Marriage and Family Chapter 12

How is the traditional nuclear family structure changing? Describe the diversity in American family structures.

One-Parent Families Increasing number of children grow up in one-parent households. Women head most one-parent families. 85% of children of divorced parents live with mother Women tend to earn less than men, live in poverty Children of one-parent families are more likely to: drop out of school. get arrested Get divorced

Families without Children One out of 5 married American women do not have any kids! This number has doubled in 20 years. Reasons for women choosing not to have children: loss of freedom pursuing career stuck at home marriage too stressful

Blended Families Blended family: one whose members were once part of other families. Two divorced people who marry and each bring their children into a new family unit form a blended family.

Gay and Lesbian Families Denmark became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 1989. About 1% of all households are same sex couples. About 1/5 of gay and lesbian couples were previously married to heterosexuals. 22% of female couples have children 5% of male couples have children Same sex couples are more likely to break up Legalization of marriage might make relationship more stable; marriage contract

Diagram Analysis avwiggins.weebly.com 1. Summarize the diagram/graph.  Explain what the data shows. 2. Identify outlier and explain its significance. (results that are either much bigger or smaller than the next nearest data point) 3.  Give your prediction of what the data will show in the next 10 years.

What are the common cultural themes of marriage and family? Describe the four common cultural themes. Evaluate the mate selection methods online of dating and arranged marriages.

Mate Selection Each human group establishes norms to govern who marries whom. Endogamy: members must marry within their group Exogamy: people must marry outside their group.

Descent System of descent: the way people trace kinship over generations. Bilineal system: we consider ourselves related to both our mothers and fathers. Patrilineal system: tracing descent only on the father’s side. Matrilineal system: tracing descent only on the mother’s side

Inheritance Marriage and family are used to determine rights of inheritance.

Authority Our marriage and family customs developed within a system of patriarchy. Patriarchy: social system in which men dominate women Egalitarian: equality in authority

Mate Selection Online Dating or Arranged Marriage?

What makes a family? Explain the meaning of the term family and differentiate between nuclear and extended families. Apply the sociological perspectives to interpret the family.

What does marriage mean? Why do people get married?

Marriage is a legal union based on mutual rights and obligations. Different cultures have different norms and laws insofar as who may marry whom. The marriage of one person to one person is monogamy, the most common form of marriage.

Family and Marriage Across Cultures Marriage has been an important institution throughout history, in all cultures. Each marriage results in the creation of a new family.

The sociological definition of family is: “a group of people related by marriage, blood, or adoption.”

Types of families Nuclear family is a group that includes a parent or parents and any children. Extended family is made up of two or more adult generations of the same family whose members share economic resources and live in the same household.

Applying sociological perspectives Functionalists view the family as filling many key social roles. Conflict theorists focus on the way family members compete and cooperate with one another. Symbolic interactionists state that a key to understanding behavior within the family lies in the interactions among family members and the meanings assigned by family members to those interactions. Which of the three best applies to your own family? Explain.

How does the institution of marriage differ from one culture to another? How has the institution of marriage changed over time?

nuclear family extended family Patriarchy Matriarchy Egalitarian Monogamy Polygamy Polygyny Polyandry incest taboo socio-emotional maintenance marriage rate divorce rate blended family Adolescent two-income marriage Cohabitation boomerang kids.