WHAT “FAMILY” HAS MEANT AND WHAT IT MEANS TODAY FAMILY SYSTEMS WHAT “FAMILY” HAS MEANT AND WHAT IT MEANS TODAY 14

The Family: A Global View Composition: What Is the Family? Family: set of people related by blood, marriage, adoption, or some other agreed-upon relationship

Self-Test Do you want to get married? Why or Why not? Do you feel as though society demands you get married? If your parents could choose your husband or wife, who would they choose? (specific individual / type of individual) How different would your choice be?

The Family: A Global View Nuclear Family: Consists of one or both parents and their children Extended Family: family in which three or more generations live in same home (becoming increasingly rare) Monogamy: form of marriage in which two individuals 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

Your second cousin Vinny

The Family: A Global View Composition: What Is the Family? Polygamy: when an individual has several husbands or wives simultaneously (common) Two types of Polygamy: Polygyny: marriage of a man to more than one woman at a time Polyandry: marriage of a woman to more than one husband at the same time (rare)

The Family: A Global View Kinship Patterns: To Whom Are We Related? Kinship: term describing being related by marriage, birth, or adoption 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 significant

The Family: A Global View Authority Patterns: Who Rules the family? Patriarchy: males dominate. America has been largely PATRIARCHAL. Why? Matriarchy: females dominate Egalitarian family: family in which spouses are regarded as equals. Becoming more common today. Why?

Sociology of Marriage Functionalist look at marriage as a societal need that serves six purposes: Protection: nurture young / next generation Socialization: establish norms and values Reproduction: making new people Regulation of sexual behavior: when and who Affection and companionship: Life partners Provision of social status: Who we marry says a lot about our place in society.

US Households by family type 1970-2014 Source: Fields 2004; see also McFalls, Jr. 2003:23

Sociology of Marriage CONFLICT THEORISTS Marriage perpetuates wealth, status and class distinctions and protects rigid class boundaries. Homogamy is enforced to keep classes apart STAT UPDATE: For the first time ever more adults are single than married (50.2) Case law related to marriage: Loving v. Virginia (1967) US Supreme Court ruled states cannot ban marriage between mixed race couples

Mate Selection Incest Taboo: social norm common to virtually all societies prohibiting sexual relationships between certain culturally specified relationships (usually siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts / uncles, and in some cases first cousins)

Mate Selection The Love Marriage Believed by Americans to be the only “right” way to choose a partner Coupling of love and marriage not universal America: Men still had to ask the father’s “permission” (ask for her hand) Higher divorce rates than arranged marriages (30-40% divorce rate)

Figure 14-2. Percentage of People Aged 20 to 24 Ever Married, Selected Countries Source: United Nations Population Division 2005

SELF TEST IDENTIFY FOUR REASONS FUNCTIONALISTS GIVE FOR MARRIAGE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLYGNY AND POLYANDRY? WHY ARE ARRANGED MARRIAGES MORE SUCCESSFUL?

Arranged Marriages Facts: Still common in many parts of the world: India, Japan, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan. Facts: Initially husband and wife had no choice today more flexibility about choice of spouse In poorer societies many marriages are still forced Arranged marriages tend to be very stable Because they are better or divorce is frowned upon??

Alternatives to “traditional” nuclear families Cohabitation: Living together in a committed relationship w/o benefit of formal marriage Remaining Single Marriage without Children Lesbian and Gay Relationships

Social Policy NJ Alternatives to traditional marriage: Domestic Partnerships (age 62 or older) Civil Unions (Marriage Light) Same sex couples receive most of the rights of heterosexual married couples (2007). Very few because: Same-Sex marriage (2013) One of the early states to approve gay marriage

Social Policy and The Family Gay Marriage – The issues Opponents claim gay marriage is a threat to the institution of marriage. Opposition is usually rooted in religious beliefs about marriage. 1996 US Government passes DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) defining marriage as between one man and one woman Proponents believe that if two consenting adults wish to marry one another the government should not stop them (equal protection under law = 14 amendment)

Social Policy and The Family Gay Marriage: Sociological Insights Functionalists: 1. Religious / moral views toward marriage cannot be ignored 2. Hundreds of thousands of gay people want to marry their partners Conflict theorists: Religious / intolerant deny of right to marry to groups they don’t like = LOSS OF RIGHTS!

Lately… June 2015: US Supreme Court outlaws any ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional (14th Amendment) Majority of Americans support gay marriage Federal government now recognizes gay marriage for tax and inheritance purposes and over 1,000 other federal rights

Divorce Factors Associated with Divorce Impact of Divorce on Children Greater social acceptance of divorce More liberal divorce laws Fewer children Greater family income More opportunities for women Impact of Divorce on Children About a third of children benefit from divorce because it lessens exposure to conflict

Divorce Statistical Trends in Divorce Divorce rates increased in late 1960s, started to level and have declined since late 1980s About 63% of all divorces in U.S. remarry

Divorce US DIVORCE RATES The divorce rate for first marriage is 41% The divorce rate for second marriage is 60% The divorce rate for third marriage is 73%

Divorce State with the lowest divorce rate Massachusetts (2.4 per 1,000 population) State with the highest divorce rate Nevada (9.1 per 1,000 population) Percentage of US population that is divorced 10% Median number of years people wait to remarry after their first divorce For Males: 3.3 yrs For Females: 3.1 yrs. Average length of divorce proceedings 1 year.

Blended Families Step / Blended families: Children from previous relationships brought into a new marriage: Rising rate of divorce and remarriage led to significant increase in “step” relationships The most common form of a blended family is a mother and stepfather arrangement, since mothers often maintain custody of the children The “Cinderella Effect” – abusive treatment of stepchildren

Marriage and Family Child-Rearing Patterns in Family Life Parenthood and Grandparenthood One of most important roles of parents is socialization of children Recently, U.S. witnessed extension of parenthood with adult children living at home “Boomerang generation”or “full-nest syndrome”

Marriage and Family Child-Rearing Patterns in Family Life Adoption Process that “allows for the transfer of the legal rights, responsibilities, and privileges of parenthood” to a new legal parent or parents http://www.adoptuskids.org/states/nj/browse.aspx http://www.adoptuskids.org/Child/ChildSearchResults.aspx?pg=1 Process that “allows for the transfer of the legal rights, responsibilities, and privileges of parenthood” to a new legal parent or parents http://www.adoptuskids.org/states/nj/browse.aspx http://www.adoptuskids.org/Child/ChildSearchResults.aspx?pg=1

Divorce: Figure 14-3. Rise of Single-Parent Families in the United States, 1970-2000 Richest Middle Class Poor Source: Bureau of the Census 1994:63; Fields 2001:7