Matriarchal Family – Behavioral sciences explore the cognitive processes within organisms and the behavioral interactions between organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behavior through the study of the past, controlled and naturalistic observation of the present and disciplined scientific experimentation and modeling.
It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Generally, behavior science deals primarily with human action and often seeks to generalize about human behavior as it relates to society.
Matriarchal Family
A matriarchal family is a family unit where the mother or a female is at the head of the family. This term is only applicable when the family exists in a matriarchal society. To be considered a matriarchal society, a culture must define a woman’s authority over family as legitimate. All the other members are subordinated.
Matriarchal family has been the earliest form of family. Eskimos of Malaya islenders, Odama of Indians, Kashi tribe of India and some other tribal communities.
Definition of Matriarchal Family
A matriarchy is a social system organized around the principle of mother-rule in which mothers, or females, are at the top of the power structure.
or
Matriarchy is a social system in which females hold primary power, predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property at the specific exclusion of men, at least to a large degree.
Characteristics of Matriarchal family
1. Descent, Inheritance and succession
Here the descent is traced through mother. Hence, it is matrilineal in descent. Daughter inherited the property of mother. They succeed their mother and the sons. The status of children is mostly dedicated by the status of the mother.
2. Matrilocal
Matriarchal family is matrilocal in residence. After the marriage the wife stays back in her mother’s house. The husband, who normally stays in his sister’s house, pays occasional visits to the wife’s house. He is treated as a privileged visitor. But he is given only secondary position. Sex relations between husband and wife tend to be very loose and both may of its developed extra marital sex-relation. Exercise of power.
In theory the mother exercises authority and power in the matriarchal family. Shd her decisioe is the head of the family are final. But in practice some relatives of the mother mostly brother exercise authority in the family and looks after the property.
3. The structure of the family
The matriarchal family brings together the kinsmen (the wife, her mother, grandmother, her children and brother etc.). This type of family is normally associated with exogamy.
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