Family is a universal social institution. It regulates sexual relations through marriage, which provide legal status to the children.

1. SOCIALINSTITUTIONS:
FAMILYAND MARRIAGE
Anil Kumar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
STJM PG College, Bilhaur, Kanpur
E-mail: anil.aina@gmail.com,

2. Social Institutions
◦ Institutions lie at the centre of sociological attention. They constitute the main building blocks of
society. The number of institutions and the degree of specialization varies from society to society.
(Alex Inkeles, 2001/1964:67) .
◦ Social institutions are prerequisites to regulate social system and society. They are directing the
society for ideal way of life in specific cultural patterns.
◦ There are five types of social institutions, and each may have secondary institutions :
◦ Today we will discuss about few social institution- Family and Marriage
Sl. No. Basic Social Institutions Secondary Social Institutions
1 Family Kinship, Marriage, Incest Taboo, Divorce, Property Rights etc.
2 Religion Totem, Taboo, Sacred-Profane, Rituals, Temple, Church etc.
3 Economy Exchange, Banking, Division of Labour, Trade, Market etc.
4 Education and School, College, Universities, Technical Institutions, Madrsa etc.
5 The State Law, Democracy, Bureaucracy, Parliament, Political Parties etc.

3. The Family
Introduction
◦ If there is a universal social institution it is the family. Every society needs some form of
social arrangement to regulate sexual relations and to provide for child rearing and
socialization. The structure and pattern of family varies from one society to another.
◦ A family may be called a social group, kinship group or network of two or more people who
live together and are related by marriage, blood, or adoption. The culture determines which
family relationships are considered significant.
◦ In this sense, a family is made up of not only husband and wife, but also two brothers living
together or a woman and her adopted son.
◦ George Peter Murdock has given definition of the family in the ‘Social Structure- 1964’:
The Family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic co – operation
and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a society
approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually co-
habiting adults.

4. ◦‘Evolution Theory of Family’ given by L. H. Morgan?
◦ I. The Consanguine (samraktamoolak) Family
◦ It was founded upon the intermarriage of brothers and sisters in a group.
◦ II. The Punaluan Family
◦ Group marriage- several brothers to each other’s wives in a group; and of several sisters to each other’s
husbands in a group. All male from one Clan and all women from other Clan.
◦ III. The Syndyasmian Family
◦ The pairing of a male with a female under the form of marriage, but without an exclusive cohabitation
only with each other.
◦ IV. The Patriarchal Family
◦ The marriage of one man to several wives. Wives residing separate to each other.
◦ V. The Monogamian Family
◦ The marriage of one man with one woman, with an exclusive cohabitation. It constitutes the essential of
the institution.
Origin of Family

5. Features of Family
Features of the Family
• It is a universal social institution
• It regulate sexual relations as per cultural norms.
• Provide space for child rearing and socialization.
• People who live together and are related by marriage, blood, or adoption.
• Common residence, property, way of worship, economic cooperation and reproduction
patterns.
• Social control
• Emotional Bonding
• Continuity and Change
• Limited size except Israeli Kibbutz (Based on Ideological and Economic Factors) etc.
◦ A household is different from a family. According to the census, a household is made up of
one or more people who share common kitchen, live in the same dwelling unit which may be a
house, an apartment, or a room.

6. Functions of the Family
◦ Family has survived through the ages because it provides a number of essential social
functions.
◦ George Peter Murdock mentioned four functions of the family are:
◦ The Sexual Functions/Sexual Regulation
◦ The Reproductive Functions/Procreation
◦ The Economic Functions/Economic Support
◦ The Socialization Functions
◦ Some other functions also linked with the family are:
◦ Social Placement- Inheritance
◦ Emotional Security
◦ Unlimited Responsibility

7. Types of Family
Based on Generations and Size
◦ Nuclear Family - Husband wife and their unmarried/immature children.
◦ Joint Family – When three or more generations living together, like: husband-wife, their
children and parents of husband (Patrilocal Family) or wife (Matrilocal Family)-Tarwad in
Nairs of Malabar.
◦ Extended family – consist with parents, children and other members related by blood or
marriage. Husband-wife, children, married brother or sisters with their children, parents etc.
Conjugal and consanguine families
◦ Conjugal families are based on marriage, rather than blood relations.
◦ Consanguine families are based on blood relations.
Family of Orientation and Family of Procreation
◦ Family of orientation- in which you are born and raised.
◦ Family of procreation- in which you reproduce your children.

8. Types of Family……..
◦ Based on Habitations after marriage
◦ Virilocal/Patrilocal- When girl goes to residing with the husband’s family (common in
Indian society)
◦ Uxorilocal/Matrilocal- When boy goes to residing with the wife’s family (Nairs of Kerla)
◦ Neo-local – Boys and Girls NOT residing with the husband’s family/ wife’s family. They
starts living in a new place.
◦ Natalocal- When both boys and girls residing remain within their natal family. Husband
visit to his wife’s place during night for cohabitation.
◦ Avunculocal - Boys and girls starts residing with the wife’s brother. Tribes residing at
Trobiand Islands.

9. Types of Family……..
◦ Based on Authority
◦ Patriarchal family- family headed by the male.
◦ Matriarchal family- family headed by the women –Khasi of Assam.
◦ Based on Lineage
◦ Matrilineal: Here, the kinship system consisted of families related through maternal line of
descent- Nairs of Kerala
◦ Patrilineal: system in which members trace their kinship through the father’s line of descent.
In this system, generations are tied together in a kinship through the male members of a
family.
◦ Bilateral System: In the United States and much of the West, the bilateral system prevails.
◦ Here an individual is considered to be equally related to both his father’s and mother’s
reparative; Descent is traced through both males and females.

10. Types of Family……..
◦ Based on Marriage
◦ Monogamous Family- Single partner at a time
◦ Polygamous Family- more than one/multiple partner at a time.
◦ Polygynous Family- more than one/multiple wives at a time- Naga, Gond, Baiga,
◦ Sororal Polygyny-
◦ Non-Sororal Polygyny
◦ Polyandrous Family- more than one/multiple husbands at a time.
◦ Fraternal/Adelphic Polyandrous Family – Toda and Khas
◦ Non-Fraternal Polyandrous Family- Toda of Nilgiri, Nairs
◦ Punaluan Family- A group of male (brothers/cousins) marry with a group of female
(sisters/cousins).

11. Books Related to the Family
◦ Based on Marriage
◦ The Holy Family (1844)- Karl Marx and Frederick Engels
◦ Social Structure (1949)- G. P. Murdock
◦ The African System of Kinship and Marriage (1950)- Redcliff-Brown
◦ World Revolution and the Family (1963)- William J. Goode
◦ Kinship and Marriage (1966)- Robin Fox
◦ A Runway World? (1967) – Edmund Leach
◦ Kinship Organization in India (1968)- Irawati Karve
◦ The Death of the Family (1972)- David Cooper
◦ Family in India (1998)- A. M. Shah
◦ Family Kinship and Marriage in India (1997) Patricia Oberoi

12. Laws Related to the Family and Marriage in India
◦ Sharda Act 1929 (The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929)
◦ The Hindu Marriage Act- 1955
◦ Special Marriage Act- 1954
◦ Dowry Prohibition Act- 1961
◦ The Family Courts Act- 1984
◦ Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
◦ Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994
◦ Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act-2005
◦ The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019
◦ IPC- 125 (for maintenance of wives, children and parents)

13. Marriage
◦ Marriage consist of the rules and regulations which define the rights, duties and privileges
of husband and wife, with respect to each other. (Lundberg, Sociology- p 133)
◦ Marriage is a socially approved union of male and female, or as a secondary institution
devised by society to sanction the union and mating of male and female, for purpose of
(a) establishing a household, (b) entering into a sex relations, (c) procreating, and (d)
providing care for the offspring (children). (H. T. Mazumdar, Grammar of Sociology, p
582).
◦ Robin Fox (1966) has given four principles for Kinship and Marriage are:
1. Women bear children - Gestation
2. Men impregnate women - Impregnation
3. It is Men who usually exercise control - Authority
4. Primary kins do not mate each other - Incest Taboo

14. Types of Marriage
◦ Homogamy- Marriage with the person with similar characteristics
◦ Monogamy-
◦ Polygamy
◦ Polygyny - Naga, Gond, Baiga,
◦ Polyandry
◦ Fraternal/Adelphic Polyandrous Family – Toda and Khas
◦ Non-Fraternal Polyandrous Family- Toda of Nilgiri, Nairs
◦ Punaluan - A group of male (brothers/cousins) marry with a group of female
(sisters/cousins).
◦ Liverate- widow marries with her deceased husband’s brother.
◦ Sororate - widower marries with his deceased wife’s sister (generally younger sister).

15. Types of Marriage
◦ Exogamy- outside the same clan/caste group.
◦ Gotra Exogamy
◦ Pravar Exogamy
◦ Pinda Exogamy
◦ Clan Exogamy
◦ Endogamy- with in the same clan/caste group.
◦ Tribal Endogamy
◦ Clan Endogamy
◦ Caste Endogamy
◦ Race Endogamy

16. Types of Hindu Marriage
◦ Anulom Marriage
◦ Pratilom Marriage
There are eight types of marriages.
Socially Accepted
◦ Brahm Vivah
◦ Daiv Vivah
◦ Aarsh Vivah
◦ Prajapatya Vivah
Socially not Accepted
◦ Gandharva Vivah
◦ Asur Vivah
◦ Rakshas Vivah
◦ Pishach Vivah