Final answer:
Hunter-gatherer families had a flexible gendered division of labor with men traditionally hunting and women gathering. There was relative egalitarianism with communal resource sharing and kinship-based social structures. Their economy was subsistence-based, relying on the environment and often necessitating a nomadic lifestyle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organization of hunter-gatherer families is characterized by a division of labor, with men typically engaging in hunting and women in gathering, though there is evidence that roles were more flexible than traditionally thought. Children helped in gathering and learned by participating in daily activities.
Hunter-gatherer societies valued the contributions of both genders, and both roles were crucial for survival. Hunting was seen as a prestige activity, but because gathering provided a major portion of the diet, women held a significant and respected role. Subsequently, there was a relative egalitarianism in these societies, with no rigid hierarchies, shared leadership roles, and a communal lifestyle where all resources were shared.
Marriages and family organization were likely fluid, with kinship playing a central role in societal structure. The hunter-gatherer economy was based on the subsistence provided by the immediate environment, with a nomadic lifestyle to follow food sources.