The ‘family’, in the sense in which the term is used…
““The ‘family’, in the sense in which the term is used today, emerged only after a long process of historical development. The many figures that populated the family in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries gradually disappeared until the couple of husband and wife took the centre of the stage, and the marriage contract became constitutive of domestic relations.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
She traces the historical evolution of the family, noting the shift from extended kin networks to the nuclear couple and marriage as central.
In simple terms: Family changed from extended to nuclear, centered on marriage.
Key Takeaway
Understand family’s historical shift.
Themes
family history
social evolution
gender roles
marriage
kinship
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
theoretical
explanatory
When to use this quote
- family counseling
- education
- policy making
- social research
Key Concepts
sociology
historical analysis
institutional change
Questions to Reflect On
- How did these changes affect gender dynamics?
- What implications for today’s family policies?
A Different Perspective
Modern families still vary widely across cultures.