Gender and Intimate Relationships

1. Gender and Intimate Relationships

2. Gender and Relationships • What is meant by an intimate relationship • Usually family • What else? • How much difference is there between home and the rest of the world? • Is home really private • Is work and the rest of the world really public • How do the 2 worlds interact?

3. Sociology and the Family • Despite what the text says, the nuclear family is a recent development • The nuclear family is very different from the extended family/clan • We will focus on the contemporary family • Especially after the industrial revolution • And with some post industrial commentary

4. Sociology and the Family • Parsons and the structural-functionalist brought their perspective to the family • They looked at what they saw in the family and argued that because it was there it was needed • Saw two major categories of what any family needed • Instrumental- leadership and decision making • Expressive- emotional support • Housework IS instrumental

5. Sociology and the Family • Historically, short life spans limited the extended family to only a few generations • Role differentiation makes instrumental and expressive mutually exclusive and seemingly linked to biological sex • Is this necessary • Is this true today? • If not what is the family like today • Are there options other than nuclear or extended families?

6. Contemporary Family Structures • Nuclear and extended still are the most common structures • There has been an increase in the percent of families with no children • There has been an increase in the percent of families with two earners • Single parent families have increased rapidly • Domestic partnerships • Not limited to GBTL • Heterosexual “living together” couples

7. Contemporary Family Structures • A contemporary sociological definition of a family is • A social unit of some number of people who are linked intimately • Related in some way • Usually living together • Engaging in sex • Having responsibility for rearing children • Functioning as an economic unit • A family has either a shared genetic heritage, or legal ties either of which socially recognize a bond • In which the boundaries are clear • And which enables tracking of who is related to whom over time

8. Families and Sex • One of the primary functions of families is to reproduce the species/society • Families are one place that sexual activity is legitimatized by society • When engaged in by occupants of selected roles • Not all members can engage in sexual activities and only with certain other members • Society regulates sex outside of families for various reasons • Age • Disease control • To prevent or sanctions socially unacceptable behaviors

9. Sex, Sexual orientations and related topics • Who is legally able to engage in sexual activity? • Married couples • Consenting adults • How have norms changed over time? • Courting • Dating • Changes in age

10. The timing at ages of first sexual activity • Before Marriage? • Recent data shows more middle and high school students engaging in sexual activity • Oral • Vaginal • Historically boys began earlier than girls • Implies what? • Attitudes about pre-marital sex have become MUCH more tolerant since the 1970’s • The double standard has diminished in importance

11. The timing at ages of first sexual activity • Before Marriage? • Recent data shows more middle and high school students engaging in sexual activity • Oral • Vaginal • Historically boys began earlier than girls • Implies what? • Attitudes about pre-marital sex have become MUCH more tolerant since the 1970’s • The double standard has diminished in importance

12. Types of Families • Nuclear families– Extended families • Married with children households at an all time low in 2000 • Two Earner families • Single parent families • Blended families • Domestic partnerships-Civil Unions • Roommates

13. Family Diversity • Defining characteristics • Not official sanction, legitimation • Are emotional, financial, other ties • Blood • Diversity in family types associated with diversity in sexual behavior

14. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • In an era of increased sexual freedom some want to reintroduce courtship, betrothal, and chastity--- few teens follow this pattern • Studies of teens show sexual activity • Even virgins report having oral sex • Boys begin younger than girls, but the difference is diminishing. • Girls less satisfied, more guilt

15. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • Attitudes toward sex changing • Decreased belief that premarital sex is always wrong: from 37% in 1972 to 20% in the 1990’s • Many teens who think it is good to remain a virgin still feel pressure to have sex • Double Standard ! • Stud good • Slut bad

16. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • Types of Sexuality • Heterosexuality considered “normal” • Homosexuality, bisexuality needed explanation • Greatest obstacle to understanding or even studying is lack of reliable data • Gays and Lesbians hide their preferences • NORC’s GSS shows that tolerance increasing • Is homosexual behavior always wrong down from 2/3’ds to 56 from 1970’s to 1990’s

17. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • Greater tolerance politically and by Corporations • Conservative backlash • Defense of Marriage act • Legal gay marriages • Impact on other aspects • Adoption • Parental rights • Etc.

18. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • Reproductive rights • Contraception to Abortion • Contraceptives illegal in US until 1971 • Extended to minors in 1977 • Abortions illegal until 1973 • Continuing attempts to overcome this ruling • Both legal and terrorists • Decline in number of abortion providers • Partly due to laws and partly to murders

19. Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Behavior • New reproductive technologies • First test tube baby in 1978 • In Vitro fertilization • Ethical issues, Legal Issues • Multiple embryos: who owns them, who has custody • Surrogates and rights of egg/sperm donors • Who is the parent • Legal issues • Stem cell research • Social class

20. Types of Families • Heterosexual • State sets terms and rights of each • Historically men ruled, women were essentially property • Now we think of partnerships • Still, a legal document and the state has its rules • In most states the husband decides where to live • Consequences if wife doesn’t live with hussband • Text views marriage as a power relationship

21. Types of Families • Gender and the Division of Labor • Women spend more time on household chores than men do. • But men are doing more than in the past • Origin in the past: men worked outside the home, women in the home • No longer typical or even statistically normal • Social position of the housewife

22. Types of Families • Caregiving • Children • Infants, preschool, elementary school • Elders • Parents • Federal Medical and Family Leave act • Consequences at home and at work

23. Single Parent Family • 82% of children in single parent families live with mother • Causes of being a single parent • Divorce • Death • abandonment • Historically fathers were awarded custody of children • Most courts today do not use gender based assumptions in awarding custody

24. No Fault divorce harms mothers • More custody decisions • Less lucrative employment • Limited child support payments • Leads to feminization of poverty

25. Singles and roomates • Young heterosexuals not yet married is common conception • Older never married and widowed men and women • Stereotype of “swinging bachelor” or “party girl bachlorette” • For young people a deliberately temporary life style

26. Domestic Partnerships • Living together • Heterosexual • Homosexual • Domestic partners • Long terms commitments without legal sanctions • Both sexualities • Consequences for partners and children

27. Domestic Violence • Partner Abuse • Heterosexual • Homosexual • Child Abuse

28. American Sexual Behavior • An empirical analysis of data about the sexual behavior of Americans • Smith, Tom American Sexual Behavior