Chapter 11 Families

Chapter Outline Introduction Functionalism and the Nuclear Ideal Conflict and Feminist Theories Power and Families Family Diversity Family Policy

Nuclear Families The nuclear family is composed of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child. The traditional nuclear family is a nuclear family in which the wife works in the home without pay while the husband works outside the home for money.

Household Types

Traditional Nuclear Family and New Alternatives Traditional Family New Alternatives Legally married Never-married nonmarital cohabitation With childrenVoluntary childlessness Two-parentSingle-parent PermanentDivorce, remarriage

Traditional Nuclear Family and New Alternatives Traditional FamilyNew Alternatives Male authorityEgalitarian marriage Sexually exclusive Extramarital relationships Heterosexual Same-sex relationships Two-adult household Multi-adult households

Functions of Marriage and the Nuclear Family 1.Sexual regulation 2.Economic cooperation 3.Reproduction 4.Socialization 5.Emotional support

Polling Question Most of the important decisions in the life of the family should be made by the man of the house. A.Strongly agree B.Agree somewhat C.Unsure D.Disagree somewhat E.Strongly disagree

Other Family Forms Polygamy expands the nuclear unit “horizontally” by adding one or more spouses to the household. The extended family expands the nuclear family “vertically” by adding another generation to the household.

The Family in Numbers: 1940s and 1950s 1940s1950s % of women 20–24 never married Divorce rate (per 1000 population) Total fertility rate for white women age

The Family in Numbers: 1940s and 1950s 1940s1950s Total fertility rate for nonwhite women age Married couples as % of all families

Marriages and Divorces, 1940– 2002

Conflict Theory Once a man had wealth, he wanted to ensure it was transmitted to his sons. Sexual control - enforced female monogamy- ensured this. Engels concluded that communism, the elimination of private property and the creation of economic equality,could end gender inequality and the traditional nuclear family.

Gender Inequality and Communism Engels was wrong to think communism would eliminate gender inequality. Inequality in the family has been as common in communist societies as in capitalist societies.

Male Domination in the Traditional Nuclear Family A century ago, in the U.S., any money a wife earned belonged to her husband. 50 years ago, an American wife could not rent a car, take a loan, or sign a contract without her husband’s permission. In 1993 it became illegal throughout the U.S. for a husband to rape his wife.

Feminist Theory Male dominance and norms justifying that dominance is deeply rooted in the economic, military, and cultural history of humankind. Only a “genuine gender revolution” can alter this state of affairs.

Evidence of a Gender Revolution The rise of romantic love as basis for marriage. The rising divorce rate. Women’s control over reproduction through use of contraceptives. Women’s participation in higher education and the paid labor force.

Polling Question Did your natural parents divorce or permanently separate before you were 18? A. Yes B. No

Mate Selection: Social Influences Marriage resources - financial assets, status, values, tastes, and knowledge. Third parties - families, neighborhoods, communities, and religious institutions. Demographic factors - size and sex ratio of groups you belong to and the social composition of the local marriage markets.

“If Someone Had All the Qualities You Desired, Would You Marry Them if You Were Not in Love?”

Factors Underlying Marital Satisfaction 1. Economic forces –Dissatisfaction and divorce are more common among groups with high poverty rates. –Satisfaction of both husbands and wives increases when wives enter the paid labor force.

Factors Underlying Marital Satisfaction 2. Divorce laws –When people are free to end unhappy marriages and remarry, happiness increases among married people. –In countries where getting a divorce is more difficult, husbands and wives tend to be less happy than in countries where getting a divorce is easier.

Factors Underlying Marital Satisfaction 3. The family life cycle –1/4 of divorces take place in the first 3 years of a first marriage. –1/2 of all divorces take place by the end of the 7th year. –Nonparents and parents whose children have left home enjoy the highest level of marital satisfaction.

Factors Underlying Marital Satisfaction 4. Housework and child care  Marital happiness is higher among couples who share housework and child care. –The farther couples are from equitable sharing of responsibilities, the more tension among all family members.

Factors Underlying Marital Satisfaction 5. Sex –Sex improves during a marriage. –The relationship between marital satisfaction and sexual compatibility is reciprocal. Each factor influences the other.

Family Satisfaction and the Family Life Cycle

Distress Among Children of Divorce: Factors 1.A high level of parental conflict. 2.A decline in living standards. 3.The absence of a parent.

Housework and Child Care A study conducted in the late 1980s: Wives working full-time did 1 hour and 10 minutes less housework/day than full-time homemakers. Husbands of women working full-time did 37 minutes more housework/day than husbands of full-time homemakers. On average,American men do 20–35% of the housework and child care.

Domestic Violence A 1997 Gallup poll found that 22% of women and 8% of men reported physical abuse by a spouse or companion at least once in the past. In about 2% of American families every year, husbands kick their wives, bite them, hit them with a fist, threaten to use a knife or gun, or use a knife or gun.

Types of Domestic Violence Common couple violence occurs when partners have a specific argument and one partner lashes out physically. Intimate terrorism is a general desire of one partner to control the other. Violent resistance typically involves a woman violently defending herself against a man who has engaged in intimate terrorism.

Spousal Violence Against Wives, 1968–1994

Unmarried Couples by Selected Characteristics % of households Some children under Under 25 years old Over 45 years old

Perception and Outcome: Cohabiting Relationships Type of Relationship, 1987–1988 % Still Live Together MarriedSeparated Substitute for marriage Precursor to marriage Trial marriage

State Laws Banning Same-Sex Marriages 1973: Texas 1995: Utah 1996: Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee

State Laws Banning Same-Sex Marriages 1997: Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Virginia 1998: Alabama, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Washington 1999: California, Colorado, West Virginia 2002: Nevada

U.S. States with Laws Banning Same- Sex Marriages, 2004

Families with Own Children under 18 by Race and Hispanic Origin, U.S.

Decline of Nuclear Family: U.S. and Sweden Indicators of Nuclear Family “Decline” U.S.Sweden #1 Decline Nonmarital birth rate Sweden 1 parent households with children under U.S. % of mothers in labor force with children under Sweden Total fertility rate2.0 Tie

Well-Being of Children: U.S. and Sweden Indicators of Child Well BeingU.S.Sweden #1 Well Being Mean reading performance score at Sweden % of 1 parent households in poverty Sweden % of 2 parent households in poverty Sweden Death rate of infants from abuse9.80.9Sweden

Quick Quiz

1. A(n) _________________ consists of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child.

Answer : nuclear family A nuclear family consists of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child.

2. Which of the following is not considered by functionalists to be a function of the nuclear family? a. sexual regulation b. economic cooperation c. marital cohabitation d. socialization e. reproduction

Answer: c Marital cohabitation is not considered by functionalists to be a function of the nuclear family.

3. ________________ expands the nuclear family "horizontally" by adding one or more spouses to the household. The ______________ expands the nuclear family "vertically" by adding another generation - one or more of the spouses' parents - to the household.

Answer : polygamy, extended family Polygamy expands the nuclear family "horizontally" by adding one or more spouses to the household. The extended family expands the nuclear family "vertically" by adding another generation - one or more of the spouses' parents - to the household.

4. Throughout history and across cultures, marriages have typically been about love between a woman and a man. a. True b. False

Answer : b Throughout history and across cultures, marriages have not typically been about love between a woman and a man.

5. Which of the following factors does not determine marital satisfaction? a. economic forces b. how religious the couple is c. the stage of the family life cycle d. the degree to which housework and child care is shared e. the quality of one's sex life

Answer: b How religious the couple is does not determine marital satisfaction.

6. Long-term distress is often experienced by children of divorced parents if: a. the level of parental conflict is high b. the living standard of children drops substantially subsequent to divorce c. families failed to seek counseling prior to or after divorce d. all of these choices e. the level of parental conflict is high, and the living standard of children drops substantially subsequent to divorce

Answer: e Long-term distress is often experienced by children of divorced parents if the level of parental conflict is high, and the living standard of children drops substantially subsequent to divorce.

7. On average, American men do about what percentage of the housework in families? a. less than 5 % b % c % d % e %

Answer : d On average, American men do about 20-35% of the housework in families.

8. Which of the following is not a difference between heterosexual and lesbian families? a. partners of lesbian mothers spend more time caring for children than partners of heterosexual mothers b. lesbian couples share housework more equitably c. lesbian couples share decision-making duties more equally d. children of lesbian families are less socially and psychologically well-adjusted

Answer : d Children of lesbian families are not less socially and psychologically well- adjusted than children of heterosexual families.

9.Severe wife assault is most common: a. in lower class, less highly educated families b. when men believe male domination is justified c. among couples who either witnessed physical abuse or were victims of it themselves as children d. all of these choices

Answer : d Severe wife assault is most common in lower class, less highly educated families, when men believe male domination is justified and among couples who either witnessed physical abuse or were victims of it themselves as children.