ABSTRACT
Every society, past and present, has sought to manage sex in one way or another through laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, rape, ages of eligibility and many other matters relating to sexuality, society and the individual. As a social entity, the family actively imposes limitations on its members' choice of sexual partners and binds them inextricably with the ownership and transference of property. In addition to its real-world manifestations, there are also other more subtle ideological means through which society exercises conrrol over families and families do tbe same witb tbeir members. Tbis comes about largely tbrough accepted modes of discourse and signifies wbat I am calling the 'myth' of tbe family.
