1. The Family And Intimate Relationships Chapter 14 By: Christina DiPietro

2. Discussion Question # 1
What do you consider to be an ideal family? Is this type of family common today ?

3. The Household Family
Nuclear Family is the term used to describe the type of family that serves as the focal point or core in which other family groups are built around. The nuclear family is what most people in the United States categorize as the ideal or preferred family living arrangement. The nuclear family consists of married parents and unmarried children living in the same house However, by the year 2000, only about 1/3 of households in the country fall into this description.
The extended family is a household where aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, and children all live under one roof. The extended family have some advantages over the Nuclear Family. The extended family provides a larger support group in case of a crisis in the family.
In the United States the type of marriage system we are used to is called a monogamy. A monogamy describes a marriage where one man is married to one woman. In the U.S serial monogamy is common as well due to the high divorce rate. This type of Monogamy is a when a person has more than one spouse in his or her life time, but has one spouse at a time.
Polygamy on the other hand is accepted in other countries. Polygamy is when a person is permitted to have more than one spouse at a time. Polygyny is the more common form of polygamy where a man has more then one wife. Polyandry is the less common version where a women may have more then one husband.

4. Kinship Patterns & Relationships Within the Family
Kinship is the state of being related to others. It is learned culturally, however it is not always determined biologically. (Example: adoption)
Kin groups (kinships) spread farther than the household family. Members of a kin group commonly include aunts, uncles, cousins etc…
Kin groups may only come together a few times a year for events such as weddings and holidays, however the group creates a feeling of attachment and responsibility toward the other members of the group.
In the United States we follow a system called bilateral decent. In other words, we discover our decent from both our mothers and our fathers equally.
In other societies, either patrilineal decent or matrilineal decent is used in determining a persons decent, emotional ties and inheritance of property. Parilineal is when the fathers side of the family is prominent and matrilineal is the opposite.

5. Discussion Question # 2
Who do you think makes the bulk of the decisions in your family? Is this type of Authority pattern common in the United States? The rest of the world?

6. Authority & Family Status
Status within a family is determined by who makes the majority of the decisions in the household. (Example: who does the cooking and cleaning in the household?)
Patriarchy is defined as male dominance in a family. (Example: Iran). In Patriarchal societies the eldest male holds most of the decision making power in the family and the women are treated with respect.
In a matriarchy however, women have the greater authority in the household. This type of situation is uncommon, however in Native American societies and societies where men are absent from the household often, matriarchy is common.
The last type of authority pattern is the egalitarian family where spouses are regarded as equals. However, this doesn’t mean that all decisions are made equally, In certain areas the wives might make the decisions and visa verse.
Sociologists are beginning to notice that the egalitarian family is replacing the patriarchal family in the United States and the egalitarian family is accepted as a social norm.

7. The Perspectives from the Sociological Point of View
Sociologists have different views of the importance of the family. Fredrish Engles once descried the family as the ultimate source of social inequality.”
The Functionalist point of view focuses on the needs of the members in the family and how they contribute to social mobility. A sociologist names William F. Ogburn decided that there are 6 major functions or jobs of a family. (reproduction, protection, socialization, regulation of sexual behavior, affection and companionship, and provision of social status.
Unlike the Functionalists, the Conflict theorists believe that the family is a reflection of social inequality and male dominance. They take into account that before the mid-1800’s, the men held all of the power in the family and wives and children were viewed as their “property.” However, although this situation has been improved, sociologists observed that women are still more involved in child care. (Ex: for every stay at home dad there are 30 stay at home moms.) Conflict theorists view the family as an “economic unit that contributes to social injustice." They say this because children inherit their status from the family they grew up in and this leaves less space for social mobility creating economic balance

8. The Perspectives from the Sociological Point of View
The Interactionist view of the family focuses on relationships with in a family and how family members interact with one another (micro level). (Examples: Interactionists study the role of the stepparent in the family and how the child's life is affected)
The Feminists focus on the gender roles in a household particularly female-headed households. They view the family as a “source of women’s strength.” They urge sociologists to push aside any thoughts about households where no man is present as being dysfunctional. (Example: Velma Mcbride Murry conducted an experiment among African American families and discovered that single mothers go to kinfolk for support)
Feminists that share in the Interactionist view of the family believe in the study of neglected topics of the family system. (Example: In 2005 married couples were studied and 26% of the wives earned more income then the husbands, however little research is being put into action to show how these families might be different.)

9. Discussion Question # 3
Do your parents tell you who you can date? Would you accept an arranged marriage ?

10. Courtship
Courtship is practiced in many different ways, the most recent being internet romance. Studies show that 12% of couples who have visited an online wedding site had in fact met online.
In central Asia and many other traditional cultures, courtship is commonly arranged by the parents where a women is expected to be married to a man she has met only once. However in the united States, courtship is primarily decided by the individuals who have an interest in one another.
Courtship in any part of the world relies on the idea of the social norms.
Throughout the world people are getting married at an older age due to concerns about particular issues that would affect a marriage. (Examples: financial security & personal independence)
Endogamy is described the norms of acceptable marriage. (Example: some people today are expected to marry within their same race.)
Exogamy prohibits relationships between members of the Kinship or nuclear family.
Homogamy is the conscious or unconscious tendency to be interested in someone with similar characteristics as ones own.

11. Love
Today, the population of young adults and college students are not looking for relationships. However, most of them will fall in love and create a family at some point in their adult life.
The Media influences our opinion on love based on songs we hear or shows we watch on television. Parents also encourage their children to develop relationships based on love and affection. However, society still has an influence over who is “socially acceptable” to be in a relationship with.
The idea of marriage is nowhere near being universal. Arranged marriages could be based on the decision of religious authorities or the parents. In this form of union, the married couple is expected to develop feelings of love after they are already married.

12. The New Family & Family Differences
Interracial & single parent family’s are becoming increasingly popular in the United States.
Sociologists have taken notice of the difference in social patterns in different ethnic families.
(Examples:) Mexican Americans express Familism or strong pride on ones extended family, The Navjo Native Americans don’t consider teenage pregnancy a big deal like we do in America, and black Americans usually belong to strong kinship groups.

13. Raising Children
Parents & Grandparents: Parent child relationships are the relationships that most affects a child's life, however, parenthood causes many challenges for men and women in America. Due to the skyrocketing prices of homes and the increasing divorce rate, more children are moving back into their parents house then ever before. This results in grandparents, parents, and their children living in the same household. This arrangement isn't always beneficial. Studies show that“the boomerang generation" isn't happy living together. Adult children are uncomfortable moving back in with their parents and their children feel left out and isolated.
Adoption: (Definition: “process that allows for the transfer of the legal rights, responsibilities, and privileges of parenthood to a new legal parent or parents”) Around 4% of people in the United States have been adopted. Today, a child is permitted to be adopted into a single parent households & lesbian or gay couples. This makes it easier for a child to be adopted into a suitable and loving home. However, for every child that is adopted, many more are left in the child protective services.
Dual-Income: The number of Dual-Income families is increasing in the United states, because of the changing economy and the need for two paychecks in order to support a family. Also the increase of women with college educations and the declining birthrate contributed as well.

14. Raising Children
Single Parent: As well as Dual-Income families, Single parent families are becoming more common as well in the U.S. It is wrong to assume that all single parent families suffer, however, the situation is commonly stressful when it comes to economic and emotional terms. Although their our more single mothers (82%), the number of single fathers have raised over the years.
Stepfamilies: 45% of Americans will divorce and remarry at least once in their lifetime. The introduction of a stepparent into a childs life causes a great impact. Some sociologists believe that it is beneficial for a child to have a parental figure in their life, however Andrew Cherlin discovered that, “the well being of children in step families is no better on average then the well being of children in divorced single parent households." Stepparents don’t always have a positive affect on a child, studies show that standards may even decline. (Example: children with stepmothers are likely to have less health care then if they were raised by their biological mother).

15. Discussion Question # 4
Do You think that parents should stay together for their children rather then get a divorce ?

16. Divorce
Divorce rates have been increasing since the 1960’s, but declined by 30% in the 1980’s. The rise in divorce could be the result of divorce becoming socially acceptable, many religious leaders no longer consider it a sin, states have developed more liberal divorce laws, families have less kids so divorce is more practical, family incomes have increased, and society allows women to be able to support a family on their own income.
Despite the fact that the rate is increasing, 60% of all people who get divorced in the united states will get remarried at least once.

17. Effects of Divorce on Children Involved:
The effects of divorce could be traumatic for all involved but it has a special meaning for more than one million children in America.
Old studies of children with divorced parents showed that they got over the divorce after the first years and went on to live typical lives, however recent studies show that the effects linger and may affect the child as an adult.
Children who have watched their parents go through a divorce are prone to trusting issues when trying to raise a family, and they are more likely to divorce.
Sociologist Andrew J. Cherlin studied thousand of children whose parents divorced and discovered that divorce does increase a childs risk of emotional problems, school withdrawal, and teen pregnancy. However, these results are not common. Cherlin also admits that some children are strengthened by going through their parents divorce.
Studies by sociologists Paul R. Amato and Allan Booth showed that 1/3 of children benefit from divorce because they are less likely to witness conflict. However, in 70% of divorces, divorce is hard for a child to deal with.

18. Staying Single & Marriage without Children
Despite the high divorce rate, less then 4% of people in the United States will remain single their entire lives. However, people today are prolonging marriage.
Young people are more economically independent
People don’t want to get married right away because they don’t want to have to depend on one person.
There has been an increase in married couples without children throughout the years.( 16-17% of women will go their entire lives without having children)
Some couples put off having children or don’t have children at all because of the expenses.
People without children are likely to have an easier time in the workplace because they have flexible schedules and don’t have the responsibility of a child.