1. Why do we find family institutions in every society? Could there be a society without a family institution? How would it be different?
2. "They" say that the family is dying in the United States. Is this possible, could any society exist without any family structure?
3. Is there a "natural" or "normal" way of constructing the family as a social institution? Are some structures more "normal" than others?
4. Given the discussion of family structure contained within this chapter, describe the structure of the American family with respect to conjugal system, kinship reckoning, descent rules, residential groupings, and authority structure. How much agreement is there in the United States with regard to values which support the structure you have described?
5. With widows greatly outnumbering widowers, many years ago Victor Kassel presented an argument favoring polygyny after sixty as a solution to the problems faced by older Americans. Do you think that polygyny could be introduced successfully in age segregated communities of older Americans? Why or why not?
6. How do divorce, remarriage, and blended families create composite families in the United States? How are these experiences changing the "ideal" family structure for Americans?
7. Americans value individualism and emphasize personal achievement, individual rights, and privatism. How do these values influence the structure of the American family? What are some of the negative results of these values?
8. Does the Bible support a particular family structure? Does a "Judeo-Christian" culture follow this structure?
9. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of unilineal and multilineal kinship reckoning. If your family practiced patrilineal descent, how might your life be different?
10. Who benefits from the cultural value placed upon neolocal residence? What are the disadvantages of this practice? Discuss examples of bilocal residence, that you know of, that seem to provide for family stability for the individuals involved.

Go back to SOCIOLOGY 260 -- Sociology of Marriage and the Family Discussion Questions Page

If you have any questions or comments please email:

leming@stolaf.edu

Disclaimer