household

household

Greek

The household (oikos) was the fundamental social, political and economic unit of ancient Greece (Aristotle Politica 1. 2), though its precise links into larger political and economic structures changed regionally and over time. At one level it was a co-resident group, many (though not all) of whose members were kin or affines (related by marriage). Patrilateral kinship was probably more common than matrilateral in household settings, since marriage was patrilocal, i.e. women tended to move into their husband's house and household on marriage. Though a nuclear family (parents and children) might form the household's core, there is considerable evidence for the regular appearance of stem families (nuclear family plus a grandparent) and various kinds of extended families, especially incorporating unmarried female relatives (aunts, sisters, nieces, cousins, etc.). The senior man in the household usually took charge of...

[The entire page is 984 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass