Social and legal evolution of ancient rural family: a comparative perspective

Abstract

Family relations have always played and still play an important role in the system of social relations. The family is a primary social cell; it executes the fundamental functions of prolongation of relation, upbringing of young generation, and mutual moral and material support of family members. One of the main stages of family creation from both legal and social points of view is contracting a marriage. The present work tries to carry out a brief exposition of the evolution of ancient rural families from a social and legal scope as well as the most relevant characters of the family and marriage institutions in a comparative perspective, studying different conceptions and requirements of law of marriage (basically the consent of the couple) and the influence of the religion on them. It is also made an exposition of the most relevant examples of nowadays legislations and their common legal background as well as the more important differences among the different legislations included in the study.