Welcome To Sociology 3221 Sociology of Family Professor: Dr. Richard Pitt (r.pitt@vanderbilt.edu) Teaching Assistant: Lacee Satcher (lacee.satcher@vanderbilt.edu)

http://majorsmatter.net/family M o d e r n F a m i l y

A = 470 to 500 A- = 450 to 469 B’s = 400 to 449 C’s = 350 to 399 D’s = 335 to 349 F’s = 0 to 299 Article Review I Article Review II Mini- Project Exam Media Family Project Grade Scale

Average Grades In This Class Article Review 1 (100) Article Review 2 (100) Mini-Project (100) Examination (100) Media Family Paper (100) 84 points 85 points 91 points 80 points 424 points ( the same as an 85% ) Grade? B Most of these grades are subjective. We will NOT quibble with you over grades or points.

Why Do People Kill Themselves? Suicide Rates The National Institute Of Mental Health (2009) says: “The number one risk factor for suicide is depression and other mental disorders. More than 90% of people who die by suicide have these risk factors” 15-24 year olds % Suicide White Men 18% Black Men 12% Latino Men Asian Men 7% Native Men 33% 15-24 year olds % Suicide White Women 4% Black Women 2% Latino Women 3% Asian Women Native Women 10% CLEARLY something else is going on here. Older White men commit suicide at the highest rates of any population group. Widowhood, illness, and social isolation are common risk factors. Living alone and being single increases suicide risk. Divorced and separated people are more likely than married ones to commit suicide. China is the only country in the world where the female suicide rate is higher than the male rate. Suicide rates and the rates of drug overdoses are higher in rural counties than in big cities. Religion seems to protect people against suicide. There are 1100 suicides (and 24k attempts) on college campuses every year and it is the SECOND LEADING CAUSE of death (after accidents). Duh. Why Do People Kill Themselves? Data from US Dept of Health and Human Services

Two Kinds Of Suicide Affected By Social Integration Emile Durkheim 1897 EGOISTIC Society Is Too Weak Two Kinds Of Suicide Affected By Social Integration ALTRUISTIC Society Is Too Strong

Understanding Theory and Family • Theory Defined: A general way of thinking that has been shared in common by a community of scholars. • Family Theory Considerations: The Gap Between Ideals and Reality Familiarity and Mystification Frontstage and Backstage Talk and Action Families As Social Constructions Defining Family Is Important Understanding Theory and Family

Which Characteristics Do You Agree With? How Do We Define Family? Blood (Consanguineal) or Legal Relationships Marriage (Conjugal/Affinal) Relationships Common Nomenclature Commitment/Reciprocity (Clear) Gender Roles Division of Labor Shared Living Space Shared Property Shared Values Organizational Unit Intimacy (love/care) Stratified (by age, gender) Self-Identifies As Family Society Identifies It As Family High Degree of Integration Which Characteristics Do You Agree With?