« Back to student resources
Chapter 7 - The Family
Glossary
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
arranged marriage - Marriages where a third party, typically the families of the persons to be married, take the leading role in selecting a marriage partner but in which the proposed parties to the marriage are free to decide whether to go through with it.
autonomous marriage - A marriage in which persons freely chose who to marry.
B
blended family - A family with a stepparent, stepsibling, or half-sibling.
C
child abuse - Physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child (a person under age eighteen), especially by a person or persons responsible for the child’s well-being.
E
egalitarian family - Families in which the partners have equal influence in decision making and share equally in family-centered activity such as child-rearing and housework.
elder abuse - Any behavior that harms or causes serious risk of harm to a vulnerable “senior” adult.
F
family - A group of two or more people who are recognized by others as a family and identify themselves as a family.
forced marriage - Marriages in which one or both persons do not giving free consent to marry but are instead forced into the marriage by third parties, such as parents or religious leaders.
H
household - All people who occupy a housing unit together regardless of relationship.
I
intimate partner abuse - Psychological abuse, economic abuse, physical violence, and sexual abuse occurring between spouses or former spouses, cohabiting couples, or boyfriends and girlfriends.
K
kinship - Being related to another person through common ancestry (sharing common DNA) or marriage or adoption.
M
matriarchal family - Families that are mother centered and in which the mother has the greatest influence.
monogamous marriage - Marriage between only two persons.
P
patriarchal family - Families in which the father has the greatest influence in making decisions for the family and its members.
polygamous marriage - Marriage to two or more spouses.
