ForthecivilizedpeoplesoftheOldWorld，fortheAryansandSemitesatanyrate，thisseemstobeestablished。
TheSouthernSlavzadrugaprovidesthebestinstanceofsuchafamilycommunitystillinactualexistence。Itcomprisesseveralgenerationsofthedescendantsofonefather，togetherwiththeirwives，whoalllivetogetherinonehomestead，cultivatetheirfieldsincommon，feedandclothethemselvesfromacommonstock，andpossessincommonthesurplusfromtheirlabor。Thecommunityisunderthesupremedirectionoftheheadofthehousedomacin，whoactsasitsrepresentativeoutside，hastherighttosellminorobjects，andcontrolsthefunds，forwhich，asfortheregularorganizationofbusiness，heisresponsible。Heiselected，anditisnotatallnecessarythatheshouldbetheoldestinthecommunity。Thewomenandtheirworkareunderthecontrolofthemistressofthehousedomacica，whoisgenerallythewifeofthedomacin。Shealsohasanimportantandoftenadecisivevoiceinthechoiceofhusbandsforthegirls。Supremepowerrests，however，withthefamilycouncil，theassemblyofalltheadultmembersofthehousehold，womenaswellasmen。Tothisassemblythemasterofthehouserendersaccount。ittakesallimportantdecisions，exercisesjurisdictionoverthemembers，decidesonsalesandpurchasesofanyimportance，especiallyoflandandsoon。
ItisonlywithinthelasttenyearsorsothatsuchgreatfamilycommunitieshavebeenprovedtobestillinexistenceinRussia。itisnowgenerallyrecognizedthattheyareasfirmlyrootedinthecustomsoftheRussianpeopleastheobshchinaorvillagecommunity。TheyappearintheoldestRussiancodeoflaws，thePravdaofYaroslav，underthesamenameasintheDalmatianlawsvervj，andreferencestothemcanalsobetracedinPolishandCzechhistoricalsources。
AmongtheGermansalso，accordingtoHeuslerInstitutionendesdeutschenRechts，theeconomicunitwasoriginallynotthesinglefamilyinthemodernsense，butthehousecommunity，whichconsistedofseveralgenerationsorseveralsinglefamilies，andoftenenoughincludedunfreepersonsaswell。TheRomanfamilyisnowalsoconsideredtohaveoriginatedfromthistype，andconsequentlytheabsolutepowerofthefatherofthehouse，andthecompleteabsenceofrightsamongtheothermembersofthefamilyinrelationtohim，haverecentlybeenstronglyquestioned。ItissupposedthatsimilarfamilycommunitiesalsoexistedamongtheCeltsinIreland。inFrance，underthenameofparconneries，theysurvivedinNivernaisuntiltheFrenchRevolution，andintheFrancheComtetheyhavenotcompletelydiedouteventoday[1891]。InthedistrictofLouhansSaoneetLoirelargepeasanthousescanbeseeninwhichliveseveralgenerationsofthesamefamily。thehousehasaloftycommonhallreachingtotheroof，andsurroundingitthesleeping-rooms，towhichstairsofsixoreightstepsgiveaccess。
InIndia，thehouseholdcommunitywithcommoncultivationofthelandisalreadymentionedbyNearchusinthetimeofAlexandertheGreat，anditstillexiststodayinthesameregion，inthePunjabandthewholeofnorthwestIndia。KovalevskywashimselfabletoproveitsexistenceintheCaucasus。InAlgeriaitsurvivesamongtheKabyles。