Marriage is a socially supported union involving two or more individuals in

what is regarded as a stable, enduring arrangement based at least in part on a

sexual bond of some kind.
Family – a set of persons related by blood, marriage, adoption that share the
primary responsibility for reproducing and caring for members of society.
Monogamy - is defined as marriage with only one person at a time or the practice of having only
one mate.
Polygamy - is defined as a mating system in which an individual has more than one mate
simultaneously that can either be male or female.
plural marriage - is also referred to as polygamy, being married to more than one spouse at the
same time.
extended family - is a family structure that consists of two or more adults that are from different
generations of the same family, who maintain a household together. This includes sharing the
responsibilities of the household.
Endogamy - is also called in-marriage and is the custom of marrying within one's cultural group or
clan. This requirement was created to keep health, culture, and ethnicity within cultural groups.
Exogamy - is when a person marries outside of their social group or class. Within some of the
royal/historically known families, the practices of endogamy or exogamy can be seen.
Marriage - has had multiple definitions and structures throughout human history and across different
societies.
Sororate marriage - is the practice of a widower marrying his dead wife's sister.
levirate marriage - describes a marriage that occurs when a deceased man's brother must marry
his brother's former wife.
Conjugal family - refers to a family that is made up of a husband, wife, and their underage children.

consanguineal family - consists of a parent, his or her children, and other relatives.
Consanguinity is defined as the property of belonging to the same kinship as another person. In
that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another
person.
Descents

 Bilateral - affiliates a person's relative to him through both his parents

 Patrilineal - father's relative are important
 This type of family occurs when property and title inheritance passes down
through the father’s side.
 Matrilineal - mother's relative are important
 This is where the property and title inheritance passes through the mother’s
side.
Residence

 Neolocal - resides independently of the parents of either side

 When a married couple sets up a home separate from either side of their
families.
 Patrilocal - couple lives with groom's parents
 When a married couple lives with or near the husband’s family.
 Matrilocal - couple lives with bride's parents
 When a couple lives with or near the mother’s family.

Authority
Patriarchal Family - In this family the power and authority is vested in the hands of the male member
of the family. In other words the patriarch or father is the; center of power and authority. He is the
owner and administrator of the family property and right. He exercises un challengeable authority
over his family members.

Matriarchal family is just the opposite of patriarchal family. It is also known as maternal family or
mother-right family or mother dominated family. In this family, the authority rests with mother or
some other female members. She owns all the family property and rules the family as male member,
in case of patriarchic family.