1. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Family

2. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Basic Concepts Family–A social institution found in all societies that unites people into cooperative groups to oversee the bearing and raising of children Kinship–A social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption Marriage–A legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation, sexual activity, and childbearing Families of affinity–People who think of themselves as a family and wish others to see them that way

3. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Families: Global Variations Extended family–A family consisting of parents and children as well as other kin –Also called "consanguine families" Nuclear family–A family composed of one or two parents and their children –Also called "conjugal family" –Composed of one or two parents and their children –The predominant family form

4. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Marriage Patterns Endogamy–Marriage between people of the same social category Exogamy–Marriage between people of different social categories Monogamy–Marriage that unites two partners

5. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Marriage Patterns Polygamy–Marriage that unites a person with two or more spouses Polygyny–Marriage that unites one man and two or more women Polyandry–Marriage that unites one woman and two or more men

6. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Residential Patterns Patrilocality –With or near the husband’s family Matrilocality –With or near the wife’s family Neolocality –Setting up house apart from both families

7. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Descent Most preindustrial societies trace kinship through either the father's side or the mother's side of the family. Three types to trace kinship: –Patrilineal descent–Through men –Matrilineal descent–Through women –Bilateral descent–Through both men and women The system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations

8. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Structural-Functional Analysis The family performs many vital tasks –Socialization–Creating well-integrated members of society –Regulation of sexual activity–Maintenance of kinship order and property rights, incest taboos –Social placement–Births to married couples are preferred in societies –Material and emotional security–Home can be a haven for people Critical evaluation –Glosses over great diversity of family life, how other institutions are taking over its roles & negative aspects like patriarchy and family violence

9. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Social-Conflict and Feminist Analysis The family perpetuates social inequality. –Property and inheritance–Concentrates wealth and reproduces class structure –Patriarchy–To know their heirs, men must control women’s sexuality. –Racial and ethnic inequality–Racial and ethnic categories persist over generations because most people marry others like themselves. Critical evaluation –Ignores that families carry out functions not easily accomplished by other means

10. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Micro-Level Analysis Symbolic-Interaction –Opportunities for sharing activities helps build emotional bonds. Social-Exchange –Courtship & marriage as a negotiation to make the “best deal” on their partner. Critical evaluation –Misses the bigger picture; family life is similar for people in similar social backgrounds and varies in predictable ways

11. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Stages of Family Life Courtship –Arranged marriages vs. romantic love –Homogamy–Marriage between people with same social characteristics Settling in –Ideal vs. real marriage Child rearing –Industrialization transformed children from assets to liabilities. Later life –Empty nest

12. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Class, Race, and Gender Social class –Social class determines both a family’s financial security and its range of opportunities. Ethnicity and race –American Indian Families –Latino Families –African American Families –Ethnically and racially mixed marriages Gender –Bernard: Marriage benefits men more than women.

13. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Divorce In the US, nine out of 10 people will marry. Four in 10 marriages end in divorce. Why? –Individualism on the rise. –Romantic love often subsides. –Women are less dependent upon men. –Many of today’s marriages are stressful. –Divorce is socially acceptable. –Legally, a divorce is easier to get.

14. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Remarriage Four out of five people who divorce remarry, most within five years. Remarriage often creates blended families. Offer both young and old the chance to relax rigid family roles

15. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Family Violence Against women –Women are more likely to be injured by a family member than to be mugged or raped by a stranger or hurt in an automobile accident. –All states have marital rape laws; half have “stalking laws.” Against children –Child abuse and neglect are most common among the youngest and most vulnerable children. –Abusers are more likely to be women than men. Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse of one family member by another

16. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Alternative Family Forms One-parent families –Single parenthood increases a woman’s risk of poverty because it limits work and education. –Poverty raises the odds that a young woman will be a single mother. Cohabitation–The sharing of a household by an unmarried couple

17. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Alternative Family Forms Gay and lesbian couples –The trend in public opinion is toward greater support for homosexual relationships. Singlehood –Increasing numbers of people are choosing to live alone.

18. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. New Reproductive Technologies In vitro fertilization: An embryo is created outside the woman’s body then implanted. Reproductive technologies have raised several ethical questions. Have also helped some couples who cannot conceive by conventional means

19. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Looking Ahead Divorce rates remain high. –More equality between sexes All kinds of units will be called families. Men will continue to play a limited role in child rearing. –Many will remain absent from household scenes.

20. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Looking Ahead Economic changes will affect families and reform marriage. –Less quality time as work demands more from parents New reproductive technologies –Ethical concerns about what can and what should be done