INTERESTING QUESTION: How do family structures vary?
The family structure determines:
the amount of inbreeding
the inheritance system
the private property rights that originate with the inheritance system
the degree of trust extended to non-family members, with inbreeding producing lower overall trust, and outbreeding higher trust.
the degree degree of authority necessary to maintain order (prevent violence in retaliation for unethical and immoral actions.)
the level of corruption demonstrated by members of the government, since they are merely members of society in a position to abuse authority.
the mobility of labor, since the larger the family structure the harder it is to move it to capital.
the economic velocity of the polity (wealth).
Conversely increase in family size determines:
the degree of alienation and loneliness, since family members treat you almost always better than others will.
the stress of raising children, since sharing child rearing across generations is so much easier.
The redistribution family members provide each other with.
the insurance from the vagaries of the economy and life
the demand for the state to provide all of the above in the absence of the family that the state has destroyed in pursuit of economic velocity.
LIST OF FAMILY STRUCTURES
SMALL HOMOGENEOUS HIGH TRUST PRIVILEGED SOCIETIES CAN TOLERATE HIGHLY REDISTRIBUTIVE GOVERNMENTS
STATE FINANCED SINGLE PARENT FAMILY – Medium term and short term pairings with or without a marriage ceremony that produces offspring, whereupon the parents cease cohabitation, and state redistribution finances directly or indirectly the support of the mother’s household.
HIGH TRUST SOCIETIES WITH HIGHER ECONOMIC VELOCITY, CAN TOLERATE LIBERTARIAN GOVERNMENTS
ABSOLUTE NUCLEAR FAMILY – The “absolute nuclear” family is liberal and non-egalitarian (that is, indifferent to equality). Children are completely free upon adulthood, founding independent families. Inheritance is freely distributed by will.
NUCLEAR FAMILY, EGALITARIAN NUCLEAR – The “egalitarian nuclear” family is liberal and egalitarian. Children are completely free upon adulthood, founding independent families. Inheritance is equally distributed, implying at least a vestigial necessary link between parents and children throughout their lives.
MEDIUM TRUST MARGINAL SOCIETIES WITH MEDIUM ECONOMIC VELOCITY – REQUIRE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS
EXTENDED FAMILY, STEM FAMILY, AUTHORITARIAN FAMILY – The “stem” family is authoritarian and inegalitarian. Several generations may live under one roof, notably the first-born, who will inherit the entirety of property and family headship (and thus perpetuate the family line). Other children typically leave the home to get married or become priests/soldiers.
A family that extends beyond the immediate family, consisting of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all living nearby or in the same household. The stem family is sometimes associated with inegalitarian inheritance practices, as in Japan and Korea, but the term has also been used in some contexts to describe a family type where parents live with a married child and his or her spouse and children, but the transfer of land and moveable property is more or less egalitarian. In these cases, the child who cares for the parents usually receives the house in addition to his or her own share of land and moveable property.
LOW TRUST, POOR SOCIETIES WITH LOW ECONOMIC VELOCITY – REQUIRE AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS
TRADITIONAL FAMILY, COMMUNITARIAN FAMILY – The “communitarian” family is authoritarian and equal. Several generations live under the same roof until the eldest die and the inheritance is divided equally.
HETAERISTIC MONOGAMY – Monogamy with frequent extra marriage sexual relations.
PAIRING FAMILY, SERIAL MARRIAGE – Medium term pairing of individuals either in patrilineal or matrilineal property systems.
CONSANGUINE FAMILY – three generations of interrelated individuals live together (pre-polynesian) without any prohibition on relations. Property is irrelevant in this system.