1. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Chapter 11 The Changing Family This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

2. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 What is a 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

3. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Are Families in Decline? Families are not necessarily in decline Marriage is no longer a cultural imperative  Median age of first marriage is increasing  Fewer people are getting married today  Cohabitation has become an intermediate step between singlehood and marriage  More people are living alone Many people reaffirm belief in marriage through serial monogamy  Successive marriages, where a person has several spouses over their lifetime

4. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Sociological Perspectives on Family Problems 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 Conflict and Feminist Family is a problem in society, not a solution  Reinforces patriarchy and female subordination Family as a major source of inequality and conflict

5. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Sociological Perspectives on Family Problems, Cont’d. Symbolic Interactionist Men and women experience marriage differently  Sociologist Jessie Bernard (1982) Husbands and wives see their marriages very differently Unrealistic expectations about love and marriage  Cultural emphasis that marriage should be based solely on romantic love Doesn’t necessarily keep marriages together

6. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Characterizing Singlehood in the U.S. Singlehood has increased in US Greater freedom from commitment  Varies greatly by race and ethnicity Many more African American males and females have never been married compared to whites More career opportunities Desire for self-sufficiency and freedom to change By necessity  Economic reasons prevents many young, working-class people from marring

7. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Reasons for Postponing First Marriage Economic uncertainty Women’s increasing participation in labor force Sexual relationships outside marriage are more acceptable Contraception more effective Concern about risk of getting divorced

8. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Cohabitation and Domestic Partnerships Cohabitation Two unmarried adults living together in a sexual relationship without legal marriage Not necessarily a first step toward marriage May or may not contribute 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

9. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Dual-Earner Marriages Marriages in which both spouses are in the labor force  More common among minority families Many women in these marriages do the domestic work at home  Second shift However, the trend is toward more egalitarian households  Partners share in domestic responsibility

10. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Comparing Two-Parent and One- Parent Households If parents argue constantly, are alcoholics, or abuse children, a single-parent is preferable The single-parent family poses risks complicated by other factors  Poverty, discrimination, unsafe neighborhoods, and high crime rates

11. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Child-Related Family Issues Reproductive freedom, contraception, and abortion  Desire to have or not have a child raises personal and social issues Teen pregnancies and unmarried motherhood  The teen birthrate is higher in the U.S. than any other high- income nation  Most unwed mothers are white teenagers  Given their relative number in the population, African Americans are 5 times more likely than whites to become unwed teen parents

12. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Map 11.1 : Births to Teenage Mothers as a Percentage of All Births, by Sate, 2004 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004c.

13. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Factors Contributing to 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

14. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Figure 11.2: Probability That First Marriage Breaks Up Within Ten Years Based on Age at Beginning of Marriage Source: Bramlett and Mosher, 2002.