FAMILY

The Importance of Family Reproduction Regulate sexual activity Transmit social status Economic resources Develop a person’s self-concept Socialization

Family and Marriage in America Nuclear families Bilateral heritage (traced through mother and father) Democratic families (equality in decision making) Neolocal Monogamous

Love and Marriage “Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage.”

Rank your top 10 characteristics for a marriage partner… Honest and truthful Fun to be with Same educational background Will take care of me Wants to have children Communicates well with me Will share household jobs and tasks Is a good friend with whom I can talk Is of the same religious background Makes decisions Earns good money Is physically attractive 13. Is in love with me and I with him/her Encourages me to be my own person Has interests like mine in money and having fun Makes me feel important Is faithful Shares mutual interests in home, children, romantic love, and religion. Has had a happy childhood with happily married parents Is emotionally mature Is prepared to support a family Is interested in waiting to marry until age 22 or older Wants a six-month to two-year engagement period

Divorce

What are the causes of divorce? Age of people when they married (20-24) How many years the people have been married Nature and quality of the relationship (respect and flexibility)

What factors affect divorce? The economy Bad economy= low divorce rate, good economy= high divorce rate Stigma of divorce Financial independence of women Values and attitudes about marriage and divorce

Marriage in the US Average age of first marriage is increasing Average age of population is increasing (Baby Boomers) American couples are having fewer children  less pressure on marriage

When the family doesn’t work… Almost ¼ of American adults report being abused as children. 1 of every 4 girls and 1 of every 10 boys are victims of sexual aggression. 47 of every 1000 children are victims of child maltreatment each year At least 4 million women are battered by their husbands each year. ¾ of spousal abuse occurs during separation or after divorce Husband abuse is just as common, but is usually the result of wife abuse. Not limited to physical abuse. Most frequent and most tolerated family violence- sibling violence

Changes in Marriage and Family Blended family- creates a new type of extended family Money difficulties Stepchildren’s antagonism Unclear roles Single-parent families 1 of every four families (90% headed by female) Childless Marriages (19% of married women do not have children -2000) Dual-Employed Marriages Cohabitation (over ¼ of adults in US have cohabitated) Same-sex domestic partners Single life (increased 150% since 1970) Boomerang Kids (more than ¼ of adults 19-34 live with parents)

Future Trends The nuclear family is not disappearing Over 90% of men and women marry sometime in their life Family life is changing- traditional stay-at-home-mom families make up only ¼ of all families Parental supervision is declining