Sociology: Your Compass for a New World Robert J. Brym and John Lie Wadsworth Group/Thomson Learning © 2003

Families Chapter 12

The Traditional Nuclear Family W The Traditional Nuclear Family Is Composed of WA Father-provider WA Mother-homemaker WAt Least One Child

The Decline of the Traditional Nuclear Family WToday, Only a Small Minority of American Adults Live in Traditional Nuclear Families. WMany Different Family Forms Have Proliferated in Recent Decades. WThe Frequency of These Forms Varies by Class, Race, and Sexual Orientation.

Household Types, U.S.A., (in Percent) Year Percent Note: “Non-family” households contain people living alone or with non-relatives. “Other family” households are mainly female-headed, single-parent families. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census (1999a). married couples other family non-family

The Functionalist Theory of the Family I W According to Functionalists, the Nuclear Family Is the Universal Family Form Because It Provides an Ideal Setting For WSexual Regulation WEconomic Cooperation WReproduction WSocialization WEmotional Support

The Functionalist Theory of the Family II WIn Foraging Societies, the Band and Not the Nuclear Unit Is the Main Locus of Socialization and Economic Functions WGender Relations Are Egalitarian. WAlthough the Traditional Nuclear Family Became Entrenched in America in the 1950s, It Has Been in Decline Since the 19th Century.

Marriages and Divorces, U.S.A., (Per 1,000 Population) Year Number per 1,000 Population Sources: Monthly Vital Statistics Report (1995a; 1995b; 1998); National Vital Statistics Reports (1999b). marriage rate divorce rate

Marxism and Feminism WMarxists Stress How Families Operate to Reproduce Class Inequality. WFeminists Stress How Families Operate to Reproduce Gender Inequality.

Mate Selection WMate Selection Is Influenced by WMarriage Resources (the Assets Potential Spouses Bring to the Marriage Market) WThe Influence of Third Parties WDemographic and Compositional Factors WGroup Size, WGeographical Concentration, WSex Ratio, WHeterogeneity of Local Marriage Markets

The Components of Love Source: Sternberg (1986). Level Time

Effects of Increased Female Labor Force Participation WThe Entry of Women Into the Paid Labor Force Increased Their Power to WTo Leave Unhappy Marriages WTo Control Whether and When They Would Have Children  It Did Not, However, Have a Big Effect on the Sexual Division of Labor in Families.

Marital Satisfaction WMarital Satisfaction Is Lower WAt the Bottom of the Class Structure WWhere Divorce Laws Are Strict WWhen Children Reach Their Teenage Years WIn Families Where Housework Is Not Shared Equally  Among Couples Who Do Not Have a Good Sexual Relationship

Family Satisfaction and the Family Life Cycle, U.S.A., 1998 Source: Keller (2000). Family satisfaction (scale 1-5) Men Women

Effects of Divorce I W Common Effects of Divorce Include WA Rise in the Husband’s Income and a Decline in the Wife’s WThe Development of Behavioral Problems Among the Children of the Divorcing Couple

The Economic Aftermath of Divorce, U.S.A., by Sex, 1991 (in millions) Source: Scoon-Rogers and Lester (1995: 7). Millions of People

Effects of Divorce II WMost of the Emotional Distress Experienced by the Children of the Divorcing Couple Is Due to WA High Level of Parental Conflict WA Decline in Living Standards WThe Absence of a Parent WNo Parental Conflict and Stable Living Standards Can Eliminate Most of the Emotional Distress Experienced by the Children of the Divorcing Couple.

Reproductive Choice W The Power Women Gained From Working in the Paid Labor Force Put Them in a Position to Exert More Control Over Their Reproductive Functions Through WContraception and Abortion WReproductive Technologies, Including WArtificial Insemination WSurrogate Motherhood WIn Vitro Fertilization WScreening Techniques

Housework and Wife Abuse WMen Now Take a More Active Role in the Day-to- day Running of the Household but the Change Is Modest, With American Men Now Doing 25-30% of Housework and Childcare on Average. WEquality in Domestic Labor Increases When the Income of the Spouses Is More Equal and When the Spouses Agree That It Should Be More Equal. WGender Equality Also Lower the Rate of Wife Abuse.

The Division of Domestic Labor by Woman’s Work Status, U.S.A., first marriage stepfamily Labor Force Status of Woman and Family Type Hours per week on chores Source: Demo and Acock (1993: 329).

Spousal Violence Against Wives, U.S.A., (in Percent) Wife assault rate (%) Year Note: Figures include cohabiting but unmarried couples. Source: Straus (1995).

Sexual Orientation and Family Diversity WIn Many Places, the Legal and Social Definition of “Family” Is Being Broadened to Include Cohabiting, Same-sex Partners in Long-term Relationships. WGrowing up in a Lesbian Household Has No Known Negative Effects on Children.

U.S. States With Laws Banning Same-sex Marriages, 2000 Source: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (2000).

The Decline of Two-parent African-American Families  Two-parent Families Are Less Common Among African-American Families Due to WHigh Unemployment Among African- American Men WThe Declining Ratio of Eligible Black Men to Women WThe Falling Earning Power of African- American Men Versus the Rising Earning Power of African-American Women

Families With Own Children Under 18 by Race and Hispanic Origin, U.S.A., Two- parent Single- mother Note: 1970 data on Hispanics and single-father families are not available. Source: Baca Zinn and Eitzen (1993: inside back cover); Bryson and Casper (1998: 4). Percent Group/Year

Poverty and Minority Families WPoor African-American Women Have Developed Strong Kinship and Friendship Networks That Enable Them to Survive With Few Resources WPoor Hispanic-American Families Rely Heavily on Extended Kin Networks for Social Support WThis Tendency Declines As Migration Status Changes and People Experience Upward Mobility

Family Policy WPeople Sometimes Blame the Decline of the Traditional Nuclear Family for Increasing WPoverty WWelfare Dependence WCrime  However, Some Countries, Such As Sweden, Have Adopted Family Support Programs That Largely Prevent These Problems