Anthologica Universe Atlas / Forums / Department of Creativity / An often overlooked institution, the family
Searching for maps I found this one, which illustrates this article in The New York Times.
It's about family types and ties in Western Europe as a "more persistent [cultural category] than the fading diversity of language [...] An often overlooked institution, the family”.
Some researchers mentioned in the article consider family types based on two criteria, resulting in five distinct family types, the ones depicted in that map. What I find more interesting about all that is the social and economic implications family types have, both in a micro- and macro-level: "Others argue that family type, even if superseded, lives on in the social structure it generates and can thus help explain present disparities in family size, wealth and inequality across Europe. The early independence of “nuclear” children made them more easily recruited for factory work than their “communitarian” counterparts, facilitating industrialization in the former areas and the persistence of agriculture in the latter. Unequal inheritance laws may have powered the drive towards education and training, making those areas better suited for switching between industries when the economic circumstances called for it.". Which can explain, albeit partially, the degree of industrialization of certain areas in Europe.
Concerning my conworld I didn't put enough attention to the family type and its social and economic implications in a geographic level and thru history. All I cared about was things like the clan structure or inheritance. Now I should work on it.
By the way, more serious resources about family types and ties are welcome!
It's about family types and ties in Western Europe as a "more persistent [cultural category] than the fading diversity of language [...] An often overlooked institution, the family”.
Some researchers mentioned in the article consider family types based on two criteria, resulting in five distinct family types, the ones depicted in that map. What I find more interesting about all that is the social and economic implications family types have, both in a micro- and macro-level: "Others argue that family type, even if superseded, lives on in the social structure it generates and can thus help explain present disparities in family size, wealth and inequality across Europe. The early independence of “nuclear” children made them more easily recruited for factory work than their “communitarian” counterparts, facilitating industrialization in the former areas and the persistence of agriculture in the latter. Unequal inheritance laws may have powered the drive towards education and training, making those areas better suited for switching between industries when the economic circumstances called for it.". Which can explain, albeit partially, the degree of industrialization of certain areas in Europe.
Concerning my conworld I didn't put enough attention to the family type and its social and economic implications in a geographic level and thru history. All I cared about was things like the clan structure or inheritance. Now I should work on it.
By the way, more serious resources about family types and ties are welcome!
oh this is actually some potential conworlding inspiration ...
I'm pretty sure the Rheans would count as the "stem family" type, I might post more on that when I get some time
(also not that this answer is to be taken as my necessarily endorsing the usefulness of this categorization scheme in describing the real world)
I'm pretty sure the Rheans would count as the "stem family" type, I might post more on that when I get some time
(also not that this answer is to be taken as my necessarily endorsing the usefulness of this categorization scheme in describing the real world)
I agree that that penta-categorization isn't necessarily perfect, although it is (as well as the full article) a potential starting point to work the whole thing on a conworld level.
Concerning Hellea I think we'd find the three central types (egalitarian nuclear, stem family, and incomplete stem family), depending on the region, but with a clear preponderance of the 'stem family' type.
Concerning Hellea I think we'd find the three central types (egalitarian nuclear, stem family, and incomplete stem family), depending on the region, but with a clear preponderance of the 'stem family' type.
In Southern Salenzis, there would probably be mostly incomplete stem and communitarian families, especially in Igion. Egalitarian nuclear would probably be a rather small minority in Igion, becoming a larger one as you go eastward - through Gallar, Upper and Lower Jilneas, Giel, and Antiem - towards Zarcos. Zarcos would then probably mostly be both types of nuclear, with pockets of communitarian here and there in rural areas. Ticondera, west of Igion, with its Jamic cultural substrate, would probably be much more stem than communitarian. Propha would probably also be heavily stem.
Across the Vast Ocean to the west of Salenzis, Shorrag's family types would be heavily dependent on what region you're in. The hunter-pastoralists of the central savannah are definitely communitarian. The highly competitive coastal region (don't refer to them as one region to their faces) would probably be nuclear of some variety. The uplands are probably where lines of descent matter most, so stem. The Badlands, to the west of Shorrag, while not technically part of Shorrag, has a Shorragite population - mostly miners and soldiers. It's a sparse population, though, being in a desert, so I'd say that some kind of nuclear probably prevails.
Across the Vast Ocean to the west of Salenzis, Shorrag's family types would be heavily dependent on what region you're in. The hunter-pastoralists of the central savannah are definitely communitarian. The highly competitive coastal region (don't refer to them as one region to their faces) would probably be nuclear of some variety. The uplands are probably where lines of descent matter most, so stem. The Badlands, to the west of Shorrag, while not technically part of Shorrag, has a Shorragite population - mostly miners and soldiers. It's a sparse population, though, being in a desert, so I'd say that some kind of nuclear probably prevails.
Fairly easy to describe for Ksreskézo; the Ksreskézaians themselves lived in great Houses which were a fairly conservative stem structure. Individuals could always leave and start new Houses, but the aristocratic ones were ancient. (It's one of their more prominent Klingon features... oh god I reinvented Klingons.)
The Lilitai, on the other hand, were accustomed to very small families, usually just of mother and one daughter. Back on Ksreskézo, any other slaves in the household would help raise the child. After they obtained their freedom, a nuclear structure started to appear with the mother's current or past partner performing as a co-parent or nanny. (Often, but not always, they were actual biological "fathers" of the child as well.) Since children could be born centuries apart, it would be unusual for any daughter but the first to expect much inheritance from her mother, since the two would have more time to grow closer together.
The Lilitai, on the other hand, were accustomed to very small families, usually just of mother and one daughter. Back on Ksreskézo, any other slaves in the household would help raise the child. After they obtained their freedom, a nuclear structure started to appear with the mother's current or past partner performing as a co-parent or nanny. (Often, but not always, they were actual biological "fathers" of the child as well.) Since children could be born centuries apart, it would be unusual for any daughter but the first to expect much inheritance from her mother, since the two would have more time to grow closer together.
Humans (Starway) are communitarian. Humans like to say that their species is a large family the size of twenty billions.
Due to their technology, humans stop aging past certain point. What looks like a couple of siblings might in fact be a child and his/her grandparent. Most humans still live with their parents even well into adulthood. It's not uncommon to see a human living with his/her children until their death.
A lot of humans are engaged in a romantic love with their own family members. Most other species are unnerved (and some are outright disgusted) with this.
- Legally, a human only have one registered parent. Inheritances are passed according to the parent's will. If the parent left no will, then the inheritances are divided equally among the remaining children.
- Biologically, a human have two parents, Central Authority maintains a genealogical database to prevent genetic inbreeding.
- Culturally, a human have a "group" of parents consisting of their legal parent, the parent's sibling, and the parent's acquaintance.
Due to their technology, humans stop aging past certain point. What looks like a couple of siblings might in fact be a child and his/her grandparent. Most humans still live with their parents even well into adulthood. It's not uncommon to see a human living with his/her children until their death.
A lot of humans are engaged in a romantic love with their own family members. Most other species are unnerved (and some are outright disgusted) with this.