SOCI 130 Midterm

Middle class parents practice concerted cultivation

an aggressive parenting approach that involves filling up their schedule with age targeted activities that stimulate social and cognitive development. Encouraged engagement with professionals.

Institutional Arena of Family

area where people practice intimacy, childbearing, socialization, and caring work. There are accepted rules of interaction for common positions. Positions: mother, father, etc

o Functionalism

assumes there is a good reason for things to be how they are and focuses on stability

o Breadwinner-homemaker family

employed father, unemployed mother and their children. Male had leadership and dealt with all outside matters. Women was there for moral support.

How did industrialization influence family structure?

encouraged and strengthened the nuclear family. Family changed from makers to consumers. Women stayed home. Courtship began. Birth control developed and children had own rooms, etc. Widows had no support and state involvement increased

Familial mode of production

family produced everything they needed. Use of piecemeal labor market - families produced part of a finished good (mainly clothing).

Patriarchal Family

father centered family/ holds power - typical nuclear family; homemaker- breadwinner- seen in European immigrants

Absolute Poverty

government has determined an income for poverty that is defined as the threshold. Currently very inaccurate. Multiplied a families "economy food plan" by three because food was 1/3 of expenses. Doesn't take geography into account and how food cost has risen. Working poor does not get benefits because they are not below the line.

Legal Family

group of individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption. o Same sex couples were not recognized o Couldn't gain citizenship for spouse

Lower Class

high degree of job insecurity, could not compete for jobs to get them out of poverty. Children are taught to respect authority because parents are used to working under authority, women are center of family.

Interviews

prevent researchers from having to make assumptions. They are longer with a small number of people who share traits of interest.

Consensus Perspective

projects the image of society as the collective expression of shared norms and values. Wants to avoid rapid and chaotic change. Change is dysfunctional. More rosey picture of family relations. Husband is instrumental. Mother is expressive.

Steinem's views on Gender Inequality and the Women's movement

puts the blame on society and the system not wanting to change, thinks that men hold women back. Women don't want to integrate because it would be too much of a hassle and they wouldn't fit in. Thinks women movement has just hit a hump that is needs to get over, not stalled. Women have 2 jobs - home and work force. Women must have male qualities to be accepted in work but placed in a double bind when they do.

Sandberg's views on Gender inequality and the womens movement

puts the blame on women for their, women holding themselves back, women should "Lean in" and not lean back, inspires women to take initiative- she empowers women. Her strategies for female empowerment have limited applicability for lower class women. Women are resistant to take on higher job positions because of the ideal that they eventually want a family. Downplay accomplishments. Don't negotiate. More individual focus. Thinks women's movement is stalled.

Sex

related to biology of the body (chromosomes and sex organs ), decided at birth, can't be changed

Working Class

similar to middle class but not education or stability. Men work in factories for low wages, vulnerability to unemployment, extended family. Belief in natural growth, love, and safety, and conformity/obedience

Legacy of Slavery

slavery completely dismantled the families. The male was not as important or not valued. Blames the victims, not the society. Racism and poverty of African Americans was because of their matriarchal household.

Gender

social construction, by choice, related to gender roles, and identity, NOT assigned at birth

How did the great depression influence family structure?

undermined the father's role when they lost jobs. There was the separation of family. No longer had breadwinners and divorce rates fallen. Less children per family. Postpone and a decrease in marriage and child making. Oldest child left home. Baby boom occurred - cohort effect (same life course perspective). Christianity promoted larger families. Federal polices promoted suburbanization.

Observation

useful for interpersonal dynamics and subtleties of daily life

Market work

work done by employees for pay.

Carework

work performed face to face for the purpose of enhanving the capabilities of another person. Is usually hands on intimate work that provide children with the material, intellectual, and emotional support they need.

Modernity Theory

- individual as an actor in society Relationships are based on personal choice and fulfillment. Free from traditional rules, the need to reproduce, economic survival, they can now have a pure relationship. Emerges during industrialization period.

Sample Surveys

-identical questions are asked of many different people and their answers are gathered into one large data file Ideally, random selection should be used so that results are not skewed by inclusive and exclusiveness. Surveys that are administered one time can be administered at regular intervals. Researchers may often have to make assumptions Longitudinal surveys interview the same people over a period of time. This is useful for sequences of events. Bias in self reporters, understands why or how

Personal Family

people we feel related too and who we expect to define us as members of their family as well.

Generations of Wealth and Privilege

- upper class has connections through other families that provide social mobility and networks for each other. Very exclusive.

What is the main thesis of Where the Girls Are? Which group of Americans does Douglas focus on and why? What methodological approach does Douglas use to explore and support her thesis? Why does Douglas argue that the influence of the mass media after WWII was unprecedented and particularly effective?

-- Media sends contradicting/mixed messages that have helped & hindered the women's movement (ideas of what women should be and do/ women's identity). There was a lot of tension- love hate relationship of women in the media. Women were told they could be Superwoman but also need to be passive, pretty & feminine. Media says that women can do it all- but in reality X true -- Baby boomers because they were born during a time where media emerged. They lived both sides of the story. -- Used content analysis to analyze baby boomer generation through music, tv, and newscasts

Ethnicity

A group of people with common cultural identifications based on a combination or language, religion, ancestral origin, or tradition. Assimilation can change over a lifetime and is reinforced by work and school.

Social class definition

A position determined by one's relationship to means of production. Access to resources influence life chances

What is Weber's Concept? Ideal Type? Example?

ALSO SEE BOOK • Max Weber: classical sociologist of early 1900s. Defined the concept of life chances: the opportunity to achieve desired material conditions and personal experiences He says it's the practical ability that defines a person's life chances. your background plays a major role in your future. • Ex: A person with few resources or skills does not have high life chances even if that person has the hypothetical possibility of becoming rich. This concept makes sense - the job/income of a child's parents definitely affects the life chances of the child. Think about how much more likely the child of two college graduates is to go to college than the child of a two high school dropouts. Ideal type: a category, class or group of things or persons with particular character that seems to be the best example of it. Think of ideal type as the model that we can base comparisons off of. Ideal types are concepts formulated on the basis of facts and are used as methodological tools in our analysis of any social problem. Think of it as a "measuring rod of reality" - it's used as a standard of comparison and often uses extremes - The book says that ideal types are somewhat fictional and don't exist as real distinctions but rather as concepts used to simplify our descriptions.

How did the great migration influence family structure?

After WWI, AA moved North b/c of the deterioration of agriculture in the south. There was a lot of poverty and discrimination, and narrower job choices for men and women. Undermined male authority and led to decrease in marriage + increase in birth in unmarried couples. Increased mortality and incarceration, incorporated more kin in child raising. o Second migration was the movement of men to urban areas to work in factors as a result of industrialization o Third migration is when government allowed movement of middle class, white families to suburbs

Why has inequality increased among American families?

At the bottom: keeping the poor from improving their lot - changes in public policy have kept their incomes from rising. There has also been a growing number of single parent homes. In the middle: divergent fortunes- some trends pull some families up and other's down therefore increasing inequality. If everyone does not benefit, it becomes more unequal. Ex; rise in income for people with a college degree vs. noncollege jobs At the top: the new superrich - A new pattern of high incomes emerged from reduced taxes and policies that doubled the income of the 1 percent.

How do we measure social class?

Availability of Economic Resources Education Occupation (and prestige)

Asian families

Chinese men first came to the US to work and faced a lot of discrimination but assistance from their own community. It was forbidden by law for them to marry so most moved back to China. After WWII, marriage increased because Asian women migrated. They are the fasted advancing minority group - more jobs, business, and higher education. Low divorce rates.

How does the Census measure race and ethnicity?

Five distinct races: White, black, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian. Only asks about racial identity and lists race and ethnic options. Not inclusive options for either racial or ethnic identities.

Revisionist Perspectives

Highlights the adaptive nature of family. Black families are resilient and adaptive. Families made strong attempts to maintain kinship ties in the context or racism, poverty, and discrimination. o The AA experience was more subjective b/c is was different in small vs. large plantations.

Family type: European traditions and the Colonial Family

Marriage was granted through Christianity/Religion. Family structure was patriarchal (coverture). Marriage was economic and political. Childhood was not a distinct stage (economic assets), there was no family privacy, familial mode of production.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

People see themselves through the eyes of others (symbolic interactionism), and act out roles based on expectations. Symbols can be body language, etc.

Black Families

Impacted by slavery, can't trace ancestry. There was a gap in education between black men and black women. Stable marriages were less common (high divorce and widowhood). Middle class black families had more equitable, egalitarian marriages than white families. Black men face a lot of job discrimination and stigma within their own community. BW are paid lower than WM and WW even though they have been in the workforce longer than WW. Common law marriage was common and extended family members helped with childcare. o Deindustrialization hit AA hard because their families were clustered in manufacturing which allowed them wages and education. Other jobs required more training and education.

Relative Poverty

Poverty defined according to demographic region. Socially defined, so being in poverty in Mexico is different in Canada.

Family Networks

Network of people with similar class backgrounds and economic circumstances

Latino Families

Rarely marry across classes, large and extended households. Mexico had a two class structure - not much social mobility, people married within their class. Held informal marriages because civil union was expensive. Increased diversity as a result of immigration reform. Drugs, human trafficking, and poverty brought immigrants here. o Familism: putting the family before person desires and gains

How does Socialization influence Gender?

SEE BOOK. PG 170

Feminist Theory

Shares views with the conflict theory and is very critical of the breadwinner-homemaker model of life. Feminism seeks to understand and reduce inequality between men and women. They argue that gender roles are taught and are created unequal through a process of socialization (internalization of taught personalities). Also argued that family structure is socially constructed and that race, ethnicity, and class all affect family life and gender dynamics differently.

Key concepts from Born Rich

Social class reproduces itself They married within their circles (the 1%) Children of rich people had more opportunity and advantage Children of successful people are more successful than those with unsuccessful parents Social mobility is hard in our society

Upper Class

The 1 percent, capitalist and managerial class. Parents are very involved with their children (mate selection, who they marry, etc), very nuclear family, high volunteerism cause wives don't work, rarely intermarry Passes class down AKA American Class Structure

Class Identity

The awareness of, and sense of belonging to, a specific social class. With class identity, social classes become familiar social settings with distinctive ways of life and patterns of interaction

Exchange Theory

This theory sees individuals or groups with different resources, strengths, and weaknesses entering into mutual relationships to satisfy their own gains. As long as relationships are rewarding, both sides stay engaged. Division of housework is studied b/c this is bargaining relationships negotiated under conditions of inequality.

Trends in Poverty

Unequal distribution of income • Increasing gap between wealthy and poor (gini index of inequality) • Minimum wage has fallen over time (when you take into account inflation) • Huge growth in family income for the 1%ers • There have been many tax cuts favoring the rich • Poverty is not evenly distributed among groups/categories of people (Race/ethnicity) • Remember, it's not family structure that causes poverty, but that social class is the reason for poverty, but poverty is closely related to family structure-- people who live in households headed by a single mother are much more likely to be poor than other groups. • In the US, our highest poverty rates are clustered in the southern states along the US Mexico border (remember the interactive map?) • You're more likely to be in poverty if you're apart of a single mother family, but the largest group of people in poverty are not single mother families! • poverty increased dramatically in the 2000s- caused by economic crisis in 2008 • people in poverty suffer from serious deprivation • homelessness has declined- but still remains a problem • many people move in and out of poverty

What are the classes in family life?

Upper, Middle, Working, Lower

How does the US Census define a family

a census family lives in one household (a group of people that lives and eats separately from other groups). There must provide a "household head" then select from categories which have been forced to expand over the years as we adopt new definitions of family o Not considered family: roomer/ boarder, housemate/roommate, unmarried partner, foster child, other nonrelative o Family: adopted, in-laws, grandchildren and grandparents, step families

Race

a group of people believed to share common descent, based on perceived, innate, physical characteristics. Changes over time - social construct. o Changing definition of black: one drop rule became a legal definition included mulattos, etc. Black is race and ethnicity

Gini Index

a measure of inequality in which 0 represents equality and 1 represents complete inequality. US Gini index has increased over the last 30 years (close to 0.5).

Labor market mode of production

bought what you needed, things were produced by machines

Working class and poor parents practice the accomplishment of natural growth

is assuming development comes natural and children need comfort, protection, and care. More informal activities and leave decision making to the professionals.

Family type: Modern Family

labor market mode of production. Most people worked for others - production for exchange, men leave home for wage labor while women do unpaid housework (great migration), home was a safe haven for men. o Separate spheres ideal: women were to make the home a haven from the hard industrial economy men worked

Housework

maintain the households functions. Most housework is devoted to cleaning and cooking, but yard maintenance, shopping, and paying bills are housework also. Seen as solitary drudgery. Can overlap with care work (Cooking and taking care of kids) and can be very stressful.

Time-Use Studies

more detailed account of what goes on within families. They collect detailed data on how family members spend their time. Some of these studies may be surveys or diaries. Diaries can be more accurate and allows larger groups to be studied in comparison to in depth interviews or observation

Matriarchal Family

mother centered family/holds power - seen in Native American cultures

Conflict Perspective

opposition and conflict define society and are necessary for evolution. Conflict over differences is the best way to arrive at positive change. Traditional gender roles are seen as unstable, and conflicting. Excludes love and togetherness of family. Says the BWHM benefits capitalists and women's work maintains male dominance.

Middle Class

state jobs based on higher education or technical skills (50% of Americans). Dual income, nuclear family, lives comfortably by owning homes and sending their children to college.

Demographic Perspective

study family behavior and household structures that contribute to larger population processes. They are interested in childbirth, but they must understand the study of timing and frequency of cohabitation, marriage, and divorce, and other living arrangements.

Life Course Perspective

study family trajectories and individuals and groups as they progress through their lives. Historical context is important. A cohort -- group of people who experience an event together at the same point in time -- will provide a deeper understanding.

Poverty Line

the level of income below which the federal government defines a family or individual as poor o U.S. measure = food budget x3 adjusted for family size

3 policies to lessen work family conflict

• Family leave: disruption in careers in caused by demands of caring for children or other family members. Most parents can't afford unpaid leave, especially if they may lose their job. Most countries require employers to provide PTO after birth, but gov't should provide some compensation to workers from payroll taxes • Working time: Family life can be stressful that it distracts them from work. Most countries have reduced work hours for FT and increasing PT. Some countries require PT work to be made available without loss of benefits aor reduction of hourly wages. If all companies did this, it would not be as costly to the ones that do. • Early childhood care: In the US, it is common for children to only have informal child care of family based care intol 4. Only 28% of children attend pre-school. This cost and time impedes on careers in early years of parenthood. If we start having children attend public school at age 3, the high quality education will open more opportunities for children as the grow up.

Be familiar with trends in gender and education and gender and work (e.g. college rates and majors, differential wages, and occupational concentrations)

• More women have been graduating from college since 1920s. Lack of maternity leave and state sponsored child care perpetuates women's inequality in the workforce. Even women with doctoral degrees make 77% of what men with doctoral degrees make because their field is not regarded with the value that men's is o pink collar ghettos : Men are not moving into women dominated fields due to social stigma attached and lower pay • Difference in wages influenced by women negotiating salary less and female dominated jobs are often extensions of what was once considered domestic work and therefore paid less by patriarchs. Men earn more because they are working different jobs that are more desirable than women

Work family conflicts/costs

• how to divide housework/carework within family, when to pay for household services instead of doing housework themselves, when to take care of children at home vs. childcare, When something's changes in one area (i.e new job opportunity), people may have to reevaluate their decisions. Less visible changes, like gov't taking out taxes, help certain people but isn't made aware to us. • Occupational segregation: Men and women having jobs in separate occupations. Paid women's work closely resembles work they do for their family. The way men and women divide unpaid care work and housework make up gender division of labor. • Single parents: Single mothers do not have enough time in the day to do housework, earn money and take care of kids without a time conflict. Most of these single mothers lead 84 percent of poor households. Welfare failed to recognize that fathers weren't in all households. • Motherhood penalty: The penalty is the loss of earnings women experience after they have children. Women also earn less after they have children as a result of employer discrimination. Employers believe mothers are less devoted to their jobs so they can be paid less or passed over.