Diversity in U.S. Families

1. Diversity in U.S. Families

2. Write down your definition of the stereotypical family. • Working dad • Stay-at-home mom • 2 or 3 children Only 10% of all households are in this family form.

3. The American Family • There is no such thing as the American Family, family life varies widely throughout the U.S. • Just as above, there is no such thing as the African American Family or Asian American Family. • The primary distinction is between social class.

4. Upper-classAfrican American Families • Upper-class African American families are concerned with preserving their privilege and wealth. • Since marriage is viewed as a merger of family lines, upper-class African-American families are especially anxious about the family background of their children’s prospective mates. • Children marry later than children of other classes. Middle-class African American Families • Focus on achievement and respectability • Pushing children to go to college, get good jobs, and marry educated, respectable, and hardworking people like themselves.

5. African-American families in Poverty • Face all the problems that are generally associated with poverty. • With few skills and not enough good jobs, many of the men have a difficult time fulfilling the cultural roles of husbands and fathers. • African-American women, on the other hand, are faced with a marriage squeeze: • an imbalance in the sex ratio created, in this instance, by not enough eligible African Americans men for the numbers of unmarried African American women. • As a result, African American families are the least likely to be headed by a married couple, and African American women are more likely than other racial-ethnic groups to marry men who are less educated then themselves.

6. Social Class Factors: Latino Families • The proportion of Latino families headed by married couples falls between that of whites and African-Americans • Proportions differ by country of origin. • Latino families from Cuba are more likely to be headed by a married couple than families from Puerto Rico • Major difference between Latino families and other racial-ethnic families is culture • Spanish language • Roman Catholic religion • Strong family orientation with disapproval of divorce

7. Machismo • An emphasis on male strength and dominance • The husband-father plays a stronger role than in either white or African American families • Machismo apparently decreases with each generation in the U.S.

8. Asian American Families • Almost identical to that of white families • Because Asian Americans come form twenty different countries, their family lives vary, reflecting their many cultures. • As with Latino families, the more recent their immigration, the closer families reflects country of origin. • Although adopted the nuclear family, also retain Confucian values that provide a distinct framework for family life: • Including humanism • Collectivity • Self –discipline • Respect for the elderly • Obligation • Parenting: more permissive than whites in child rearing and more likely to use shame and guilt than physical punishment to control children’s behavior.

9. Native American Families • Most significant issue is whether to adhere to traditional values • Speaking Native languages • Emphasizing distinctive Native American values and beliefs • To assimilate into the dominant white culture • Structure closely resemble Latino families • Parenting: permissive with children and avoid physical punishment. Elders play a much more active role in children.

10. Figure 16.4 Family Structure: The Percentage of U.S. Households Headed by Men, Women, and Married Couples Source: By the author. Based on Statistical Abstract 2000: Table 44; 2002: Tables 37, 38, 40.

11. One Parent Families • Have become a matter of general concern in U.S. • Percent of children living with both parents dropping from 85% in 1970 to 69% today. • Two primary reasons: • High divorce rate • Increase in births to unmarried women • Most head by women, most poor • Children are more likely to: • Drop out of school • Get arrested • Have emotional problems • Get divorced • If female, more likely to have children as unmarried teens

12. Figure 16.5 The Decline of Two-Parent Families Source: By the author. Based on Statistical Abstract 1995: Table 79; 2002; Table 54. *author’s estimate

13. Gay and Lesbian Families • In 2000, the state of Vermont became the first state to legalize “gay unions”, joining a number of European countries that have made same-sex marriages legal. • Gay and lesbian families in the U.S. are highly urban, with about half of them concentrated in just 20 cities. • The cities with the greatest concentration of gay families are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City, and Washington D.C. • About one fifth of gay and lesbian couples were previously married to heterosexuals. • 22% of lesbian couples and 5% of gay couples have children. • Same-sex couples face many of the same problems as heterosexual couples: • Housework • Money • Careers • Problems with relatives • Are more likely to break up, however, and one argument for legalizing gay marriages is that it would lead to longer-lasting relationships.

14. http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/03/14/updated-map-of-legal-status-of-same-sex-marriage/http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/03/14/updated-map-of-legal-status-of-same-sex-marriage/

15. Families Living in Poverty • http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389750n • http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358670n