Family Studies 101 Final
Human Sexuality
A complex and multidimensional phenomenon- a product of sexual identity, sexual orientation, and sexual scripts. A wide range of sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors who have learned a set of cues that evoke a sexual or an erotic response.
Sample
A group of people used to represent the population being studied
Social Exchange Theory
Economic model of human behavior based on costs and benefits and the expectation of reciprocity. Reactions to stimuli, rewards and punishments, and also subjective and interpretive processes involved are interest to these researchers.
Nonmarital Sex
Refers to sexual activities, especially sexual intercourse, that place outside of marriage.
Extramarital Sex
Refers to sexual interactions that take place outside the marital relationship
Premarital Sex
Refers to the sexual activities of never-married adults under the age of thirty
Evaluation Research
Research that asses the effectiveness of social programs in both the public and private sectors.
Structure functionalists suggest that the social institutions of marriage and family perform certain vital tasks:
Socialization, regulation of sexual activity, social placement, and material and emotional security
Macro-Level Theories
Structural-Functionalism, Conflict Theory, The Feminist Perspective, and Ecological Theory
Qualitative Research
Studying smaller groups or individuals in a more in-depth fashion using intensive interviews, case studies, various documents, or participant observation to gather information
Conflict Theory
Suggest the family is central to the operation of society, but rather than focusing on social benefits and functions, focu shifts to the investigation of how marriages and families perpetuate social inequality. Conflict is a natural part of family life.
Expressive
Supportive and nurturing role of the wife/mother who sustains the family unit and supports the husband/father emotionally.
Micro-Level Theories
Symbolic Interaction Analysis, Social Exchange Theory, and Family Development Theory,
How do structural functionalists view society?
They view society as an organized and stable system of interrelated parts and interrelated statuses and roles within these. A division of labor (independence, specialization, clarity of role responsibilities) are viewed as being very important. Social stability is the best interest of society; change threatens social stability.
Weaknesses of Clinical Research
Time-consuming and expensive. Small numbers of people are involved as subjects, and are not representative of society as a whole- cannot generalize.
Disadvantages to Living in Families
You don't get to choose your family members, less privacy and independence, certain routines are developed and hard to change, and commitment of time and energy
Family Systems Theory
Combination of structural-functionalism and symbolic-interactionism. Believe interactions must be studied in the context of the family system, the family has a structure that can only be seen in interactions, has a purposeful system, and despite resistance to change, each family system is transformed over time.
Weaknesses of Experimental Research
Costly, unnatural settings for participants, ethical concerns, and researcher effects.
Ecological Theory
Environmental settings and individual roles are highly interrelated. A differrentiation is made between three different overlapping systems- micro, exo, and macro
Family Development Theory
Examine the many ways in which marriages and families change over time. Focus is given to the stages and transitions of the family life cycle and developmental tasks associated with each of these.
Advantages to Living in Families
Families offer continuity as a result of emotional attachments, rights, and obligations. Families also offer close proximity, familiarity, and provide economic benefits by offering economies of scale
Micro/Macro Level Theories
Family Systems Theory
Sexual Double Standard
Differing sets of norms based on gender
Strengths of Experimental Research
Can test for cause-and-effect relationships. Can very precisely control and measure variables.
Six types of Feminism
Liberal, Socialist, radical, Marxist, lesbian, and women of color.
Sexual Response
Encompasses the biological aspects of sexuality
Kinship
A network of people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption
Respondent
A person who actually completes the questionnaire or interview-providing data for the researcher
Sexual Scripts
A set of expectations of how one is to behave sexually as a female or male and as a heterosexual or homosexual (lesbian or gay). Specifies formal and informal norms for legitimate or unacceptable sexual activity.
Theory
A set of statements that explains why a particular phenomenon occurs
Marriage
A socially approved mating relationship that people expect to be stable and enduring. Some general characteristic of marriage in modern Western industrialized societies include expectation that the couple will share economic responsibilities, share sexual activity, fidelity, and the bearing and rearing of children.
Observation
A type of scientific investigation in which researchers collect data by systematically observing people in their natural settings
Experimental Research
A type of scientific investigation in which the research tightly controls and manipulates different variables to determine their influence upon one another. Variables are able to be isolated and very precisely measured.
Strengths of Secondary Analysis
Accessible, convenient, and inexpensive
Family
An intimate group of two or more people who live together in a committed relationship, care for one another and any children, and share activities and close emotional ties
Population
Any well-defined group of people about whom we want to know something specific
Quantitive Reasearch
Asking the same questions to a great number of persons using representative sampling (numerical)
Sexual Identity
Awareness of ourselves as a female or male and how we express our sexual values, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.
Autoeroticism
Consists of sexual activities that involve only the self- sexual fantasies, masturbation, and erotic dreams
Weaknesses of Observations
Costly and time-consuming. Complicated. Objectivity is difficult to achieve. Researcher effect and researcher bias are problems. Ethical constraints exist.
Surveys
Data collection methods that systematically collect information from respondents either by a mailed questionnaire or by a face-to-face or telephone interview
Weaknesses of Secondary Analysis
Data may not have the information the researcher needs exactly. Data may be inaccurate.
The Feminist Theory
Disparities between women and men. Gender is seen as the central focus in research. Gender relations are seen as the result of social, not natural factors.
Symbolic Interaction Analysis
Focus on face-to-face interactions. Interactions are constructed through symbols or words and gestures.
Equity Theory
Focuses on exchanges that occur between people who attempt to be fair and balances in their (reciprocal) exchanges/interactions.
Weaknesses of Evaluation Research
Frustrating and controversial. Potentially disruptive to organizations, agencies, etc. Many require much training of assistants.
Research
Investigation; provides empirical evidence
Weaknesses of Surveys
Low response rate of mailed questionnaires. If questions are unclear, complicated, or offensive, a respondent may simply throw the questionnaire away. Respondents my be different in some significant way compared to others in the same selected. If interviewed use- expensive, time-consuming, and researcher effects.
Structural functionalists look for 3 aspects of the family:
What functions the family serves for society? What functional requirements are performed by family members for the family? What needs are met by the family for its members?
Sexual Orientation
Preference regarding sex partners- the way in which people understand and identify themselves sexually- sexual identity as heterosexual, homosexual (gay or lesbian) or bisexual.
Functions of Marriages and Families
Provides a source of intimate relationships, economic cooperation and consumption, reproduction, socialization of children, social placement, fulfillment of social roles, establishment of one's identity
Strengths of Observtations
Provides deeper understanding of behavior than "one short" data collection methods. It is flexible--can be modified over time. It can be done so as not to disrupt the natural situations being studied.
Secondary Analysis
The analysis of data that have already been collected by other researchers
Instrumental
The breadwinner role of the father or husband who provides food and shelter for the family and, at least theoretically, is hardworking, touch and competitive.
Kinship System
The social organization of the family- involving reciprocal rights and obligations. It is nonresidential and it includes people who understand themselves
Clinical Research
The study of individuals or small groups of people who seek help for physical and/or mental social problems. Clinical research is based on the case study method- or detailed and in-depth examination of a single-unit.
Strengths of Clinical Research
Typically linked with long-term counseling. It has practical applications and is longitudinal.
Strengths of Surveys
Usually inexpensive, simple to administer, anonymity of respondents, fast turn-around rate, broad range of topics can be studied- including sensitive ones.
Strengths of Evaluation Research
Very interesting, informative, potentially value in terms of improving policies and programs- valuable in real-life situations. Often inexpensive.