Family of Procreation | Definition, Example & Importance - Lesson | Study.com
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Family of Procreation | Definition, Example & Importance

Reed Hepler, Yolanda Williams, Lesley Chapel
  • Author
    Reed Hepler

    Reed Hepler received an M.L.I.S. from IUPUI, with emphases in Digital Curation and Archives Management. He received a Bachelor’s in History from USU, with minors in Religious Studies and Anthropology. He also earned a Certificate in Museum Studies. He has worked in museums, libraries, archives, and historical sites for the past four years.

  • Instructor
    Yolanda Williams

    Yolanda has taught college Psychology and Ethics, and has a doctorate of philosophy in counselor education and supervision.

  • Expert Contributor
    Lesley Chapel

    Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. She has a Master's degree in History.

Learn all about families of procreation. Learn the family of procreation definition, see examples, and understand the importance of families of procreation. Updated: 11/21/2023
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Prompts About Family of Procreation:

Graphic Organizer Prompt:

Create a chart, poster, or some other type of graphic organizer that defines and compares and contrasts family of procreation and family of orientation.

Example: You could make a chart with two columns; one for family of procreation and one for family of orientation.

Family Tree Prompt:

Make a family tree to illustrate an example of family of procreation.

Example: Laura and Steve got married, and one year later, they had twins, Jason and Jay. Two years after that, they had their daughter, Alexandra. Three years later, they adopted a son named Caden. The family of procreation here consists of Laura, Steve, Jason, Jay, Alexandra, and Caden.

Essay Prompt:

In about one or two paragraphs, write an essay that explains how family of orientation can influence the values of children as they grow up.

Example: If a family of orientation values sports, then the children from that family may grow up to be athletes.

Reflection Prompt:

Consider your own family of procreation and family of orientation. In approximately three to four paragraphs, write an essay describing your family of procreation and family of orientation and how these units have influenced your values, ethics, and daily life. If you are not comfortable sharing information about your own family, that is ok; simply make up a scenario that describes these phenomena.

Example: In your family of procreation, you were the only girl in a household of five boys. As a result, you feel that you learned to transcend the kinds of gender norms surrounding femininity.

What is the best definition of procreation?

Procreation is the biological process by which two individuals create a child. This is the main method through which parents add members to their family of procreation.

Why is a family of procreation important?

The family of procreation is important for multiple reasons. Perhaps the most prominent reason is that this family is the main environment for the socialization and enculturation of children by their parents.

What is meant by family of orientation and family of procreation?

The family of procreation is a family which parents make by marriage. The family of orientation is a person's siblings, parents, and members of an extended family. Thus, the family of procreation is part of the children's family of orientation.

The definition of ''family of procreation'' is a family created by two or more people through the process of procreation or the process of adoption. This family is a part of the family of orientation, which includes an individual's parents, grandparents, and other relatives in their extended family.

There are several main characteristics of the family of procreation. Each family of procreation has one mother, one father, and children. The family of procreation is usually the paradigm with which parents view themselves and their children.

While there are specific characteristics of a family of procreation, there are also variables in the structure of that type of family. Families of procreation need not be heterosexual, and they need not be the same for the parents throughout their lives. Situations caused by divorce, or the death of a partner can cause a parent to seek out a new partner with which to create a new family of procreation. Children of previous families of procreation can be adopted into this new family.


Black and white image. This is the family of procreation of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.

Black and white image. This is the family of procreation of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.


There are also situations in which procreation is not possible, such as infertility. Options such as surrogacy or in vitro fertilization can remedy this issue. These circumstances, as well as adoption, mean that the term ''family of procreation'' is somewhat of a misnomer. In the case that two individuals marry or join in a partnership with each other but do not have children, they can also be termed a family of procreation.

Different cultures and societies have their own expectations regarding the creation of a family of procreation. In some cultures, families of procreation are expected to have many children. In others, families of procreation are expected to only be formed by individuals from different social groups, a practice which is known as ''exogamy.'' In contrast, ''endogamy'' is the practice of only forming a partnership with someone of the same social group. Other differences in culture affect the number of partners in a family of procreation. For example, polygyny is the practice of one man marrying multiple women. Polyandry is the practice of one woman marrying more than one man.

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Coming up next: Family of Orientation | Impact & Examples

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  • 0:03 Definition
  • 1:09 Family of Orientation
  • 1:49 A Different Point of View
  • 2:34 Lesson Summary

The family of procreation is the family that two individuals make through the processes of procreation and adoption. The family of procreation is usually the point of view of the parents when considering themselves and their children. While most families have two parents of one or multiple genders, other families have more partners or one individual as the parent. The cultural norms of exogamy or endogamy may dictate to whom an individual can be partnered in a family of procreation.

The family of procreation is significant and fulfills several important functions, including:

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The family of procreation is the family that two individuals make through the processes of procreation and adoption. The family of procreation is usually the point of view of the parents when considering themselves and their children. While most families have two parents of one or multiple genders, other families have more partners or one individual as the parent. The cultural norms of exogamy or endogamy may dictate to whom an individual can be partnered in a family of procreation.

The family of procreation is significant and fulfills several important functions, including:

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Video Transcript

Definition

Kevin and Susan, two video game enthusiasts, met at a local gaming convention. The pair quickly hit it off and became great friends. It was no surprise when Kevin and Susan began dating a few weeks after the convention. Two years later, Kevin and Susan married. Within ten years, they had three children, Todd, Cindy, and Mike. Kevin and Susan are both computer engineers, believe education is important, and value creativity and individuality, so they've decided to bring up their children to share these same values. In this example, we just described Kevin and Susan's family of procreation.

Simply put, family of procreation refers to the family that we create when we marry someone and have or adopt children. In the example above, Kevin and Susan's family of procreation consists of each other and their three children, Todd, Cindy, and Mike. When we get married and have children, we can influence our children's socialization and teach them the values and behaviors that we deem appropriate. We can also influence our kids' personalities as well as impact how our kids develop and learn.

Family of Orientation

Sociologists often compare family of procreation to family of orientation. While these terms may sound similar, they refer to two different types of families. Family of orientation refers to the family that we are born into and raised in. While we have some choice over our family of procreation (that is, we get to choose our spouses and if we have or adopt children), we do not get to pick our family of orientation.

The initial example in this lesson is told from Kevin and Susan's point of view. We learned about the family they created by marrying each other and having three children. Now let's look at the example from Cindy's (Kevin and Susan's daughter's) point of view.

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