Unit 1: Families in Different Societies
View linked note
Call Kai
Learn
Practice Test
Spaced Repetition
Match
Flashcards
Knowt Play1/49
Earn XP
Description and Tags
Name | Mastery | Learn | Test | Matching | Spaced | Call with Kai |
|---|
No analytics yet
Send a link to your students to track their progress
50 Terms
la famille
Family; a social unit that may be defined by biological, legal, emotional, and/or social ties (not only “two parents + children”).
le foyer
Household; the people who live together and share daily life, responsibilities, and often a budget (can differ from “la famille”).
la parenté
Kinship; the system of family ties (by blood, marriage, law, or commitment).
la famille nucléaire
Nuclear family; parent(s)/parental couple and their children living as a basic household unit.
la famille élargie
Extended family; includes relatives such as grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins—often a support network (childcare, finances, cultural transmission).
la famille monoparentale
Single-parent family; one parent raises one or more children, often involving time/budget/mental-load challenges.
la famille recomposée
Blended/stepfamily; formed after separation/divorce when a parent forms a new couple and children live with a stepparent (and possibly half-siblings/stepsiblings).
la famille adoptive
Adoptive family; family defined legally and emotionally through adoption, often raising questions of identity and origins.
la famille d’accueil
Foster family; provides temporary care, with issues of stability and attachment.
un parent
A parent (mother or father)—a common false friend because it does NOT mean “a relative” in French.
un proche
A close person/relative; a useful alternative when you mean “relative” broadly (instead of incorrectly using “un parent”).
un membre de la famille
A family member/relative; general term for relatives without using the false friend “un parent.”
le grand-parent
Grandparent (gender-neutral term).
la fratrie
Siblings as a group; the set of brothers and sisters in a family.
un beau-parent
Stepparent (or in-law in some contexts); family tie created through a new couple or marriage.
la belle-mère
Mother-in-law (or stepmother depending on context).
le beau-père
Father-in-law (or stepfather depending on context).
le mariage
Marriage; a social and legal institution associated with rights (name, inheritance) and sometimes religion/tradition.
le PACS (pacte civil de solidarité)
A legally recognized civil union in France (created in 1999), often presented as an alternative to marriage.
le concubinage
Cohabitation; living as a couple without being married (a common legal/social status discussed in France).
le divorce
Divorce; legal end of a marriage, often leading to co-parenting and/or family recomposition.
la séparation
Separation; a breakup that can restructure the household, custody, and family dynamics.
la coparentalité
Co-parenting; parents share responsibilities after separation/divorce, sometimes with shared custody.
la garde alternée
Shared custody arrangement where a child alternates living with each parent.
les valeurs familiales
Family values; principles (e.g., solidarity, respect, independence) that guide education, choices, and conflict resolution.
la solidarité
Solidarity; mutual support within a family/community (childcare, housing help, financial support).
la tradition
Tradition; repeated practices (holidays or everyday routines) that build belonging, memory, and stability.
un rite de passage
Rite of passage; a social marker of a new status/role (adulthood, graduation, marriage, leaving home, first job).
la transmission culturelle
Cultural transmission; passing language, religion, customs, and stories across generations, especially important in migration contexts.
intergénérationnel(le)
Intergenerational; describing relationships and dynamics between children/teens/parents/grandparents shaped by differing experiences and values.
la communication
Communication; central to family dynamics (sharing information, expressing emotions, negotiating rules, managing conflict).
le dialogue
Dialogue; a communication style emphasizing discussion, explanations, and negotiation rather than pure authority.
le langage corporel
Body language; nonverbal communication that can vary by culture and affect family interactions.
l’autorité parentale
Parental authority; the right/role of parents to set rules and boundaries, often balanced against teen autonomy.
l’autonomie
Autonomy; a young person’s independence (decisions, freedoms, responsibilities) negotiated within family rules.
la répartition des tâches ménagères
Division of household chores; a concrete indicator of equality/inequality that affects stress, time, and family climate.
la charge mentale
Mental load; the invisible planning/management work (schedules, reminders, organization) often carried by one person.
l’éducation
Education/upbringing; not only school, but the values and practices used to raise children (discipline, dialogue, autonomy).
les devoirs
Homework (and also “duties/obligations” in expressions like “le devoir de”); a frequent exam vocabulary trap.
la pression scolaire
Academic pressure; can motivate achievement but may harm well-being and family communication when excessive.
l’emploi du temps chargé
Busy schedule; used to describe time constraints that reduce shared family time and increase stress.
concilier
To reconcile/balance; e.g., “concilier l’école et la vie de famille” (find a balance between school and family life).
les rôles de genre
Gender roles; social expectations for men/women/parents that are evolving (more negotiation and shared parenting).
l’égalité des sexes
Gender equality; equal rights and opportunities for women and men, often linked to work, politics, and household roles.
une norme sociale
Social norm; an implicit rule of what is considered “normal,” which can lead to judgment or stigma toward nontraditional families.
la stigmatisation
Stigmatization; negative social labeling or judgment faced by families outside dominant norms (e.g., single-parent, blended, etc.).
le monde francophone
The Francophone world; diverse communities where French is used (France, Canada, parts of Africa/Caribbean/Europe), not a single culture.
les 3P (Produit, Pratique, Perspective)
Framework for cultural comparison: Product (thing), Practice (what people do), Perspective (values/meaning behind it).
les trois modes de communication (AP)
AP modes: interpersonal (interaction), interpretive (understanding texts/audio), presentational (organized speaking/writing).
la comparaison culturelle (AP)
AP task where you compare two communities in ~6 minutes total, linking products, practices, and perspectives without stereotypes.
