-what about foster families and adoptive families? Step-families

Question 9

THE LIMITED DEFINITION

Answer 9

There is NO universal definition of family that fits the reality of all cultural groups and historical periods
=>its a social construction
=>reflective of the dominant value system
=>our definitions of family are often limited by our own ideologies