Sociology 105 Chapter 11 Marriage & Family

Introduction Cultural factors play a major role in how marriage is defined and how it functions How we define the family has implications for policy A standard definition is “a universal human institution in a small kinship-structured group with the key function of nurturant socialization of the newborn 3 theories help us understand the family better

Psychological & Emotional Support Functionalism Sexual Regulation Four Functions of Families Socialization Economic Support Psychological & Emotional Support

Percentage of Married Women in the U.S. Labor Force, 1890-1992 60 50 40 30 Percent 20 10 5 1910 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1992 Year

Conflict/Feminist Perspective Women dominated by men in the home Men do less housework then women Women are expected to put in a “second shift” Men do about 10 hours per week, women about 20 hours But women still do about 80% of the female dominated jobs Question: Why do women accept this unequal participation? Fader (1985) says: They often criticize their husband's work (he doesn't fold the laundry correctly) “Women expect men to read their mind” Many mothers won’t relinquish their role as the primary parent Fader, S. 1985. House Power. Working Woman, December, 89-91. In Nijole V. Benokraitis. 1993. Marriages and Families. Prentice Hall. P. 253

Symbolic Interactionism Focus on how a person interprets their situation Men do less housework when: (1) they are laid off, and (2) they make less than their wife. Why….? A man feels his masculinity is threatened. He views himself as having failed in his role as primary provider Avoiding housework allows him to reclaim his masculinity and retain “dignity”

The Family: Weaker or Stronger Today? Question: is the family weaker or stronger today than in the past? Why? Stark points out how families were structured in traditional European families. Female-headed households were common Children viewed as “little adults” & often neglected Babies who died were discarded in garbage pits and gutters Often left home by age 10 Strained relations between husband and wife Opinion polls in the 1950's showed that 20% reported their marriages as "unhappy." and another 20% reported only "medium happiness."

Marriage, Children, & Happiness Married people are, on the average, happier & healthier During the 60's researchers noted that mothers often developed the "empty nest" syndrome During the 70's however, they found that a U‑shaped curve existed between a couple's marital happiness and the parental responsibilities Couples reported happiness before children were born, happiness plummets when children are born, and then happiness goes up when they leave.

Choosing a Mate Question: What effect has modernization had on marriage? Marriages shifted from arranged and/or based on economic alliances to individual choice based on love and romance Question: What are you looking for in a mate? Social factors play a huge role in who you choose: Age (women, on average, marry a man 2 years older than herself) Education Social class Race (94% choose someone of their own race) Religion

Thus, we tend to marry people who are like us, a phenomenon social scientists call “homogamy” Question: Why is this? Because of spatial nearness (networks): we tend to meet & fall in love with people we meet at: church work school

Facts About Divorce & Extramarital Affairs Most people who get divorced report that the marriage ceased to provide emotional satisfaction The divorce rate is higher today than ever before, but: People are less likely to remain in marriages today than in the past Divorce laws are much less restrictive Women have gained more economic independence from men So who is at risk? What are some of the factors that contribute to divorce?

Factors Affecting Divorce Age at Marriage Parental Divorce Six Factors Affecting the Likelihood of Divorce Premarital Childbearing Education Cohabitation Before Marriage Bad Behavior

Gender and Extramarital Sex Percentage of Men and Women Reporting Extramarital Affairs Men Women Total Yes 24% 14% 19% No 76% 86% 81% 100% 100% 100%

How to Build a Successful Marriage Happily married couples typically cite three reasons for an enduring and happy marriage Their spouse is their best friend They see marriage as a long term commitment and thus attempt to avoid serious conflict They try to spend as much time together as possible

SOC 105 Chapter 12 Religion

Questions Why do Religions emerge & develop? Why do people join Religions?

Introduction Rodney Stark defines religion as: “socially organized patterns of belief and practices that concern ultimate meaning and assume the existence of the supernatural” Nobody knows when humans first acquired religion All known societies have some type of religion Religion has influenced societies in enormous ways

Religion in the United States Other 6% None 5% Jewish 2% Mormon 1% Protestant 59% Catholic 27% Source: Gallup Poll 1994.

Functionalist Perspective Religion has 3 important functions: Providing meaning and purpose to life Promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging Providing social control and support for the government

Religion can be dysfunctional too….

The Crusades

Taliban(Muslims) vs. Buddhists A 175-foot Buddhist monument, believed to be the world's largest standing Buddha was destroyed by Taliban Muslims in Afganistan.

Conflict Perspective Max Weber argued that religion could be a catalyst to produce social change According to Karl Marx, religion is the "opiate of the people"

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves Women’s versions of a certain religion usually differ from men’s versions

Secularization “The process by which particular religious organizations become more worldly and offer a less vivid and less active conception of the supernatural”

The Secularization Thesis (The Old Paradigm) Suggests that as society becomes more industrial and technological, religion is replaced by science

The Evidence? In the 1960s & 70s many social scientists predicted that religion would be replaced by science They noticed that the largest established denominations were losing members

Market Shares of Mainline per 1,000 Church Members, 1940-1985 Denomination 1940 1960 1985 Percentage loss or gain United Methodists 124.7 93.0 64.3 -48% Presbyterian, U.S.A. 41.7 36.4 21.3 -49% Episcopal 30.9 28.6 19.2 -38% Christian (Disciples) 25.7 15.7 7.8 -70% United Church of Christ 26.5 19.6 11.8 -56%

Yet, these scientists neglected to look at other non-mainline denominations

Market Shares of Evangelicals per 1,000 Church Members, 1940-1985

Has Religion Been Displaced by Science? Seems to be the case in Europe, but not in the U.S. Churches receive more money than any other charity Over 90% say they believe in God Around 57% say they pray on a regular basis Around 70% report that religion is “very important” in their lives Church membership has increased over the years, not decreased

Rates of Church Affiliation, U.S., 1776-1995 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1776 1850 1890 1916 1952 1995 1860 1870 1906 1926 1980 Percent of Church Membership Year 3

An Alternate View (The New Paradigm) Others suggested that secularization leads to religious revival and/or innovation Religion will not be replaced by science

Why Does Religion Remain Relevant In The U.S. ? 1. Cultural Compatibility Early churches emphasized self-government and voluntary affiliation Fits well with cultural values about freedom of choice and individual initiative 2. Social Identity Churches help those who move around find a sense of community

3. Disestablishment & Competition (Finke, Stark & Bainbridge) Separation of church and state ensures that no one religion or denomination is funded by the government Thus, religious monopolies are prevented due to competition This wasn’t the case in many European countries This creates an environment that encourages competition between churches Churches have to adapt to meet the needs and wants of “the marketplace” a.k.a. “a religious economy”

First Ammendment (1791): "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The Geography of NRMs NRM’S typically arise in those areas where sects and churches have failed to satisfy the religious market What are NRMs? “The beginning phase of an entirely new religion” Differs from a sect in that sects attempt to purify or return to elements of an established religion

Research has shown that NRMs are more successful in areas where “secularization” has occurred The unchurched belt in the Western U.S.

Church Membership Rates Per 1,000 Values: 588.37 To 747.3   547.63 587.84 460.98 546.46 405.98 453.63 313.11 399.18

Studying Group Solidarity: Solomon Asch

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Response Rates

Why Do People Join NRMS?: Studying Religious Conversion The brainwashing thesis Based on psychology Members are thought to be: Young Lacking strong social attachments From lower socioeconomic classes Uneducated Weak minded and thus highly suggestible The social network thesis Based on sociology John Lofland & Rodney Stark studied religious conversion to the Unification Church

Research Findings Empirical research suggests the following generalizations Those who are deeply committed to a faith do not go out and join another faith Seekership precedes many conversions but…. Converts don’t have to have a favorable opinion of the NRM before they join, and they don’t initially agree with the NRM’s ideology Conversion is an act of conformity Recruitment and conversion to NRMs happens primarily through pre-existing social networks with family and friends Strong ties to others in the NRM are important for recruitment Sustained intensive interaction is also important for retention Members who are heavily involved have fewer and weaker ties to non-members

Conclusions Conversion Is A Matter Of Conformity Secularization contributes to the emergence of religious revivals and NRMs