Expanded Key Terms

To treat a human or animal with cruelty or violence.

The term abuse is used to describe any bad, physical, psychological, or emotional actions taken upon another individual with cruelty or violence. Abuse is unhealthy for individuals and society as it teaches maladaptive relationship styles and is physically, emotionally, and/or mentally harmful to that individual. Abuse in most societies, despite its normalization in some societies and cultures, is considered deviant and unacceptable behavior. Attempts continue to be made to eradicate abuse from society through laws and social norms being taught to counteract abusive behavior.

A type of marriage in which the bride and groom are selected by individuals other than the couple themselves.

Arranged marriages are very common in many parts of the world, where cultures consider this to be the norm. Arranged marriages may have benefits that also can be viewed from an ethnocentric perspective and seen as harmful and restrictive to free choice in the marriage process between both individuals.

Families involving children from a previous relationship; stepfamilies.

Blended families or families with children from previous relationships or stepparents are woven into the original family unit. Blended families as a term relates to the larger idea of family units being constructed not solely by members related by blood and or marriage.

Unrelated, unmarried adults in an intimate relationship sharing living quarters.

Cohabitation is the term used to describe groups of unrelated, unmarried adults who live together and have intimate relationships. Marriage is a social construct that not all people believe in and/or conform to; therefore, cohabitation is the removal of a formal and legally binding marriage ceremony and bond between two individuals in a relationship. Cohabitation can share some benefits that marriage does but is distinct in its freedom from a binding relationship through religion and/or law.

Disputes over the state of society, including the presumed decline of the family as well as “family values.”

The term culture wars refers to the debates held between many people in the U.S., as well as in other societies around the globe, regarding the decline in more “traditional” ideals and values regarding the operation and function of systems, such as the family, politics, education, and more. Culture wars are generationally fluctuating and happen throughout history as different generations and individuals with various outlooks on society and life clash with each other on how society should move forward.

Adults marrying at later ages than they did in decades past.

Delayed marriage refers to the trend of adults getting married later in life than in past generations. In the past, marriage was more common for heterosexual individuals during their 20s-early 30s. Today, more people are getting married in their late 20s to late 30s, with some individuals getting married well beyond the late 30s mark. Delayed marriage is heavily influenced by social norms and only views these marriages as “delayed” through the lens that the norm for marriage is earlier in life.

The legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.

Divorce is the dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body, such as a religious organization. Divorce has been negatively socially stigmatized throughout history but is slowly becoming more and more normal in some societies with fewer drawbacks and associated social stigmas. Divorce can happen for a variety of reasons, and a divorce is the formal termination of a binding relationship.

A group of people of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or mutual commitment.

Family is the term used to describe the relationship held between two individuals, whether or not they are related by blood or marriage. Families can be developed through birth, marriage, adoption, or simply deemed family due to a strong connection as friends or partners. Families are core social groups, sources of learning, and key players in perpetuating norms in society. Family units are often one of the first places people observe behavior and begin learning what is acceptable and not in society.

The individuals who comprise a family and their relationships with one another.

Family structure is the relationship between members of a family and how the relationships intertwine with each other to determine roles, responsibilities, and more. This typically considers only human members, but some families may count animals as part of their family structure. Family structures are heavily influenced by culture and can create a potential hierarchy among the members, often reflecting the patriarchy. Many people believe, however, that the family structure as a concept is nothing more than socialized norms as to how people should treat other members of the family based on age, seniority, and other factors.

A house and its occupants regarded as a unit.

A household is defined as a house or place of living and, more specifically, the total number of members that occupy the place of living. This typically considers only human members in the count, but some families may count animals as part of their household. The term household can be applied literally, in which case it is the place of living as a physical structure and the members that occupy it, or more abstractly, as a term for identifying members in society. Government organizations often use the term household to determine how many people live in one place. An example of how household count is used can be seen in the U.S. census, where an average count of the total number of people in the U.S is calculated.

Marriage between two partners.

Monogamy is a very traditional form of marriage and is expected as the norm in society when compared to other relationship styles that are not defined exclusively by people. Monogamy refers to a marriage exclusively between two partners. Monogamy has many ties to religion.

A married couple and their young children living by themselves under one roof.

The term nuclear family refers to a married couple with young children, usually living in a family home. The nuclear family gained popularity in the 20th century as the ideal and norm in society for all people. The nuclear family may be the ideal family structure for some people, but the expectation that this norm is to be met and enacted by all people in society is limiting to the individuality of each person and harmful to the larger social networks developed around the world.

The activity of mixing socially with others.

Socialization is a key part of developing healthy, behavioral attitudes and styles, as well as understanding norms in society, and learning what behavior is and is not acceptable. Socialization can also teach abnormal and unhealthy habits, norms, and ideals that are considered to be expected among other individuals in society.