What a patriarchal family is, many can only guess, without delving into its essence and importance for society. A family is called patriarchal where patriarchy rules, that is, the husband, man, father plays the leading role.

Origins of the patriarchal family

In ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, the right to inheritance was passed through the male line. A woman during the patriarchy remained the guardian of the clan.

In modern Orthodoxy, the patriarchal structure has changed, but the foundations have remained the same. Perhaps for whom the word "patriarch of the clan" sounds like a combination referring to antiquity, however, this is not so. Happy is the family in which the man dominates. Initially, God created a patriarchal family, where the man played the leading role, remained the breadwinner and protector.

A patriarchal family is a type of family relationship where the last word belongs to a man.

Several generations live under one roof in a patriarchal family

It is logical that if there was a patriarchy, then there was a matriarchy. Matriarchy arose during the period of protection, the birth of children, the continuation of the family, but it did not last long, the family could exist with the organization of production and protection.

Distinctive features of the patriarchal family

1. The patriarchal way of life is characterized by patrilineality, when the heritage, title, position in society is transmitted through the male line.
2. Only two types of family relations are characteristic of a patriarchal society.
3. With monogamy, we observe a picture - one husband and one wife, with polygyny - a husband and several wives.
4. The main sign of patriarchy is the presence of many generations of native people living in the same estate. Three or four generations live under the same roof, with all management belonging to the oldest male of the clan or the family council.

A wise steward developed the economy, managed wisely, directing life at home in a “peaceful direction” and not interfering in women's affairs. Bolshak or house builder - this is how the Slavs called the head of the family, emphasizing his position.

About the family in Orthodoxy:

The main disadvantage of such relationships is the hyper-responsibility of each member of the genus, often leading to low self-esteem.

Important! A huge plus of patriarchal relations is the attitude towards the elderly in this house, where there cannot be an abandoned child, and all problems are solved by the world, by the whole family.

Traditional patriarchal family

From the side of relations under patriarchy, which exists even in modern society, the primacy of the father and husband and the pronounced dependence of the rest of the family members on him are clearly visible.

In a patriarchal family, the wife is secretly subordinate to her husband, and the children to their parents.

In such a family, the man remains:

• the owner of unlimited authority;
• earner;
• breadwinner;
• host;
• chief financial officer.

The parental power of the father has no limits and is not discussed. Men have almost all the rights, unlike women. The authoritarian interests of the clan are much higher than personal feelings.

The house builder, as a rule, rarely participates in household chores and raising children, while placing all responsibility on the female half of the house.

Important! The patriarchal family type does not mean the tyranny of its head, but the skillful leadership of relatives. The Bible says that husbands are required to love their wives, and they must be obedient (Eph. 5).

A woman in a patriarchal way remains the creator of comfort and coziness in her, a wise educator of children, living with her husband in mutual understanding, maintaining the strength and durability of family marriage. The virtue of a wife is valued no less than the headship of the owner of the house, her wise upbringing of children in piety and respect for elders brings forth wonderful fruits.

Modern families are mostly nuclear, this is when two generations live in the house, less often three. A sign of patriarchy in nuclear births remains the primacy of the man in solving important issues.

Types of the patriarchal modern family

1. A family built on mutual understanding and trust, where the man is the main earner and breadwinner, and the wife is the organizer of coziness and comfort in the home, the wise educator of children, is the strongest and happiest.
2. Surviving by odd jobs, a man cannot provide his wife and children with everything they need, but at the same time he tries to remain a commander and leader for them, he dooms family existence to conflicts and quarrels. Financial and moral instability often lead to a break in family relationships.
3. In the modern world, another variant of communication has arisen, when a rich oligarch marries a beautiful, young woman, dooming her to the role of Cinderella. She is satisfied with the financial situation, he is satisfied with the presence of a beautiful wife.

The desire to live under the guardianship of a man does not mean the infringement of women's rights.

How to create a strong patriarchal family in the modern world

The modern cell of society can hardly be called traditional patriarchal, because in it a wife can earn more, spend most of her time at work, but the basic biblical principles of respect and obedience to a man and husband are not violated.

In a traditional family, husband and wife live in fidelity and respect for each other.

Every woman dreams of a man providing the family with everything necessary, or remaining the main adviser and organizer of the house, having the right to decide.

Advice! A wise wife, even earning more than a man, will always respect her husband and leave him the guiding right in resolving family issues.

In a happy traditional family:

• the man maintains the authority of all its members;
• the husband is responsible for the children and the wife;
• the father of the family is its main provider or manager of the family budget;
• parents raise their children in respect for the elders of the family;
• husband and wife strive to live in fidelity, chastity and respect for each other.

God has built a hierarchy, at the top of it stands Jesus, below Him is a man, to whom his wife is reproached. A woman who wants to rule in an Orthodox family automatically turns everything upside down, placing both her husband and Christ under her feet.

Patriarchy or the primacy of a man in a nuclear family on the basis of Christianity has been and remains the basis of its strength, happiness and prosperity. A husband, a father who takes care of his family, like the Savior of the Church, remains its protector, cover and wise guide. A woman, a wife who knows how to reproach her husband, will always be the ruler of the clan, a loving and beloved wife and mother.

Important! The Biblical promise of a happy family living according to patriarchal Orthodox canons remains the fifth commandment given by the Creator to Moses on Mount Sinai. Honoring parents from generation to generation will benefit future generations.

Family Prayers:

Principles of the Traditional Orthodox Family

Unlike the ancient patriarchy, where total control and power reigned, modern Orthodoxy preaches respect for a man, honoring him as a father and breadwinner.

The total control that lived in the old days is destructive to marriage in the modern world. In an Orthodox marriage, where the father is the head and the mother is the keeper of the hearth, harmonious individuals are brought up who have grown up in a calm environment.

A man who has taken on the role of head of the family wisely:

• manages the family budget;
• protects the honor of his wife;
• involved in the upbringing of children.

In such families, children are brought up in strictness and love, parents for them are models of behavior in all situations.

The authority of parents is based on their own position in life, they must constantly monitor emotions and words so as not to sin. Caring for children cannot suppress their own initiatives, but wisely direct the offspring in the right direction so that the child thinks that he made the decision on his own.

You can criticize patriarchy as much as you like, but it should be noted that such families practically do not get divorced, remaining the basis of a healthy society.

patriarchal family

(Greek pater - father + arche - beginning, power), the first historical form of a monogamous (paired) monogamous family, headed by a man. It arose during the transition from matriarchy to patriarchy as a result of the enslavement of women as a result of the weakening of their economic role and the concentration of wealth in the hands of male owners. Thus, monogamy appeared in history by no means as a union based on consent between a man and a woman, but as the enslavement of one sex by the other, as the proclamation of a contradiction between the sexes unknown before patriarchy. The patriarchal family united several generations of the closest relatives, leading a joint household. In its classical form, it existed at the first stages of the slave-owning formation, but its various modifications have been preserved among other peoples to this day. Such a family was strictly monogamous only for a woman. For men, the development of slavery and other forms of dependence and domination opened up new opportunities for polygamy ( cm. Polygyny).
In the countries of the East, polygamy was elevated to the rank of a legal form of marriage, but even the European patriarchal family included both relatives, descendants of one father with their wives and children, and domestic slaves, including concubines. Capitalist production relations destroyed the connection between family life and production (primarily in the city), which was characteristic of feudalism. For many families, the economic function was limited to the organization of their life. Under capitalism, there was no need for large, "undivided" families and their patriarchal structure. Most families began to consist only of spouses and their children ( cm. Nuclear family), and family relations have become less hierarchical. Sociological studies show that the vast majority of families organize all their intra-family activities on the basis of equality, where decisions on the main issues of family life are made jointly. The democratization of family relations does not exclude the presence in the family of a leader in one or another area of ​​family activity. According to opinion polls, in Belarus and Russia, no more than 15% of families mark their husband (father) as the head of the family. In a significant part of these families, the primacy of the man is due to his authority, and not to the unconditional subordination of the wife to her husband.

(Source: Sexological Dictionary)

(large family), a form of family, at the head of which is a man. It arose during the transition from matriarchy to patriarchy; consisted of several generations of close relatives, leading a joint household.

(Source: Dictionary of Sexual Terms)

See what the "Patriarchal family" is in other dictionaries:

- (large family) a form of family headed by a man. It arises under patriarchy, consists of several generations of the closest relatives, leading a joint household ...

- (large family), a form of family, in which power belongs undividedly to the eldest man. It often has an extended composition, that is, it includes several generations of relatives. * * * PATRIARCHAL FAMILY PATRIARCHAL FAMILY (large family), form ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

patriarchal family- (gr. - father, beginning, power) - a family built on the traditions of an old obsolete society, similar to a tribal community. This is a family based on the complete and unlimited power of the father, the masculine principle. The tribal community as a form of family community ... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (encyclopedic dictionary of a teacher)

See Art. A family … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Patriarchal family (extended family)- a family consisting of several generations of close relatives, leading a joint household, with the absolute power of a man as head of the family ... Sociology: a dictionary

AND; families, families, families; and. 1. A group of people consisting of a husband, wife, children and other close relatives living together. Prosperous, poor Large s. Intelligent, friendly, big with. Working, peasant with. Live your... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

a family- a family, a minimal social association based on ties by marriage, consanguinity, or some other relationship (for example, non-formalized sexual) and existing in all human societies. The family is characterized by a mandatory ... ... Encyclopedia "Peoples and Religions of the World"

A FAMILY- FAMILY, an association of people based on marriage or consanguinity, connected by common life and mutual responsibility. Being a necessary component of the social structure of any society and performing many others. social functions, S. plays an important role in ... Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary

A small group based on marriage or consanguinity, whose members are connected by common life, mutual assistance, moral and legal responsibility. As a stable association arises with the decomposition of the tribal system. The first historical form ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

I. Family and clan in general. II. Family evolution: a) Zoological family; b) Prehistoric family; c) The foundations of maternal law and patriarchal law; d) Patriarchal family; e) Individual, or monogamous, family. III. Family and clan among the ancients ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Books

• The world of the Russian woman. Family, profession, home life. XVIII - early XX century, Ponomareva Varvara Vitalievna, Khoroshilova Lyubov Borisovna. Since the second half of the 19th century, more and more Russian women support themselves - they enter the civil service, achieve recognition in pedagogy, medicine, journalism, even in such a purely ...

Time does not stand still, and with it human relations and society as a whole change. The patriarchal structure of the social cell is being replaced by the egalitarian family. "What is this?" the reader will ask. This is the topic of our conversation today. If we reveal all the cards at once, the intrigue will die. Therefore, there is no need to rush.

Definition and features

An egalitarian family is a relationship in which neither spouse claims power, it is divided equally between a man and a woman. The same thing happens with social roles and domestic responsibilities. There is no division into "male" and "female". Does the one who can.

Is it clear what an egalitarian family is? The features that characterize it follow.

1. The primacy of individual interests over family (tribal). In practice, this means that each member of the family wants not only to fulfill their family, gender role, but also to achieve something in the professional field. Therefore, relationships should be built in such a way that the husband and wife have room for creativity and realization.
2. A family is created by the mutual desire of a man and a woman. Everyone's personal choice is decisive. It seems that no explanation is needed here. In theory, an egalitarian family is an entity that is created only because a man and a woman love each other. But, as we know, theory and practice do not always coincide.
3. No more than two generations (parents and children) live under one roof.
4. The couple plans children together.
5. Small children. With all the ensuing consequences: the emphasis is on the "quality" of children, not "quantity". That is, the spouses set the goal of preparing children for social life as much as possible: raising them properly, giving the education that will help the offspring get a good, interesting and well-paid job. Since there are not many children (one or two), the man and woman do not forget about themselves and combine parental functions with other social roles. As an inevitable result: sex is perceived as a source of pleasure, and not a way of reproduction.
6. High degree of social and geographic mobility. Simply put, the saying “where you were born, there you came in handy” is not about members of an egalitarian family. People change jobs and places of residence if necessary. Not to say that this happens easily and freely, but no one makes a tragedy out of this either.
7. In the possession and inheritance of marital property, spouses are legally equal.

The egalitarian family is a revolutionary thing that allows both man and woman to “breathe freely”. But without comparison with other types of arrangement of family relations, it is impossible to fully appreciate its significance.

Family types. Patriarchy

What are the alternatives? There are also patriarchal and matriarchal families. We will briefly describe them in order to understand the difference.

Characteristic features of a patriarchal family:

Is it worth saying that "democratic relations" is a concept not known to people who live according to the patriarchal canon?

Matriarchy

It is more difficult to talk about matriarchy as a social structure, because many are still sure that it did not exist. Although Erich Fromm, referring to Bahoven, refutes this point of view. In other words, the debate is ongoing. The problem is that when people talk about ancient times, then history, archeology and mythology merge together, and it is not possible to separate one from the other. In any case, it was so long ago that it is difficult to talk about it in detail, we will indicate only those signs that are known for sure:

1. The family is created around a woman, not a man.
2. The inheritance of property and values ​​is passed down through the maternal line.
3. The pedigree is considered from the mother and female representatives of the genus.

Matriarchy is certainly a most interesting phenomenon, especially its “modern version”: when formally the relationship has the status of an “egalitarian family” (it’s clear what it is), but actually matriarchal, where a man is a subordinate element (the same is true for patriarchy, when the wife is dependent on her husband with the formal equality of the parties).

Finishing the conversation about let's say that there are enough supporters of both matriarchal and patriarchal families in the world. There are also countries where the models are functioning, it is difficult for a Westerner to judge their success.

Household interchangeability of spouses

After a cursory examination of family arrangements, it became clear why egalitarian is preferable for both certain men and some women. However, let's look at it from different angles.

Advantages:

• equality;
• understanding;
• freedom;
• mobility;
• dialogue as a way of family existence.

On paper, the model is so good that it's hard to find flaws in it. At this point, we must remember that traditions are strong in Russia, that is, not all the people around us support progressive ideas in general and the idea of ​​a family in which each family member does not what his gender role requires him to do, but what he can do in particular. Therefore, if we note the shortcomings, let's say: the model can cause individual intolerance in some people, as well as bring up complexes if the couple practices "equal marriage" in a patriarchal environment.

Social equality of husband and wife

An egalitarian marriage implies not only the rights, but also the duties of both wife and husband. The fact that in this system of relations a man and a woman are interchangeable redistributes priorities. For example, money ceases to be a purely male problem. On the one hand, this is good, because the husband no longer feels lonely in this sense, he knows that if something happens to him, the wife will help not only morally, but also financially. On the other hand, this is bad because a woman and a man will no longer be able to appeal to a person’s gender role and conscience to use the epic phrase: “You are a man!” or "You're a woman!" Here everyone is responsible for the other and for the common offspring.

Emotional richness

From the basic principles of such a marriage follows another characteristic feature of the egalitarian family, which is placed in the subtitle. It is strange, perhaps, to single out emotions in a relationship in a separate group. But since the model offers a qualitatively different interaction, why not say that equality has a beneficial effect on Love flourishes if it grows on the soil of freedom. And repressions are needed only in order to fight objectionable ones, oppression cannot cause love. When one spouse does not respect, does not appreciate the other, and this goes on all his life, then insults accumulate, and they, even unspoken, poison the family atmosphere.

Egalitarian marriage is seen in this sense as the exact opposite of both patriarchy and matriarchy. Do not think that this is some kind of ideal. Firstly, there are so few truly equal relations (why, we will discuss below), and secondly, the majority of egalitarian families in form represent modern patriarchy and matriarchy in content. For example, when both work, but when a man says: “This is a woman’s business!” And the wife on occasion reminds: “Be a man!” We think the reader understands perfectly what we are talking about. Of course, it can be said that the egalitarian family, like any synthesis, contains the qualities of thesis and antithesis in a sublimated form, obeying the laws of Hegelian dialectics. But interpretation is a matter of taste.

Egalitarian marriage is a fragile entity

It turns out that an equal marriage is pure pleasure? Not certainly in that way. The primacy of personal interests over family interests is fraught with many problems. For example, you can remember the film and book "The World Through Garp's Eyes". When the spouses tried not to limit each other and even, if possible, forgive betrayal. Garp's wife somehow coped, but he himself did not. And do not think that a democratic marriage involves moral anarchy and sexual freedom. Rather, it is an illustration of what the misinterpretation of freedom and equality leads to. Such a family arrangement is suitable only for mature people who are ready to take responsibility. If family and marriage are a way to adjust to life, then an equal and repressive-free relationship is hardly what is needed.

And the last thing: freedom is wonderful, but it needs a habit, and a person must also have a certain amount of reasonableness in order to know where rights end and duties begin. As Bernard Shaw said: "Freedom means responsibility, that's why most people are afraid of it." And without freedom, one cannot build equal and emotionally rich relationships. Modern life offers at least three models for building relationships. And these are only global possibilities, and how many practical variations there are between them! Therefore, everyone decides for himself.