Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 1: Defining the Family: Institutional and Disciplinary Concerns

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Traditional/Legal Definition Two or more persons related by birth, marriage or adoption who reside together in a household (used by U.S. Census). Structural Definition Families defined in terms of requirements for membership and spatial arrangements. Functional Definition Families defined in terms of what they do for their members and society. Relational Definition Families defined in terms of how members interact with one another. Defining Family

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social Construction of Families Families are social constructions—meaning that family is a classification of reality agreed upon by members of society. Our definitions reflect ideologies, or value systems linked to positions in the power structure of society. –Normative behaviors receive positive sanctions. –Deviant behaviors receive negative sanctions.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Competing Ideologies on Family Should families be defined in terms of: –Structure and Stability? –Process and Change? Or, in terms of: –Family realm? –Family transcendence?

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Eshleman and Bulcroft’s Perspective The family is both a social institution and a scientifically meaningful category. –Institutional definitions assign rights and responsibilities and implement social policies based on legal and/or biological ties. –Analytic definitions focus on certain systematic properties that distinguish families from other institutions.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Family as a Social Institution Institutions are areas of human social life organized into discernable patterns and supported by agreed upon standards for goals and behavior. To institutionalize means to establish patterned and predictable behavior. Functional equivalence refers to the diverse ways that different societies fulfill their needs.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Families as Systems Systems are configurations of interdependent parts that have characteristic organizations and patterns of functioning. –Statuses are the interrelated positions that family members hold. –Roles are the expectations that accompany particular statuses. –Norms are the rules that prescribe appropriate behavior for persons holding certain statuses.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Uniqueness of Family Systems Structural uniqueness—families are intergenerational groups. Functional uniqueness—families meet emotional and instrumental needs. Relational uniqueness—families are interdependent and are expected to be relatively long in duration.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Primary and Secondary Groups A primary group is a small number of people who interact in direct, personal ways (e.g. families). It is characterized by intense, frequent, and face-to-face interaction. A secondary group is larger and more goal oriented. It is characterized by more impersonal, segmented, and utilitarian contacts.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Primary Group Functions of the Family Socialization of New Members Attainment of Personal Satisfaction Internal Social Control

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Ideal Type Constructs Marriage, family, and kinship are ideal type constructs. Ideal types refer to hypothetical constructs based on pure, definitive characteristics that allow us to contrast the qualities characterizing any social phenomenon.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Marriage Marriage is an institutional arrangement between persons who recognize each other as intimate partners. Marriage assumes a level of permanence and conforms to at least some societal norms.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Boundaries of Marriage Marital Status –Although most Americans will marry, singlehood is becoming more common. Number of Spouses –In America, the expectation is one of monogamy, the marriage of one man to one woman. –Serial monogamy refers to a pattern of marrying, divorcing, and remarrying.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Polygamy Polygamy is marriage to several individuals at the same time. –Bigamy is marriage to two spouses. –Polygyny is the marriage of one man to more than one woman. –Polyandry is the marriage of one woman to more than one man. –Group marriage is the marriage of several males and females to each other.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Boundaries of the Family Family Structures: Nuclear-Conjugal families include a husband and wife and any children. Modified-Nuclear/Modified Extended families include a nuclear family that functions within a network of other nuclear families and social networks. Extended families include other kin who are not members of the nuclear family.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Types of Nuclear Families Family of Orientation: The family that one is born into and reared in. Family of Procreation: The family that one creates through marriage and/or childbearing.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Extended Families Consanguine Family—Based on blood ties; having a common ancestor. Joint Family—Two or more nuclear families related by blood share a residence and family functions. Stem Family—Formed by two adjacent generations (parents and adult children) sharing a residence.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Intermediate Types of Families Modified Nuclear--families of procreation retain considerable autonomy yet maintain a coalition with other nuclear families and exercise a high level of exchange in terms of contact levels, financial assistance, and in-kind assistance. Modified Extended--less autonomy exists among the separate units. Decisions are coordinated with other units, and co-residence is more likely to occur.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Boundaries of Kinship The kinship system involves rights, obligations, and constraints that govern the relationships between individuals in societies based on ties of blood, marriage, or adoption. Prohibitions: –Marriage Between Close Kin –Sexual Relations Between Close Kin (e.g. Incest)

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Functions of Kinship Groups Property holding and inheritance Housing and residential proximity Keeping in touch and gift giving Affection, emotional ties, and primary relationships Regulation of sexual relationships

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Rules of Descent In unilineal descent, relationships are traced through one bloodline (usually the father’s). In patrilineal descent, relationships are traced through the father’s bloodline. In matrilineal descent, relationships are traced through the mother’s bloodline. In bilateral descent, relationships are traced through both bloodlines.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Rules of Residence In patrilocal residence, the bride lives with the groom and his parents. In matrilocal residence, the couple live with the parents of the bride. Bilocal residence occurs when the couple live near the parents of one or both spouses. Neolocal residence is when the couple make a home of their own apart from both sets of parents. Avunculocal residence is when the couple live with the maternal uncle of the groom.