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 Control behavior Example – Family

How behavior is regulated - Age at marriage Source: United Nations World Marriage data 2015, Priceconomics

How marriage and family is defined? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Why it matters? Marriage and families are seen of core institutions in any society – Historical view: Family is seen as a basic institution Marriages create families

Marriage A general definition – Marriage is a legally recognized social contract between two people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship and implying a permeance of the union However, meaning of marriage and expectations associated with it vary significantly. Example- common law marriage

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

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

Composition: types of Families Nuclear family: nucleus or core upon which larger family groups are built Extended family: family in which relatives live in same home as parents and children

Sociological views on what constitutes a family Structural functionalist and Symbolic interactionist conceptualize family as a group in which participant view themselves as family members and act accordingly. Functionalist- Families provide vital functions to groups and society Interactionist focus on subjective experience of belonging to a family

What constitutes a family? The American view (Powell et al. 2010) 2010 Survey(Indiana University researchers) 98% - traditional family 83% Unmarried couples with children 40% unmarried couple without children 64% gay couples with children 33% gay couples without children

American view on family Furthermore the survey revealed that having children was as key indicator in establishing family status. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

American view on family A vast majority (76%) believe that family is the “most important” element of life – 2010, Pew research Center . Most respondent also stated that their family is at least as close (45%) or closer (40%) than family they grew up in.

What constitutes marriage

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 (less than 10%) Polyandry – very rare

Marriage Partners/ Spouses Polygamy: when an individual has several husbands or wives simultaneously Polygyny: marriage of a man to more than one woman at the same time Polyandry: marriage of a woman to more than one husband at the same time; extremely rare Marriage Partners/ Spouses

Composition: Number of partners/ Spouses Monogamy: form of marriage in which one woman and one man are married only to each other Serial monogamy: when a person has several spouses in his or her lifetime, but only one spouse at a time

Where is Polygamy practiced? Mormons in the US Shows such as “Big love” and “Sister wives” – make it seem like polygamy is common among Mormons. However, it is overestimated. Estimated -37,500 Mormons involved in Polygamy. This number is declining

Changing norms about marriage 2010 Pew research survey Survey – Changing views about marriage 39% agreed that marriage is becoming obsolete Why?? Single parenting and Cohabitation is on a rise

Kinship Patterns: Whom Are We Related? Kinship: state of being related to others Bilateral descent: both sides of a person’s family are regarded as equally important Patrilineal descent: only the father’s relatives are important Matrilineal descent: only the mother’s relatives are important

Residency and line of descent Unilateral or bilateral? Unilateral Patrilineal – Patrilocal residence Matrilineal – Matrilocal residence Ambilineal

Authority Patterns: Who Rules? Patriarchy: males are expected to dominate in all family decision making Matriarchy: women have greater authority than men Egalitarian family: family in which spouses are regarded as equals

Examples of matrilineal societies The Asante, or Ashanti, of Ghana are one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa in which women inherit status and property directly from their mothers. The Minangkabau of Sumatra, Indonesia, are the world’s largest matrilineal society., In Minangkabau society, the man traditionally marries into his wife’s household, and the woman inherits the ancestral home. Matrilineal societies in India are typified by the Khasi in Meghalaya state and by the traditional Nayar in Kerala.

Sociology in the real world – Evolution of TV families What was common in these TV families? Type of family? Living arrangement? Marital status? Gender role? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Portrayal of Nuclear families(Donna Reed show & Father knows best) Single parents (My three sons), not divorced or unwed This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Changes in the portrayal of family “An American Family” 1973 Deal with divorce and sexuality (son comes out as gay) 1980s saw mix of shows focused on traditional families (Family ties and the Cosby Show) and less traditional families (Married with children, Roseanne)

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

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)

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

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

Functionalist Perspective Main idea – families play a key role (function) in stabilizing societies George Murdock – survey of 250 societies Family serves 4 functions for society: Sexual Reproductive Educational Economic

Sociological Perspectives on the Family Focus on role of power within the family Engels: family the ultimate source of social inequality due to its role in transfer of power, property, privilege

Conflict Perspective Family reflects inequality in wealth and power found within society View family as economic unit that contributes to social injustice =Transfer or power and prestige

Conflict Perspective In wide range of societies, husbands exercise power and authority within the family The number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war. (Source: FBI reports 2001-2012) Marxists argue that the nuclear family performs ideological functions for Capitalism – the family acts as a unit of consumption and teaches passive acceptance of hierarchy.

Symbolic Interactionisn Family is not a concrete objective reality What people consider as family (also expectations from family) is subjective The theory explains how we occupy statuses in the family and in accordance with the role expectations (for example role of a mom)

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

Race and Family

Race and Family: Birth among unmarried women

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?

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