ABSTRACT
Both face-to-face interactions and formal rules regulate social behavior. Children learn cultural patterns in their societies, along with learning their languages. Because human babies require a great deal of care, and children take years to become capable of taking care of themselves, all human societies have families centered on raising children. Anthropologists study the variations in family structures, some societies emphasizing fathers as decision-makers and heads of families, others recognizing mothers as the more influential parent, many recognizing both parents as each making vital contributions to their children’s welfare. Basically, kinship––how people are said to be related––is a means of governing a community by allocating responsibilities.
