ANSWER EACH QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS PLEASE!
What do we mean by family?
Sociologists define the family in terms of both what family is, with an emphasis on blood and law, and what families do or what functions they perform, including reproduction, socialization, protection, regulation of sexual behavior, affection, companionship, and provision of social status.
How do people pick partners?
Social factors shape the pool of potential partners from which individuals select. People balance selection, favoring someone who is from within their group (endogamy) but not too close (exogamy). People tend to pick partners with similar social characteristics (homogamy), including age, education, class, race, and ethnicity.
How do families vary?
There is significant variation in terms of proximity (extended versus nuclear), authority (patriarchal, matriarchal, and egalitarian), duration (divorce), and structure (dual-income, single parent, step-families, cohabitation, singlehood, childfree, and same-sex).