Chapter 11 The Family Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Family, Marriage, and Intimate Relationships The family is a universal social institution that is central to social life. The nuclear family involves two adults and one or more children. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Family, Marriage, and Intimate Relationships Marriage: the legal union of two people. Monogamy involves a family with one wife and one husband. Polygamy involves multiple spouses. Polygyny involves multiple wives. Polyandry involves multiple husbands. Cenogamy involves group marriage. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Family, Marriage, and Intimate Relationships Intimate relationships involve partners who have a close, personal, and domestic relationship. Passionate love tends to involve idealization of the one who is loved. Companionate love develops more gradually and is tied less to sexual attraction and more to rational assessments of the one who is loved. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Broad Changes in Marriage and the Family In 1950, married couples constituted 78% of all households. In 2010, only 48% of all American households were married. In 1960, 72% of those 18 and older were married. In 2010, 51% of those 18 and older were married. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Perspectives on the Decline of Marriage Andrew Cherlin Anthony Giddens Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck Gernscheim Georg Simmel Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Changes in the Family Household The family household is a residential unit of people occupying a domicile who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The nonfamily household is where a person lives alone or with nonrelatives. In 1940, 90% of households were family households. In 2003, 68% of households were family households. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Alternate Forms of Families Cohabitation Couples sharing a home and a bed without being legally married. Single-Parent Families The United States has the highest rate (29.5% of all households with children), while Japan has the lowest rate (4.9%). Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Alternate Forms of Families Stepfamilies and Blended Families Stepfamilies involve two adults who are married or cohabiting, and at least one of them has a child from a previous marriage living with them. A blended family includes some combination of children from the partners’ previous marriage or relationship along with one or more children of the currently married or cohabiting couple. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Alternate Forms of Families Lesbian and Gay Families The Netherlands was the first country to extend marriage rights to same-sex partners (in 2000). Vermont was the first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriages. Couples Living Apart Together Couples who define themselves as couples without living together They maintain separate residences. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Theorizing the Family Structural/Functional Families provide various functions for society: Replenishment of the population Physical and emotional care for children Socialization of children Share resources to meet economic needs Intergenerational support Control of sexual behavior Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Theorizing the Family Conflict/Critical Theory The family is an arena of gender conflict. A key issue is the conflict over resources, and males have traditionally been the winner. The young in a family are dominated by the adults. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Theorizing the Family Symbolic Interaction Theory The family is a setting for a variety of interactions that hold together over time. A key factor is the roles played within each family. Family members are likely to confront role ambiguity. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Problems in the Family There are five basic models to family conflict: The Deficit Model contends that deficits in socialization contribute to family conflicts. The Overload Model argues that because the public sphere has declined, the private sphere (including the family) has had to pick up the slack. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Problems in the Family The “Cultural Tension” Model focuses on the strain between family commitments and society’s emphasis on the self. The “Conflict of Interest” Model involves the tension between structural inequalities in society and equality in the family. The “Anomie” Model stems from the fact that contemporary families are left to their devices in negotiating and organizing the relationships. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Problems in the Family Child Abuse The most common forms are hitting a child with an object, kicking, biting, or hitting a child with fists. Domestic Violence Can be physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological Elder Abuse Can be physical, psychological, financial, sexual, or neglect Poverty Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Problems in the Family Consumption and the Great Recession Many families had a lot less to spend on consumption of all kinds. Gender Inequalities “His and her marriages” Divorce The United States has the highest divorce rate in the world. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Global Families Just as the nation-state is eroding in the face of globalization, it could be argued that the traditional family is also declining. As globalization increases, new hybrid forms of the family will be created. Families are increasingly liquid. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Global Families Global Flows That Involve the Family Entire families can move from one part of the globe to another with relative ease. Individual family members can move to a different part of the world and then bring the rest of the family along later. Individuals can immigrate in order to create a new family. Transnational adoptions generally involve the flow of children from less to more developed countries. Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Global Families Global Flows That Affect the Family Global Migration Global Trafficking Global Economy Global Conflict Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.