Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo

ambilineal
a type of unilateral descent that follows either the father’s or the mother’s side exclusively
bigamy
the act of entering into marriage while still married to another person
bilateral descent
the tracing of kinship through both parents’ ancestral lines
cohabitation
the act of a couple sharing a residence while they are not married
extended family
a household that includes at least one parent and child as well as other relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins
family
socially recognized groups of individuals who may be joined by blood, marriage, or adoption and who form an emotional connection and an economic unit of society
family life course
a sociological model of family that sees the progression of events as fluid rather than as occurring in strict stages
family life cycle
a set of predictable steps and patterns families experience over time
family of orientation
the family into which one is born
family of procreation
a family that is formed through marriage
intimate partner violence (IPV)
violence that occurs between individuals who maintain a romantic or sexual relationship
kinship
a person’s traceable ancestry (by blood, marriage, and/or adoption)
marriage
a legally recognized contract between two or more people in a sexual relationship who have an expectation of permanence about their relationship
matrilineal descent
a type of unilateral descent that follows the mother’s side only
matrilocal residence
a system in which it is customary for a husband to live with the his wife’s family
monogamy
the act of being married to only one person at a time
nuclear family
two parents (traditionally a married husband and wife) and children living in the same household
patrilineal descent
a type of unilateral descent that follows the father’s line only
patrilocal residence
a system in which it is customary for the a wife to live with (or near) the her husband’s family
polygamy
the state of being committed or married to more than one person at a time
shaken-baby syndrome
a group of medical symptoms such as brain swelling and retinal hemorrhage resulting from forcefully shaking or impacting an infant’s head
unilateral descent
the tracing of kinship through one parent only.
Order a print copy

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Jan 18, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.