Murdock defines the family as a social group typically consisting of adults of both sexes maintaining a sexual relationship and raising one or more biological or adopted children together in a shared residence with economic cooperation. [1] However, societies exhibit wide variations in family structure, as seen in examples from Britain, New Guinea, and India. [2] Murdock's definition may be too narrow and exclude modern family forms like same-sex couples raising children or matriarchal families. [3]

1. The Universality of ‘Family’
AS Sociology

2. Murdock
• Some form of family exists in every
society.
• “social group characterised by common
residence, economic co-operation and
reproduction. It includes adults of both
sexes, at least two of whom maintain a
socially approved sexual relationship and
one or more children, own or adopted.”

3. Variations of this…
Britain and Ireland
• Traditional nuclear
• Extended
• Reconstituted
• Cohabiting

4. Banaro of New Guinea
• The families live in a
communal house, divided
into apartments for each
nuclear family
• Husband does not have
sexual relations with his
wife until she has borne a
child by a friend of his
father.
• The parent child
relationship therefore is
not biological.

5. Nayar of Kerla
• The Nayar have sets of relationships
different from those common in Britain.
• Kathleen Gough carried out a detailed
study of this group.
• Before puberty all girls married to a
suitable man – however after marriage the
husband does not live with his wife and is
under no obligation to make any contact.

7. • The only duty of the wife is to attend his funeral
and mourn his death.
• Nayar girls can take on many ‘visiting’ husbands.
• The husbands spend much time away from the
villages so on return choose a wife to stay the
night with.
• These husbands have no duty towards their
offspring.
• Husbands may give their wives ‘tokens’ but it is
frowned upon if they do this regularly.

8. Is Murdock’s definition too narrow?
• Growth of same sex relationships to
include children.
• Growth of matriarchal families – high in
western societies. (particularly low
income black communities)