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Chapter 11
The Changing Family
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2. Chapter outline Kinship Nuclear vs. extended family Family in decline?
Defining Family
Kinship
Nuclear vs. extended family
Family in decline?
Diversity in Families
Singlehood and postponing marriage
Cohabitation and domestic partnership
Dual-earner marriage
2 parent vs. 1 parent homes
Child related issues
Reproductive freedom
Infertility
Adoption
Teen pregnancy
Other issues
Divorce Remarriage
Domestic Violence
Sociological Perspectives
Functionalist
Conflict and Feminist
Interactionist
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Defining Family
A family is a relationship in which people:
Live together with commitment
Form an economic unit
Care for the young
Consider the group critical to their identity
Traditional family based on kinship: network of people based on common ancestry, marriage or adoption.
Prior to industrialization extended family was common, but today in industrial society most are nuclear families.
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4. Current views on the family
Family today has changed from family of the past:
Marriage is no longer a cultural imperative
Median age of first marriage is increasing
Cohabitation has become an intermediate step between singlehood and marriage
More people are living alone
The family is adapting to societal changes and people remain committed to marriage as evidenced by serial monogamy.
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Singlehood
Singlehood continues to increase in U.S.
Reasons people choose singlehood:
Greater freedom from commitment
More career opportunities
Desire for self-sufficiency and freedom to change
Some people are involuntarily single:
Varies greatly by race and ethnicity
Many more African American males and females have never been married compared to whites
By necessity
Economic reasons prevents many young, working-class people from marrying because they can’t afford to set up their own household.
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Postponing marriage
Median age for first marriage has increased:
Men 27.5 years of age
Women 25.1 years of age
Reasons for postponing marriage:
Economic uncertainty
Women’s increasing participation in labor force
Sexual relationships outside marriage are more acceptable and contraception more effective
Concern about risk of getting divorced
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8. Cohabitation and Domestic Partnership
Two unmarried adults living together in a sexual relationship without legal marriage
Some times a step in the dating process
Mixed results on it’s relationship to marital success
Domestic Partnerships
A legal move by states to allow some people similar rights and benefits as married couples
Common among gay and lesbian couples who can’t legally marry in most states , although preference is still for same sex marriage which accords more rights to the couple.
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Dual-Earner Marriage
Marriages in which both spouses are in the labor force
50% of marriages fall into this category
More common among minority families
Many women in these marriages end up doing the “second shift”
Domestic work that employed women perform at home after completing their work day on the job.
Women do about 1 extra month more of work each year than their husbands
In households where men and women have egalitarian views on roles the house work is hared more equally.
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10. Two Parent vs. Single Parent Homes
About 9% of homes in U.S. are single parent homes.
A very conflicted 2 parent home is worse than a supportive single parent home.
Effects of a single parent household on children:
Negatives: higher risk for poor academic achievement, dropping out of school, drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, early marriage and divorce.
Positives: less conforming to gender roles, more mature and self sufficient.
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11. Child related family issues
Reproductive freedom:
Very controversial topic related to contraceptive use as well as abortion.
Has both personal and social consequences.
Infertility and Reproductive Technologies:
5 million couples affected by infertility
Many new technologies to help them, but don’t always work.
Adoption an option
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Teen Pregnancy
The teen birthrate is higher in the U.S. than any other high-income nation
Rate had been decreasing for decades but increased in 2006
Largest increases seen in African American girls
Teen pregnancy is problematic because:
Teens mothers typically unskilled at parenting
Likely to drop out of school
Have no social support outside of family
Children from teen moms have limited opportunities as they age.
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14. Divorce and Remarriage
We have a high rate of divorce in the U.S.
Several factors affect likelihood of divorce:
Younger age at time of marriage
Level of importance a woman attaches to religion
Lower level of education
Higher rates of unemployment and lower levels of income
Race and ethnicity
Asian American women have the lowest rates, followed by whites and Latinas
African American women have the highest rates
Even though divorce rates are high remarriage rates are also high in the U.S. creating many blended families.
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Domestic Violence
Child Abuse: neglect that is physical, mental, sexual or negligent treatment of a child under 18.
Much child abuse remains hidden unless a serious injury or death occurs.
As many as 15% of children experience sexual abuse as a child.
Spouse Abuse:
Historically it was ignored and tolerated
Today as many as 5 million spouses are abused.
Women more likely to be victims.
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17. Perspectives on Family
Functionalist
Family provides social order and economic stability
Instrumental and expressive roles (Parsons, 1955)
Family is the solution to many societal problems
Socialization, caring for elderly and sick, emotional needs
Dysfunctional families threaten well-being of individuals and society
To solve family problems we need to strengthen family ties and eliminate divorce/cohabitation which threaten institution of the family.
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18. Perspectives on Family, cont.
Conflict and Feminist
Family as a major source of inequality and conflict.
Family reproduces inequality that exists in larger society.
Reinforces patriarchy and female subordination
To fix family problems we need to enact tougher laws for those who threaten others in domestic situations.
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19. Perspectives on Family, cont.
Symbolic Interactionists
Focus on how family members play their diverse roles
Problems occur because:
Men and women experience marriage differently
Sociologist Jessie Bernard (1982)
Husbands and wives see their marriages very differently
Unrealistic expectations about love and marriage
Problems in marriage will be reduced if people become aware of the different realities they have and work toward making a more positive home life.
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