Abstract
ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the possibilities for the creation of a global dataset on family and household characteristics. This is done by scrutinizing and comparing two prominent data sources on family system classifications. We first focus on historical data, by comparing Emmanuel Todd's classification of countries by family systems with ethnographic data compiled in George Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas. Qualitative and quantitative tests show that the two datasets frequently agree about family traits. Nonetheless, substantial differences exist that are mostly attributable to the focus of the datasets on different regions, and the difficulties in translating local, descriptive studies to hard data. We therefore emphasize that it is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of the two datasets and emphasize that robustness checks are necessary in empirical research into family characteristics. We also compare these historical data with present-day data. This comparison suggests that family characteristics and the values associated with them can persist over long periods.
Highlights
The institution of the family is a fundamental building block of society
The extent of similarity between these two classifications of family systems can be explored by cross-tabulating the data in a contingency table and computing its measure of association
It is one thing to recognize that family characteristics matter for social and economic outcomes – gendered or otherwise – it is another to test this empirically
Summary
Families provide the setting in which children learn about power relations and equality, which are in turn important for the formation of adult beliefs (Dolan 1995; Mitterauer & Sieder 1982). As such, they play an important role in socialization, education, and the instilling of values which are key to the way societies function. In work on the link between family organization and social and economic outcomes, Tim Dyson and Mick Moore (1983) found differences between the Southern and Northern states of India in terms of female autonomy and demographic behaviour They ascribed the superior performance of the Southern states in both aspects to kinship structure: spousal choice preferences, control over female sexuality, kinship reckoning, and inheritance practices
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
