Rules for forming a family

Why is marriage a historically privileged route to family formation? Why is

family important?

Marriage and family have in the longest time, been the main structures of the society.
The two are some of the essential institutions whose connection is turning to be very
complicated. Marriage is a legal, social contract between two between recognized by the
society and traditionally based on the sexual union for permanence. Historically, marriages
have been identified as an institution that helps create a family; therefore, making the
connection between the two institutions very interesting. Marriage union brings about the
family, which constitutes a husband, wife, and children (Knopp et al. 457). A family is
essential to children because it is from this formation that emotional, social, and physical
development of children is harnessed.
To what extent is marriage the socially accepted route to family formation in

your community cite statistics available

Different communities have different practices pertaining their family formation
cultures. Bengali is an immigrant community mostly living in the Jackson Heights, where
they live together as an extended family. In the Bengali community marriage is defined as a
civil contract against the general definition of a religious sacrament. Besides, the two parties
involved are joined together to fulfill the interests of the families and not their interests thus,

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engage in arranged marriages practices. The community highly believe that family is the
main foundation in which the society is based. Therefore, great and in high regard the
significance of family is felt. Besides, the community has made marriage as the only form
through which individuals are allowed to have sexual relations and head to parenthood.
Would you characterize the typical family form as nuclear or extended explain
In the Bengali community, the main family form is an extended where three or more
generations live under the same roof. A nuclear family is described as a household that has a
single parent or two parents living together with their children who have not attained the
years required for marriage. On the other hand, an extended family is a household that has a
couple living together with their offspring. The extended family formation in this community
is used to help exploit the jointly owned and held properties. It gives the members the
economic stability as mentioned as well as social identity. Besides, it is their intent to meet
the interest of the community first before meeting the individual preferences.
What is family’s relationship to the kinship group? consider rules for naming
children and residence patterns( who is included in the household and the proximity of

kin households)

An individual’s kinship is the trace of ancestral background based on marriage and
blood, and in some communities, adoption is considered. Married sons in the Bengali
community continue to live under their parents’ roof. They are also allowed to build other
houses for their nuclear family although in a separate household. These sons will continue to
be under their father’s authority while their wives under the authority of their mother-in laws.
On the demise of the father, the older son take up the role as the authority in that household.
The ideology of the family life is dominated by the patrilineal ties while matrilineal ties are

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most important. Besides, when the family formed is at the verge of collapsing, the kinship
group supports women who are about to be divorced so that their marriage is saved.

Is the conjugal or spouse-centered family becoming more prevalent at the

expense of kinship solidarity?

A conjugal family is defined as a nuclear family; therefore, two people who enter into
a marriage relationship will have a family connection decision to make. The connection is
primarily based on making voluntary decisions on an inward tie to the extended kin as a
result of the emotional bonds they all have. However, the women in Bengali community
when married will move in with her husband’s family because it is important for her to be
close to the husband. Thus, there could form a spouse-centered family because there are no
strict obligations to meeting and becoming part of the kinship solidarity. On the other hand,
kinship solidarity allows the married couples to live closer or in their parents’ house.
Therefore, the Bengali community have strongly embraced the kinship solidarity because
they consider and appreciate living with their kin for support and as part of the culture.
How is conjugal related to the independence of the young and erosion of parental
control of mate selection? Without a husband and a man, can a wife manage the family

with the help of her family?

The conjugal family was created to combat the ambiguity formed in the description of
the nuclear family to include those families with same-sex parenting, adopting families and
stepfamilies. As a result of this social setting, the days of arranged marriages are entirely
done, especially in western societies. However, the Bengali community and parents have
control where they are involved in mate selection for their children and it is the duty of their
children to obey these decisions. Fortunately, a small percent of the young people in this

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community have evolved from these practices due to the education system. The system has
allowed them to interact with other people something that could be hindered if they were at
home. It is expected that the child will make most of his or her decisions alone. Also,
education is taking up most of their time meaning they select their partners when they are old
enough when the parents cannot influence who they select.
It is true to say that single parenting as a woman could be challenging, but with the
help of her close family, this could be efficiently done. Single parents in the Bengali
community are in most cases looked down upon and rarely do they remarry because of
hindrances of the culture. However, enough support and abundant love for these parties by
their families it is possible to continue having a normal life while one raises his or her
children.

Have any alternatives (out-of-wedlock births, cohabitation) become
institutionalized in lieu of marriage? Do the “pair bond” alternative have a name (baby

daddy/mama) mention live together and its negative impact
A baby mama is the mother of a child but she is not married to the child’s father. A
baby daddy is a father of a child but he is not married to the mother of the child. The
situations of a baby mama or baby daddy could be as a result of cohabitation or out-of-
wedlock births. In the Bengali community marriage has not been clear identified as a secular
or sacred because the requirement could be met with the different approaches of entering into
marriage. However, out-of-wedlock births and cohabitation can never be institutionalized in
lieu of marriage in this community. Marriage establishes obligations and rights to those
involved, based on how they would be treated with cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births
institutionalized (Waggoner and Lawrence 49). Unfortunately, this group of people does not
live together, an aspect that affects their child negatively or positively. Children require moral

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support from the two parents, and when it is not availed, this means that they will lack
something. The Bengali community does not condone the act of living together without
marriage.