Comprehension exercises

I. Reread the text and answer the following questions.

1) What is the family as far as its composition is concerned? 2) What living arrangements exist in human society? 3) How can you prove that the extended family offers certain advantages over the nuclear family? 4) What forms of marriage do you know? 5) What does the cross-cultural view about the family residence show? 6) How do societies vary in the way that power within the family is distributed? 7) Do you agree that in the egalitarian family spouses are regarded as equals? 8) Do you believe that the egalitarian family will replace the patriarchal family in our society? 9) What are the functions of the family in modern society? 10) Why do you think it is helpful to examine the functions the family fulfills?

II. Define the following key terms and memorize the definitions:

family, nuclear family, extended family, monogamy, «serial monogamy», polygamy, kinship, patriarchy, matriarchy, egalitarian family.

III. Speak on the family,its aspects,structure,patterns and functions
in brief and illustrate your reports withexamples and situations of your
own.

IV. Comment on the title of the text «The family: Universal but Varied».

V. Speak about your family.your parents and kin viewing them from
the sociological perspective and employing the sociological terms
described in the text.

VI. Comment on the following and give your reasons for or against.

1) Most societies throughout the world, past and present, have exhibited a preference for polygamy, not monogamy. 2) Researchers have come to the conclusion that in modern history there is not a society which truly has the matriarchal pattern of family organization. 3) In the egalitarian family the mother holds authority in some spheres, the father — in others. 4) «The family is the ultimate source of social inequality» (Friedrich Engels). Does it still hold true?