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