Chapter 5, Family Problems

1. Chapter 5, Family Problems • The Global Context: Families of the World • Sociological Theories of Family Problems • Violence and Abuse in Intimate and Family Relationships • Strategies for Action: Preventing and Responding to Violence and Abuse in Intimate and Family Relationships

2. Chapter 5, Family Problems • Divorce • Strategies for Action: Responding to Problems of Divorce • Nonmarital and Teenage Childbearing • Strategies for Action: Interventions in Nonmarital and Teenage Childbearing

3. Traditional Model of the Family • 1940 - 2/3 of U.S. families fit model of working dad and stay at home mom. • 1999 - 2/3 of U.S. families with children under 18, were dual‑earner marriages. • 1999 - less than 1/3 of U.S. families with children under 18 had a working dad and a stay‑at‑home mom.

4. Single‑parent Families • One in 10 U.S. households consist of a single parent with children under 18. • The percentage of U.S. children living with one parent increased from 20% in 1980 to 27% in 1999.

5. Divorce and Remarriage • About half of marriages are expected to end in divorce. • More than half of persons who divorce get remarried. • 1/3 of children will live in a remarried or cohabiting household before they reach adulthood.

6. Tradition of Marriage • Most people who cohabit marry, although not necessarily the person they cohabited with. • Less than 4% of Americans over 65 have never married.

7. Structural‑Functionalist Perspective Family performs functions that help society: • Replenishes population. • Socializes children. • Provides emotional and physical care for its members.

8. Conflict Perspective • Focuses on how social class and power influence marriages and families. • Racial and ethnic differences in families are related to the lower socioeconomic status of racial and ethnic minorities.

9. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective • Concerned with social meanings and definitions of divorce, single parenthood, and cohabitation. • As meanings become less negative, behaviors become more common. • When family members label each other, they may act according to label.

10. Violence and Abuse • Globally, 1 in 3 women has been subjected to violence in an intimate relationship. • 1 in 4 U.S. women report being victims of violence or stalking at some point in their lives. • Assaults by women against their male partners tend to be acts of retaliation or self‑defense.

11. Effects of Domestic Violence • Psychological - depression, suicidal thoughts, low self‑esteem, alcohol/drug abuse. • Results in repeated job absences and impairs the victim’s ability to concentrate. • One of the primary cause of homelessness.

12. Child Abuse • Most common type of child abuse is neglect. • 27% of women and 16% of men in U.S. reported being victims of child sexual abuse. • Children ages 0 to 3 have the highest rates of child abuse victimization.

13. Higher risk for aggressive behavior Low self‑esteem Depression Low academic achievement Pain Disfigurement Scarring Physical disability Death  Effects of Child Abuse

14. Social Factors Contributing to Divorce • Changing family functions (today, function of marriage is intimacy and love). • Economic autonomy of women. • Increased work demands. • Liberalized divorce laws. • Cultural values.

15. Effects of Divorce on Children • If marital conflict is high, parental divorce may improve emotional well‑being of children. • Many negative effects are related to economic hardship associated with divorce. • In most cases, children adapt to divorce, showing resiliency, not dysfunction.

16. Acceptance of corporal punihsment. Gender role socialization. View of women and children as property. Social isolation. Inaccessible or community services History of abuse Drug and alcohol abuse Poverty Factors Contribtuing to Family Violence and Abuse