History of the family

Scientists believe that family life began among prehistoric people more than 300,000 years ago. It may have developed because of the infant's need of care and the mother's ability to nurse the child.

The earliest prehistoric people probably lived in groups made up of several families. They moved from place to place, hunting animals and gathering wild plants for food. Everyone worked for the survival of the group by searching for food. Some researchers think that the hunting of large game eventually led to a division of labor between men and women. Such hunting required the hunters to be away from the camp for hours or days. The women probably found such hunting difficult during pregnancy and, after giving birth, stayed near home to nurse their young. They probably gathered plants and hunted near the camp.

The division of labor between men and women may have helped the men gain power within the family. In many cultures, the women raised crops, and the men turned from hunting to the herding of goats, sheep, and other animals. A family's wealth depended on its herd because the animals provided a steady source of food and could also be traded for other goods. The father controlled the family's herd and thus its wealth. This control gave the father economic power within his family, and he came to be considered the head of the family. A family in which the father has the most power is called a patriarchal family.

The family in Western culture developed from the traditions of the patriarchal societies. The father remained the most powerful figure in the family. The nuclear family was common throughout history. But some households included other distant relatives, servants, or an apprentice, who lived with the family and learned the father's trade.

Until the Industrial Revolution began in the 1700's, most of the people of Europe lived in rural villages or small towns. Families produced their own food and made most of their clothing, furniture, and tools. Most manufactured goods were produced under the domestic system, also called cottage industry. Under this system, an entire family worked together in the home to make clothing, textiles, or other products for market.

As Western nations became increasingly industrialized, many rural people moved to the cities to seek factory work. Family life in the city differed from that in rural areas because people had to leave home each day to work. Commonly, the mother and children also held a job to help support the family. Family members had little time together, and the home became less central to family life. Hospitals, schools, and other social institutions took over many family functions.

Exercise 13. Give English equivalents:

предок; спорідненість; усиновлення; удівець; удова; нащадок; чоловік/ дружина; зведений брат/сестра; біологічні батьки; двоюрідний брат/сестра; троюрідний брат/сестра; теща/свекруха; зять/шурин; жорстоке поводження з дітьми; розлучитися; діти від попереднього шлюбу; вагітність; названі батьки; впливати на сімейне життя; розподіл праці.

Exercise 14. Give Ukrainian equivalents:

to share home; related persons; unmarried woman; to be descended; to cohabit; affinity; to remarry; stepfather; stepmother; to consult a family counselor; psychologist; battered children and wives; runaway children; breakdown of the family; alcoholic parent; to nurse a child; to give birth; to deal with the social conditions; steady source of food; to support the family.

Exercise 15. Explain in English:

one-parent family; nuclear family; extended family; clan; fictive kin; blended family; family therapy; fatherless or motherless home; to gain power within the family; patriarchal family; public welfare agencies; poor housing; to control the family's wealth; cottage industry; to take over the family functions.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16