The Family: Defining Relationships and Structures

1. FAMILY

2. DEFINING THE FAMILY • Describes many relationships • In sociology: a group of people related by marriage, blood, or adoption • No other social institution has a greater impact on the individual

3. FAMILY OF ORIENTATION • Def: the family into which you are born • Gives identity, heritage, and ascribed status • It “orients” children to the society in which they live

4. FAMILY OF PROCREATION • Def: family created when people marry • Marriage: a legal union btwn people based on mutual rights and obligations • Becomes a family of orientation for any children born or adopted into it

5. 2 BASIC TYPES OF FAMILIES • Nuclear family: a parent or parents and any children • Extended family: 2 or more adult generations of the same family whose members share economic resources and live in the same household

6. HOW FAMILY STRUCTURE DEVELOPED • Development of agriculture and industry shaped family structure • Agriculture leads to larger extended families • Industry favors smaller, nuclear families

7. PATTERNS OF FAMILY STRUCTURE INHERITANCE, AUTHORITY, AND PLACE OF RESIDENCE

8. INHERITANCE • Patrilineal arrangement: passed from father to male descendants • Matrilineal arrangement: passed from mother to female descendants • Bilineal arrangement: passed equally through both parents

9. AUTHORITY IN FAMILIES • Patriarchy: oldest man in household has authority • Matriarchy: oldest woman in household has authority • Egalitarian: authority split evenly

10. WHERE COUPLES LIVE • Patrilocal: couple lives with or near the husband’s parents • Matrilocal: live with or near the woman’s parents • Neolocal: establish new residence of their own

11. WHAT FORMS MARRIAGES TAKE • Monogamy: marriage btwn one person and another • Polygamy: multiple partners at the same time • 2 forms of polygamy: • 1) Polygyny: marriage of one man to more than one woman • 2) Polyandry: marriage of one woman to more than one man

12. CHOOSING A SPOUSE • Exogamy: mate-selection norms that require a person to marry outside their kind or group • Incest taboos: most important exogamy norms; forbid marriage btwn certain kinds and degrees of relatives

13. CHOOSING CONTINUED • Endogamy: norms that require individuals to marry persons of a similar background • Homogamy: preference to marry someone w/similar social characteristics • Heterogamy: preference to marry someone w/dissimilar social characteristics

14. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES AND THE FAMILY

15. FUNCTIONALISM • Family fills key social roles • Socializes the young • Provides social and emotional support • Manages reproduction • Transmits social status • Serves as an economic center

16. SOCIALIZING CHILDREN • Families teach children norms of behavior and values • Parents serve as role models

17. SOCIO-EMOTIONAL FUNCTION • Family provides acceptance and support for members • Without, children may have low self-esteem or feel of little worth

18. TRANSMITTING SOCIAL STATUS • Families provide economic resources that open and close doors • Pass on values that affect social status

19. CONFLICT THEORY • Focuses on the way family members compete and cooperate w/one another

20. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND FAMILY • Focuses on interactions among family members • Focus on socialization

21. FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES

22. NATURE OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY • Nuclear • Bilineal • Egalitarian • Neolocal • Monogamous

23. MOTIVATIONS TO MARRY • Majority of Americans say love is the most important reason for getting married • Could also be to enter a powerful family or to advance a career • There is a social expectation to get married • Marriage rate: # of marriages per year per 1000 people • 90% will marry

24. DIVORCE • Divorce rate: # of divorces per year for every 1000 people • In the middle of a slow decline • Currently around 50% in the U.S.

25. CAUSES OF DIVORCE (INDIVIDUAL LEVEL) • Age when married: older you are, the less likely you will divorce • How many years you’re married: longer you’re married, the less likely you will divorce • Nature and quality of marriage: the more respect and flexibility btwn partners, the less likely you will divorce

26. CAUSES OF DIVORCE (SOCIAL LEVEL) • Divorce increases during economic prosperity • Rate has risen as divorce stigma reduced • Women’s financial independence

27. CHANGES IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILIES

28. BLENDED FAMILIES • Def: at least one of the partners has a child or children from a previous marriage • 3 major challenges: • 1) money difficulties • 2) stepchild unhappiness • 3) unclear roles

29. SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES • About 9% of all households (US) • 80% of those are headed by a woman—why do you think that is?

30. CHILDLESS MARRIAGE • This trend is rising sharply • Why do you think that is?

31. TWO-INCOME MARRIAGES • Married women who are employed tend to have more outlets for self-expression • Men may feel freedom from responsibility of being the sole provider • 2 incomes means more money for the household

32. COHABITATION • A marriage-like arrangement w/o the legal obligations and responsibilities of formal marriage • Trend has risen • Generally do not last as long as marriages • Relationship quality tends to be lower

33. SINGLE • More people are choosing not to get married at all • Or postponing marriage

34. SAME-SEX DOMESTIC PARTNERS • Several states do not recognize same-sex marriage • Some states have amended their constitutions to make it illegal • Obergefell vs. Hodges: SCOTUS ruled that the 14th amendment requires that all state provide same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages from other states (2015)

35. BOOMERANG KID • A young adult who stays at home or returns home to live with parents • Possible reasons: • Young are marrying later • Cost-effective while finishing school • Increased cost of living • Divorce or break up of cohabitation