Chapter 7: Marriages
What is individualism vs. Collectivist?
-*Individualsim*: emerged as a way to think about ourselves, no longer we necessarily governed by rules of community. -one's own self-actualization and interests are a valid concern. -Societies changed from communal or collectivist to individualistic -Western societies and individualism is positively associated w/valuing romantic love. -the industrial revolution brought upon opportunities for paid work outside the home. -diminished obedience to group authority bc ppl increasingly saw themselves as separate individuals rather than as intrinsic members of a group. -self-fulfillment & satisfaction, personal achievement & happiness. -*Collectivist*: people identify with & conform to the expectations of their extended kin.
What is the expectation of sexual exclusivity//emotionally
-*Polygamy*: having more than one spouse is culturally accepted in many parts of the world. It can be *polygyny*: a man can have multiple wives. It is not frequent because men can not afford many wives -*Polyandry*: a woman has multiple husbands is even less frequent -marriage in the US disallows both forms of polygamy and requires monogamy. -Expectations in which spouses promise to have sexual relations only with each other. -*Expectations of permanence*: marriage was a historically a practical institution.
How do Westernized societies view kin?
-In westernized societies, kinship authority is weaker, Husband-wife dyad takes precedence over other family relationships. "Interlocking conjugal families" in which married ppl are members of both their family orientation "the family they are grew up in -and their *family of procreation*(the one formed by marrying & having kids) -husband & wife bond and the resulting family is the most meaningful "inner circle" of americans kin relations. -extended family has been the basic unit in most non european countries.; they are important for various reasons, send money back to extended kin in home countries.
What is polygamy?
-It has been illegal in the United States since 1978, when the U.S. supreme court ruled that freedom to practice the mormon religion did not extend to having multiple wives. -the church of jesus christ outlaws polygamy in 1980. -Dissident mormons remain who are not recognized by the JC church but who follow traditional teachings & take multiple wives -it is a feminist arrangement bc the sharing of domestic responsibilities benefits working women
What does it mean to be kin?Who is considered Kinship care?
-Kin or extend family, includes parents and the relatives such as inlays, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. -Fictive or virtual kin- friends who are so close that they hardly distinguished from actual relatives. -In collectivist or communal, kin have authority over a married couple, a mother in law has a say about how many kids her daughter-in law should bear. -
What is the war on poverty?//Some current policy measures
-Lydon johnsons war on poverty dropped poverty to a low of 14% during the 1970s. -in the 1970s the child poverty began to rise again, then fell after 1993 only to rise again in the 2000s -offered structural strategies to decrease poverty such as community meal programs, health center, summer youth programs. -propose job training, support for education, jobs, drug rehabilitation, neighborhood improvements, small business development -family stability supporting kids & their parents in whatever family form they find themselves.
What is the family change perspective suppose?
-Some see the fewer marriages as resulting from inevitable social change. Nostalgia about the good ole days leads to incorrect assumptions. Large families w/many kids & higher death rates with young kids meant many kids were not raised in 2 parent households -they are concerned about the high number and proportions of parents & kids living in poverty. Poverty causes hard child-rasing environments -family struggles result from incarceration rates, unemployment -they see bad neighborhoods, economy racism, as more problematic
What did the individualist orientation result in?
-The authority of kin and extended family weakened -indivudals begin to find their own marriage partners -romatnic love came to be associated with marriage
What is swinging?
-a marriage arrangement in which couples exchange partners to engage in purely recreational sex. -they face the challenge of managing jealousy, but they emphasize what they see as positive effects-variety for example.
What is the Deinstitutionalized marriage?
-a situation in which time-honored family definitions and social norms count for far less than in the past -childbearing outside of marriage now carries little stigma. -marriages have shifted from institutional to compassionate to individualized
What is the marriage premise for collectivistic and indivualsitc cultures?
-arranged marriage has characterized collectivist societies. -marriage joined extended families, selecting a suitable mate was a huge responsibility not to be left to young people. -a young person might choose a partner who would make a poor spouse because they are so infatuated, it could be disruptive to family ties. -it has worked to keep family traditions and values intact. -Industrialization took individuals away from their families starting the transition from a joining of families and economics to love -traditionally ppl were not expected to fall in love with their spouses, but it was vital for economic & political insitution. -now it is viewed as a refuge from work; couples no longer bound by the yoke of kin control.
What does the family decline perspective suppose?
-assert that our cultures unchecked individualism and moral weakening have result in high divorce and low marriage rates -America is no longer family or child centered. -The american family is now breaking down. -Self-indulgent attitudes and values focused on short-term gratification. Tend to be political conservatives -the goal is to return to a society more in lines with the values and norms of companionate marriage. Encourage ppl to get married w/workshops -view poor values and attitudes as the blame for dropping marriage rate
What is the companionate marriage bond?
-couples are bound together by companionship, coupled with a gendered vision of labor, pride in performing spousal & parenting roles, and hopes for the "american dream" -a home of their own & comfortable domestic life together. -womens increasing education & work options w/their expectations for martial love sowed the seeds for the demise of marriage. -women begin to pursue opps for self-actualization as well as they expect their husbands support.
Compare married and unmarried households and reported that spouses?
-had greater wealth & assets, earned higher waves, more frequent and better sex, overall better health, less likely to engage in dangerous risk-taking, lower rates of substance abuse & more likely to engage in healthy behaviors. -married are financially better off//less depressed -Kids in married families: less likely to drop out of high school, more contact & better-quality relationships w/parents, less likely to live in poverty.
What is individualized marriage?
-it is optional, spouses roles are flexible, expected rewards involve love, communication, emotional intimacy, exists in conjunction w/a vast diversity of family forms. -today less likely to find their only or definitive rewards in performing these roles well. -expect personal autonomy; love, emotional intimacy, open communication, role flexibility, gender equality, personal growth. -reward derive from communication -remain together bc they find self actualization, intimacy, and expressively communicate emotional support in their unions.
How does marriage matter?
-males & females are more likely than others to say they are very happy & to score on well-being indicators such as physical & emotional health - is it the experience of marital status or couple satisfactions within marriage that makes ppl happier -benefit from an economy of scale, social support, continuity, the experience of building a relationship over time, sense of obligation to others not only their families
What is an institutional marriage?
-marriage as a social institution based on dutiful adherence to the time-honored marriage premise, particularly the norm of permanence. -age-old tradition of family organized around economic production, kinship network, community connections, the father's authority & marriage as a functional partnership rather than a romantic one. -offered practical and economic security along w/rewards. -it was organized to a patriarchal authority, a wife's obedience to her husband & the kinship group. -could involve today what we define as wife, child abuse or neglect. -couples are yoked together by expectations for permanence and strong social control of extended kin & community
What is polyamory?
-means many loves and refers to marriages in which one or both spouses retain the option to sexually love others in addition to their spouses. -spouses agree that each may have openly acknowledged sexual relationships with others while keeping their marriage relationship primary. -Outside relationships can be emotional as well as sexual//couples establish limits on the degree of sexual or emotional involvement. -the polyamory society educational branch offers advice for polyamorous parents and maintains a polyfamily fund.
What is jumping the broom mean?
-more important for african americans to get married if they have a child together. They value marriage a lot more. -it is a symbol of marriage to jump over a broom lying on the ground -it symbolizes the wife's commitment to her new household, whoever jumped higher would be the family decision maker. -Slaves would do this as an alternative to being legally married.
What is the issue with poverty?
-more than 14.7 million U.S. kids under age 18 live below the poverty line. one in 5 kids in the US live in poverty -14.7% white kids, 16.8% Asian, 27.5% native Hawaiian, 34% Hispanic, 39.6% African american, 36.8% american Indian. -more likely to live in unhealthy neighborhoods, have more physical health, socioemotional, behavioral problems, travel farther to obtain health care, attend poorly financed schools, do less well academically, more likely to drop out of school -being married somewhat lessens poverty//marriage alone does not alleviate poverty.
Do all same-sex couples end in marriage?
-not all same sex partners want to marry -some lesbians & gays think legal same-sex marriage will stigmatize any sex outside marriage -they think marriage is made not by legal sanctions but by the commitment of the people in the relationship to each other -legal marriage became a frontline issue after 1991, when gay activists formed the equal rights marriage fund. -many religious conservative strongly oppose legal same-sex marriages. some proposed a constitutional amendment defining marriage has between man and woman -public support for legal same-sex marriage has grown since the mid-1990s.
What is role-making?
-personalizing a role by modifying or adjusting the expectations and obligations traditional associated it. -negotiate expectations for sex and intimacy, establish communication, decision making -continues throughout marriage -Potentially problematic topics couples must deal with: money, sexual frequency, and the amount of time spent together. -make relationship a high priority, spend time together, communicate, pursue leisure activities together
What is the selection hypothesis?
-that many of the benefits associated with marriage-higher income and wealth, along w/better health- result from the personal characteristics of those who marry. -For ex: married women are more likely than those who are cohabiting to inherit wealth -SES status links to marriage or not -*Experience*: something about the experience of being married itself causes these benefits. -Marriage leads to middle-class status
How is marriage in same-sex relationships?
-the Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex partners to legally marry. -Mass became to the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. In june 2015, the US became the the 21st nation to legalize same-sex marriage. -many identified as spouses before they could legally marry -demographically, same-sex couples who identify as spouses(even if not legally married) are much like heterosexual married in several respects. -tend to be older, higher average household incomes, more likely to own their homes than other same-sex couples. -Married same-sex couples more likely than unmarried to be raising kids. -Interracial relationships are more number; not all same-sex partners want to marry.
What are some changes in marriages over time?
-the proportion of americans ages 18 and older who are married has declined significantly over the past fifty years-from 72% in 1960 to 49% in 2014. -Some of this decline can be attributed to our aging population & the fact that older americans are more likely to be widowed. -the proportion married has declined for americans in all age groups. -People are more likely to get married later; they wait until they can afford to be married. -*Marriage gap*: the disparity in marriage rates between the poor and those who are not poor
Does marriage matter?
-the proportion of children under 18 living with two married parents declined steadily over the past 50 years. -20 million kids under 18 live in single-parent households. -growing up with married parents is better for children. kids living in single-parent are more likely to experience earlier premarital intercourse, lower academic achievement, lower expectations in college. -married parents spent more on their kids education//moms have healthiest prenatal care.