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Explore the evolution of American families from Native American and colonial eras to present-day dynamics and diversity, including racial and ethnic influences, changes in marriage patterns, and socioeconomic implications.
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Chapter 3 Dynamics and Diversity of Families
Chapter Outline • American Families Across Time • Aspects of Contemporary Marriages and Families • Social Class Variations in Family Life • Racial and Ethnic Diversity • Changing Perspectives on Ethnicity and Family
Native American Families • In the early years of colonization, there were 2 million Native Americans in what is now the United States. • Most families were small. • There was a high child mortality rate. • Marriage took place between the age of 12 and 15 years for girls and between the age of 15 and 20 for boys.
Colonial Families • The family was the primary unit for producing goods and caring for the needs of its members. • Marriages were arranged. • The wife was not an equal, but a helpmate. • Like her children, the colonial wife was economically dependent on her husband.
Colonial Concept of Childhood • Children were believed to be evil by nature. • Childhood did not represent a period of life radically different from adulthood. • When children reached the age of 10, they were often “bound out” as apprentices or domestic servants.
African-American families • Began in the United States in the early seventeenth century. • They continued the African tradition that emphasized kin relations. • Most slaves lived in two-parent families that valued marital stability.
African-American families After Freedom • Thousands of former slaves formally renewed their vows, as they were now legally able to marry. • The first year or so after freedom was “the traveling time.” • African Americans traveled up and down the South looking for lost family members who had been sold.
Immigration: The Great Transformation • Between 1820 and 1920, 38 million immigrants came to the United States. • Kinship groups were important for survival. • The family economy focused on family survival rather than individual success.
Companionate Marriages • In the 20th century, companionate marriage became an ideal. • Men and women shared household decision making and tasks. • Marriages were expected to be romantic. • Wives were expected to be sexually active. • Children were treated more democratically.
The Depression and World Wars • Family roles and relationships were profoundly affected by the Depression and two world wars. • Survival depended upon a combination of women’s earnings, children’s earnings, assistance from kin, or public assistance. • Between 1941 and 1945 the numbers of employed women increased by more than 6 million, to a high of 19 million.
Families in the 1950s • Marriage and birthrates were unusually high. • Divorce rates were uncharacteristically low. • The economy enabled many to afford to buy houses with only one wage-earning spouse.
Factors That InitiateMarriage and Family Changes • Economic changes • Technological innovations • Demographics • Gender roles and opportunities for women
Labor Force Participation: Married Women w/Children 6 or Younger
Demographic Changes • Three important changes have emerged: • Increased longevity • Increased divorce rate • Decreased fertility rate
Social Class and Family Life: Upper Class • Roughly 7 to 10% of the population occupies this position. • The uppermost level of this class represents 3% of the population.
Social Class and Family Life: Middle Class • Represents between 45 to 50% of the population. • Upper-middle class consists of highly paid professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers). • Lower-middle class comprises includes white-collar service workers with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000.
Social Class and Family Life: Working Class • About a third of the U.S. population is working class. • Tend to work as skilled laborers, earn between $15,000 and $25,000, and have high school or vocational educations.
Social Class and Family Life: Lower Class • Close to 20% percent of Americans are poor. • The poverty line was determined by calculating the annual costs of a “minimal food budget” multiplied by three. • Families whose incomes are even one dollar above this are not officially classified as poor.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity • 29% of the U.S. population are people of color: • 13% are African American • 11% are Hispanic • 4% are Asian/Pacific Islander • 1% are Native American
African American families • The largest ethnic group in the United States. • Many of the problems African-American families experience are the result of low socioeconomic status rather than family structure.
Features of African-American families • Women traditionally have been employed. • This has given them important economic roles in the family and more egalitarian relationships. • Kinship bonds provide emotional and economic assistance. • Children are highly valued. • Much more likely than whites to live in extended households.
Latino Families • The fastest growing and second largest ethnic group due to immigration and a higher birthrate than the general population. • Important factors in understanding Latino culture: • Ethnic diversity within the culture • Role of socioeconomic status
Latino Families • Emphasize extended kin relationships, cooperation, and mutual assistance. • La familia includes not only the nuclear family but also the extended family. • Bilingualism helps maintain ethnic identity.
Asian Americans • Third largest ethnic group in the U.S. • Immigration contributed heavily to the dramatic recent increase in the Asian-American population. • 66% of Asian Americans are foreign born. • Largest Asian-American groups are Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Japanese Americans.
Native Americans • Include nearly 2 million Americans. • Tribal identity is their key identity. • Powwows are gatherings of diverse tribes that center on drumming, singing, and dancing. • Over 1/2 of Native Americans live in cities and remain in contact with their home reservation.
