ABSTRACT
This chapter lists salient characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies and explains gender roles and patterns in hunter-gatherer societies. It discusses social stratification and institution formation in preindustrial societies and describes family formation processes in preindustrial societies, locates the origin of the European family historically, including religious influences. The chapter also discusses the transitions from Europe to North America in terms of family function and with respect to ethnicity and explains how kinship patterns influenced mate selection. It compares colonial family functions between New England Puritan families, African American families, and Southern White families.
