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.