Social Institutions

Social institutions are established or standardized patterns of rule-governed behavior. They include the family, education, religion, and economic and political institutions.

Functions of Institutions Simplify social behavior Provide social relationships and roles Act as agencies of coordination and stability for total culture Control behavior Example – Government

Global Trends – Age at marraiage

Total Fertility rate - global

Fertility rate – US

Age at marriage- US

How have these changes affected marriage and family?

Traditional idea of marriage Is idea of marriage changing? A permanent relationship A legal and social contract Reproduction Is idea of marriage changing? Common law marriage Polygamy Gay couples Marriage is a key social institution in all societies because marriages create families

Sociologist define family as… Socially organized group (joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption) that forms an emotional connection Basic economic unit of the society Provides security

Two basic forms of family 1. A family of orientation – determined by birth 2. Family of procreation – formed through marriage

What constitutes a family? The American view 2010 Survey found 98% - traditional family 83% Unmarried couples with children 40% unmarried couple without children 64% gay couples with children 33% gay couples without children

Symbolic interactionist view If you consider yourself as a family, you are a family (social construction of reality) Census definition “ A group of two people or more, related by birth marriage or adoption and residing together”

What constitutes marriage

Changing norms about marriage 2010 Survey 39% agreed that marriage is becoming obsolete Why?? Cohabitation is on a rise

Marriage partners – Cultural norms Monogamy – most common form (78% cultures) Polygamy – parts of Africa and Asia and middle east Polygyny – although sanctioned by culture – not common Polyandry – very rare

Polygamy is felony in most US states

Residency and line of descent Unilateral or bilateral? Unilaetral Partilineal – Partilocal residence Matrilineal – Martilocal residence Ambilinieal Why is this important?? - Inheritance

A snapshot of changing family in media

Variation in family life Ideal family (Census 2010) 99.8% believe in traditional family However 66% live in household with two parents 3% children live with cohabitating parents 27% single parent families

The American Family today: Pew research center

Race and Family

Single parents Census data (2010) 27% children live in single parent households 23% live with mother (10% - cohabitating boyfriends) 4% live with fathers (20% cohabitating girlfriends) Living with stepfather/ mother 4% (3 million children) live with guardians – 54% are guardians are grandparents) Why is this relevant ?

Cohabitation

Cohabitation Estimated 7.5 million people in 2011 Changing perceptions Only 38% think cohabitation negatively society (2010) Who are those cohabitating Majority non-Hispanic with no high school diploma and grew up in a single-parent households (census 2010)

Same-sex couples Since 2000, 50% increase in same sex marriages Better reporting Greater acceptance 1% US household are same-sex Variation by sate

Staying Single 25-29 age group - never married (2010) 62% women (11% of total population of this age group) 48% men (19% of total population of this age group) More acceptance for men than women Labels for women – “Old maid” Racial differences

Impact of cohabitation Motivation Save money Trial run for marriage Outcome 85% marry Little effect on success of marriage Delay in getting married

Family size is declining

Birth among unmarried women

Births outside marriage

Challenges family face Divorce and remarriage Steady increase in divorce, peaked in 1980 Greater acceptance Trend towards decline Increase in age at marriage Increased education levels for those who marry

Intersection of Race and Class Southern states have higher marriage and divorce rate Highest among Native Americans and Alaskan natives, followed by African Americans and Whites Highest among lower education level and those who marry young

Reasons for Divorce Financial stress Births of children – financial and emotional stress (having twins) Decline in marital satisfaction Impact on children They are more like to divorce

Remarriage 19% have second marriages 91% after divorce, 9% after death of spouse Most marry within 5 years of marriage Who remarry – more men or more women?

How family life has changed

How family life has changed

Problems within marriage and family Domestic violence – Intimate partner violence More women are victimized 1 in 4 women have experienced some IPV in lifetime IPV often starts are emotional abuse and leads to other forms of abuse Structural Functionalism cannot explain such events

Profile of IPV victims Who are they? IPV is grossly underreported Race Income (unemployment) High rates of depression Where it happens? - mostly home Often involves substance abuse IPV is grossly underreported

2010- 3.3 million reported cases of child abuse (5.9 million children) Forms of Abuse Neglect (78%) Physical abuse (11%) Sexual abuse (8%) Psychological maltreatment(7%) Medical neglect (2%) Most neglected are infants – high dependency- shaken baby syndrome 81% perpetrators are parents

Causes Age of parents Financial stress Drug and alcohol use Social isolation Depression Low parental education History of child abuse

Effects Effects on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing – injury, poor health and mental instability 80% will display depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation by age 21 25% will suffer from poor academic performace, teen pregnancy and other risky behaviours

U.S. High School Graduation Rate Hits New Record High The nation's high school graduation rate hit 82 percent in 2013-14, the highest level since states adopted a new uniform way of calculating graduation rates five years ago.

The achievement gap changes

College graduates- retention About 59 percent of students who began seeking a bachelor's degree at a 4-year institution in fall 2007 completed that degree within 6 years. The graduation rate for females (62 percent) was higher than the rate for males (56 percent).

Race and education

Institution type and graduation

Graduation rate in 2 year colleges At 2-year institutions overall, as well as at public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit 2-year institutions, the completion rate was higher for females than for males. At private nonprofit 2-year institutions, for example, 58 percent of females versus 46 percent of males completed a certificate or associate's degree within 150 percent of the normal time required.

Poverty and graduation rate

Cost of education Sharp increase in the cost of college degrees since mid-1980s No matching increase in Pell Grants Student loans – 2013 the average was $29,000 Only 27% had jobs related to their major

Yet, education is important Graduates earn more Students gain “cultural capital” – college experience grooms students to learn values of professionalism Informal education is also important for “cultural transmission”

Functions of education Social placement Education provides a means of upward social mobility Places people with education in important positions

How education perpetuates inequality

How education perpetuates inequality Class – parents expectation from children Class – what parents can afford? The home environment – what support do they have? What “cultural capital” they have? How “tracking” (gifted and talented programs) help some – “self-fulfilling prophecies” Disparity in schools

Issues in education Historically, providing equal education to all has been contested Examples - Brown Vs Board 1957 racial segregation in schools Today – Education gap within public schools Divide between public and private schools

School reforms Coleman report – pre-school deficit and ‘Head Start Program’ Busing – Vanguard program No child left behind Act – testing and accountability – funding requirement Unintended consequence- teaching to test

Issues in Education Bilingual education Controversy – English for integration Common Core – issues with assessment Issues with what is measured in standardized test Charter schools