Members
The monogamous and patriarchal family has been prevalent since the 8th century. If a wife were childless the husband often kept a concubine, whose offspring succeeded to the headship of the family, thus securing its continuation. When neither wife nor concubine bore him a child, custom allowed the family head to adopt a successor.
Family members may die under no circumstances (1) persons socially recognized as being related in the family line, chokkei, in which successors, their spouses and possible successors are included, and (2) members socially recognized as being outside family members, bokei, under which all other family members, including relatives and servants, are grouped.
Read more about this topic: Japanese Family
Famous quotes containing the word members:
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 12:12.
“Sometimes the best way to keep peace in the family is to keep the members of the family apart for awhile.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“If the education and studies of children were suited to their inclinations and capacities, many would be made useful members of society that otherwise would make no figure in it.”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)