Sociology 1201 Family historian Stephanie Coontz “How has marriage changed?” “How has marriage changed?” –“Marriage was invented to get in-laws.” – “About 200 years ago, people started marrying for love.” –“Women couldn’t afford to marry for love until they had economic independence.” –“In 1964, three-fourths of college age women said they would consider marrying someone they did not love.”

Sociology 1201 Coontz 2 “Marriage has become fairer, more passionate, more fulfilling. (But) the things that have strengthened marriage as a relationship have weakened marriage as an institution…” “Marriage has become fairer, more passionate, more fulfilling. (But) the things that have strengthened marriage as a relationship have weakened marriage as an institution…” Besides being an economic arrangement, of course, marriage has also been about raising children. Besides being an economic arrangement, of course, marriage has also been about raising children.

Sociology 1201 What is a Family? Coontz/s big point: the sheer diversity of families: “Not until the mid-19 th century did the word “family” commonly come to refer to a married couple with their co- resident children.” Ancient China: “You have only one family but you can always get another wife.” Indigenous societies of North America seldom distinguished between “legitimate” and “illegitimate” children.

Sociology 1201 Family systems of early North America Native societies:”used family ties to organize nearly all political, military, and economic transaction that in Europe were becoming regulated by the state.” “Few institutions (define) organized on any basis other than kinship.” No “state”(p. 34, 36) Contrast with European families that came to North America(34-35)

Sociology 1201 Slave families “The family arrangements of slaves and their families depended on whether they lived in great cotton or tobacco plantations utilizing gang labor, small backwoods farms where one or two slaves lived and worked under a master’s close supervision, colonial villages where there were just a few personal slaves, or the free black settlements that gradually emerged in some areas.” White men and black women: (Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings (Post-Slavery Jim Crow system… Duke oral histories)

Sociology 1201 The Rise of the Domestic Family Ideal “From about the 1820s, the spread of a market economy led to the gradual separation of home and work, market production and household production…. Diaries of the day increasingly complain about the need to raise cash.” See p. 37 “A new middle class ideal” p. 38 Not without resistance: abortions and birth control (p. 38)

Sociology 1201 Family changes that accompanied industrialization 1. Separation of home and work\ 1. Separation of home and work\ 2. Reduction of household membership to its nuclear core 2. Reduction of household membership to its nuclear core 3. Fall in marital fertility 3. Fall in marital fertility 4. Longer residence of children in their parents’ home (middle class) 4. Longer residence of children in their parents’ home (middle class)

Sociology 1201 Family Consumer economy: the 20 th century “By the 1920s, for the first time, a slight majority of children came to live in families where the father was the breadwinner, the mother did not have paid employment outside the home, and the children were in school rather than work.” (Different story for immigrant children, then arriving in large numbers)

Sociology 1201 Related or supporting changes “Dating” replaced “courting” (automobiles, movie theaters) “Dating” replaced “courting” (automobiles, movie theaters) Center of emotional life shifted to the husband-wife bond Center of emotional life shifted to the husband-wife bond “Family wage jobs” became more plentiful for blue-collar workers (Wagner National Labor Relations Act and unionization) Veterans benefits after World War II “Family wage jobs” became more plentiful for blue-collar workers (Wagner National Labor Relations Act and unionization) Veterans benefits after World War II U.S. dominated the world economy U.S. dominated the world economy

Sociology 1201 More economic changes affecting families “Between 1947 and 1973, real wages rose, on average, by 81% and the gap between rich and poor declined significantly.” “Golden age” of families in the 1950s… age of marriage and parenthood fell, divorce and desertion dropped, percentage of women remaining single hit a hundred year low Baby boom

Sociology 1201 Many family problems swept under the rug Family violence, alcoholism Family violence, alcoholism 30% of white children living in poverty 30% of white children living in poverty African-American married couples with children had a poverty rate of 50% African-American married couples with children had a poverty rate of 50% National poll of American housewives, p. 45 National poll of American housewives, p. 45 “As early as 1957, the divorce rate began to grow again.” “As early as 1957, the divorce rate began to grow again.”

Sociology 1201 Parenting: trends 1.Bringing fathers into the birthing experience (Childbirth Education Association) 2.Single parent families 3.Shared parenting 4. Arlie Russell Hochschild: “the daddy hierarchy”—”new fathers” vs “fading fathers”

Sociology 1201 Unequal Childhoods, ch. 2 “…Children grow up in within a broad, highly stratified social system.” “…Children grow up in within a broad, highly stratified social system.” Conceptualize social class in terms of categories vs gradations Conceptualize social class in terms of categories vs gradations –Lareau prefers categories: poor and working class vs middle and upper middle class –One fifth of all children below the poverty line; twice that rate for Black children

Sociology 1201 Two Schools Lower Richmond: pp “About one half of each class reads below grade level.” Swan School: pp “Most students in fourth grade, including the low achievers, read at grade level (or above).”

Sociology 1201 Teachers’ views of good parenting Teachers at both schools support concerted cultivation, although they might also complain about children being overscheduled. Teachers at both schools support concerted cultivation, although they might also complain about children being overscheduled. Teachers want parental involvement in schooling—supervison of homework, attendance at conferences Teachers want parental involvement in schooling—supervison of homework, attendance at conferences Teachers themselves use concerted cultivation. Teachers themselves use concerted cultivation.

Sociology 1201 Discussion Groups Lareau, chapters 3-5 Lareau, chapters 3-5 The parenting experiences of: The parenting experiences of: –Garrett Tallinger –Tyrec Taylor –Katie Brindle Which of these families would fit in Promises I Can Keep?

Sociology 1201 Video: “Unequal Education” Riverdale Junior High and James Kelly Riverdale Junior High and James Kelly South Fordham Junior High and Lonnie Smith South Fordham Junior High and Lonnie Smith Why are these schools so different, given that both are part of the NYC school system and that they are just miles apart? Why are these schools so different, given that both are part of the NYC school system and that they are just miles apart?