The Family in History

Defining “Family” According to the Vanier Institute, FAMILY is: Any combination of two or more people who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth, adoption or placement and who together assume the responsibilities for various combinations of the following tasks:

Physical maintenance & care of its group members; Addition of new members through procreation or adoption/placement; Socialization of Children; Social control of its members; Production, distribution, and consumption of goods & services; Affective nurturance (i.e. LOVE)

How have families changed in just the last 50 years? Two parent nuclear family = higher divorce rates Increased women in the workforce = males taking over more of the caregiver role (paternity leave) Shift in importance of the child in the family unit = “helicopter parenting” due to changes in the WAY we parent Same-sex unions & shifts in marital values (decline in religiosity)

How have families changed throughout history?

The Hunter Gatherers The first groupings may have occurred because of a unique human characteristic OUR LARGE BRAINS Non-human primate social organization does not help explain our earliest ancestors WHY?

Non-human primates No dominant male Do not co-operate in systematic food sharing Do not regulate sexual activity

The first groupings of humans may have been hordes or bands These consisted of loose groupings of males and females Roles of all individuals based on daily need for food Who provided the most food? Women – small game, vegetables and plants Men – large game

Agricultural families Hunter gatherers became stationary as food became more available through farming and fishing Trend was toward couples marrying Man could support own children and spend time with individual female More people required to work the land and tend to animals

What was now the role of women? Children Domestic work Work the fields

New family organization Families now highly organized “Head” of the family was typically the oldest male Patriarchy (male as head of family) Matriarchal systems are rare

Types of organization Monogamy – having one marital partner Serial monogamy – having a series of single partners Polygamy – practice of having several spouses Polygyny – man has more than one wife Polyandry – wife has several husbands

Pre-Industrial families Villages and towns began to emerge Associated trade and service economies arose Fewer families were relying on agriculture What impact did this have? Not as many children needed Less than 50% reached adulthood

Urban Industrial Families The family became a consumer instead of a producer Men were the providers Women were the nurturers

Age of Innocence for children Compulsory education until the age of 14 was introduced http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAeRkPI0K0Y&feature=related

1915 World War I

1920 Roaring Twenties

1930 The Great Depression

1940 World War II ends Mass migration of families to Canada Post-war was the beginning of the consumer family Adolescence emerged as a distinct age

1950 People wanted to live as industrial nuclear families Baby boom continues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh2ZoMPBUwo&feature=related

1960 Weakening influence of the church Women’s rights Civil rights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU-eOk8msA0&feature=related

1970’s More women were joining the workforce Recession in the late 70’s

1980's Most families were duel-income Technology boom – birth of the internet creating a “culture of fear” Divorce rates on the rise “Sex Sells” mentality “Materialism” ideology Androgyny (combo of masculine and feminine characteristics