Chapter 1: A Sociology of the Family

institutional arena

a social space in which relations between people in common positions are governed by accepted rules of interaction

Families

groups of people, bound by connections that are biological, legal or emotional

consensus perspective

projects an image of society as the collective expression of shared norms and values

survey

research method in which identical questions are asked of many different people and their answers gathered into one large data file

longitudinal surveys

research method in which the same people are interviewed repeatedly over a period of time

feminist theory

seeks to understand and ultimately reduce inequality between men and women

exchange theory

sees individuals or groups with different resources, strengths and weaknesses, entering into mutual relationships in order to maximize their own gains

conflict perspective

sees opposition and conflict as defining a given society, and necessary for social evolution

symbolic interactionism

theory of human's ability to see themselves through the eyes of others, and to enact social roles based on other's expectations

modernity theory

theory of the historical emergence of the individual as an actor in society, and how individuality changed personal and institutional relations

personal family

the people to whom we feel realted, and who we expect to define us as family as well

legal family

a group of individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption

demographic perspective

studies how family and household structures contribute to larger populations processes

life course perspective

studies the family trajectories of individual groups as they age throughout their lives

state

the institutional arena in which through political means, behavior is legally regulated, violence is controlled, and resources are redistributed

market

the institutional arena where labor for pay, economic exchange, and wealth accumulation take place