Chapter 11 By: Jessie Gatfield, Chloe Manese, Kyle Shimomura, Bethany Gorham, Kacie Latchford

Defining the Family Family – Group of people related by marriage, blood, or adoption Family has the greatest impact on individual behavior Family of Orientation Family of Procreation

Patterns of Family Structure Patrilineal – Descent and inheritance are passed through the male line Matrilineal – Descent and inheritance are passed through the female line Bilateral – Descent and inheritance are passed equally through both parents

Choosing a Mate Exogamy – Practice of marrying outside one’s group Endogamy – Marriage within one’s own group as required by social norms Homogamy – Tendency to marry someone similar to oneself Heterogamy – Marriage between people with differing social characteristics

Functionalism Socioemotional Maintenance – Provision of acceptance and support Individuals who are well integrated into society require support when adjusting to changing norms and in developing and continuing healthy relationships

Functionalism Families provide economic resources that open and close occupational doors Family affects the placement of children in the stratification structure Modern American family is a unit of consumption rather than production Family provides what is needed to survive

Conflict Theory Conflict Theorists believe males are dominant and in control; females have traditionally been expected to be submissive helpers Families have fostered social inequality Attempts by women to gain more power within the family structure can result in conflict

Terms Marriage rate: number of marriages per year for every thousand members of the population Divorce rate: number of divorces per year for every thousand members of the population Content A typical US family is impossible to describe, for there is much variance. Families are: – Nuclear – household contains set of parents and their children – Bilateral – trace lineage and pass inheritance equally through both parents – Democratic – partners share in decision making – Neolocal – each family lives apart from other families – Monogamous – each includes only one husband and one wife at a time

Romantic love is seen as a required condition for marriage, however it is rarely the only condition – Conformity – Wealth/security – Power – Pressure from parents – Peer pressure Marriage rate has fluctuated since 1940, while divorce rate has increased dramatically (doubled) since 1960s – Since 1980s, divorce rate has slowly increased

Causes of divorce – Age (later the age, less likely to divorce) – How many years have they been married? (higher amount of years, less likely) – Nature/quality of relationship (more respect and flexibility, lower the chance) Larger causes of divorce: – Rates rise in economic prosperity, fall during rough times – Rise after 1960 was following baby boomers generation, who did not attach a stigma to divorce, and were more likely to leave a relationship if they were unhappy – Increasing independence financially with women – American values and attitudes concerning marriage and divorce are changing. People are more forgiving of remarriage

Average age of first marriage is increasing Americans are having fewer children and more spaced apart (less pressure to marry) Violence in marriage was previously associated with lower and low middle class, it occurs in all class levels Ex: OJ Simpson Domestic violence affects all members of the household 25% of adults in US reports physical abuse as a child includes: slapping, shoving, severe spanking, kicking, biting, punching, beating, threatening with weapons

one in four girls, and one in ten boys are victims of sexual aggression sexual abuse has skyrocketed since late 1970s child abuse and sexual abuse go further than physical the abuser is usually someone the child knows and trusts 4 million women are battered by husbands each year, and 4 thousand are beat to death women are not as violent as males, abuse towards husband is overlooked and those cases are usually of self defense or retaliation neglect, and feelings of self hate and worthlessness are other abuses sibling violence is on the rise, caused by jealousy, rivalry and disagreements

Section 4 Terms Blended family: formed when at least one partner in marriage has been married before and has a child/children from the previous marriage Ex. Brady bunch Adolescents: youth from ages 12 to 17 Dual-employed marriage: both spouses work outside the home Cohabitation: marriage like living arrangement without the legal obligations and responsibilities of formal marriage Boomerang kids: adult children who return to their home of origin or continue to live with their parents

Content Blended families create relationships not based on blood. EX: child has 8 grandparents Difficulties include: – Money problems (obligations to support children/both families) – Stepchildren’s antagonism (reunite parents) – Unclear roles Single parent families take close to ¼ of American families Women usually win custody of children, are unwed or are abandoned by the husband -and usually head majority of single parent households – Many educated women are choosing to have children alone

African American and Latino children are more likely than white children to live in single parent homes Some women choose to pursue careers over having children (19% don’t have children) With or without children? The couple’s happiness varies from couple to couple, however research has shown that couples without children tend to be more satisfied with their marriage than couples with children Women in dual-employed marriages are usually expected to take the “second shift” which is childcare and household caretaking

Positive effects of dual employed marriage – Wider social relationships – Greater independence – Self esteem – Emotional cushion for when problems arise at home, or children leave home – Two incomes – Children under this marriage are more likely to see themselves as working adults – Freedom for men of being sole provider

Drawbacks of dual employed marriage – Strain on marriage life – Men are unwilling to assume equal household responsibilities – Women feel guilt for not being able to assume all responsibilities of children, husband and career

Cohabitation has increased since 1970 from.5 million to 9 million Couples who cohabit do not appear to improve quality of later marriage Lack of commitment shows reason for lower satisfaction among cohabitation couples than married ones Same sex marriages Single life Boomerang kids Future of the American family

Same sex domestic partners: -Social stigma surrounds homosexuality - gay activists and supporters have fought to achieve the sane rights as married couples such as tax benefits Single life - Many are choosing to remain unmarried - Always been a stigma but increasing numbers have chosen a single life to: -Pursue careers, raise children from previous marriage, increased “freedom”