Chapter 14 - Marriage and Family: Text and Lecture Slides

What is the theory about early societies use of polygamy?

1. Polygamy makes it possible for a WIDOW AND HER CHILDREN to receive proper care. (Not a ritual or sex but a survival issue). 2. To balance sex ratio and maximize REPRODUCTION. 3. More wives also meant more POLITICAL ALLIANCES one could form, and therefore, become good strategy for leaders. (More wives = more power). An anthropological/sociological theory.

What did the Pew Research Centre discover about the importance of families?

76% of respondents said that family is the most important element in their life. Most stated that their family today is at least as close (45%) or closer (40%) than the family with which they grew up with.

How many cultures accept polygamy?

78%; its accepted and most exist in northern Africa and east Asia. The majority accept it, but majority of people don't practice it. The reason for the prevalence of these societies are varied but often include population growth, religious ideologies, and social status. In certain cultues, its likely to decrease due to greater access to mass media, technology and education.

What factors lead to shaken baby syndrome?

A baby's cry is the number one trigger for shaking. Other stress factors such as a poor economy, unemployment, and general dissatisfaction with parental life may contribute to this type of abuse.

Fluid Modernity

A condition of constant mobility and change in relationships within contemporary society. Also called liquid modernity.

Stepfamily

A couple family in which at least one child is the biological or adopted child of only one married spouse or common-law partner and whose birth or adoption preceded the current relationship.

Family Of Procreation

A family that is formed through marriage.

Polygyny

A form of marriage in which one man is married to more than one woman at one time.

Polyandry

A form of marriage in which one woman is married to more than one man at one time.

What are the four universal functions a family performs according to sociologist George Murdock?

A functionalist perspective: Sexual, reproductive, educational, and economic. In each society, although the structure of the family varies, the family performs these four functions. Sex: The family regulates sexual relations between individuals and the family offers a socially legitimate sexual outlet for adults which gives way to reproduction - necessary part of ensuring the survival of society. Educational/Reproduction: the family plays a vital role in training them for adult life. As the primary agent of socialization and enculturation, the family teaches young children the ways of thinking and behaving that follow social and cultural norms, values, beliefs, and attitudes. Parents teach their children manners and civility. Economics/Education/Sex: Parents also teach children gender roles. Gender roles are an important part of the economic function of a family. There is a division of labour that consists of instrumental and expressive roles. Men tend to assume the instrumental roles and women the expressive roles. According to functionalists, the differentiation of the roles on the basis of sex ensures that families are well balanced and coordinated. Each family member is seen as performing a specific role and function to maintain the functioning of the family as a whole. When family members move outside of these roles, the family is thrown out of balance and must recalibrate in order to function properly.

What factors cause divorce?

A great deal of marital problems can be related to stress, especially financial stress. Couples who enter marriage with no a strong asset base (home, savings, retirement plan. etc) are 70% more likely to be divorced after three years. This is connected to factors such as age and education level that correlate with low incomes. The addition of children to a marriage creates added financial and emotional stress. The first year after child birth is the most stressful phase of a marriage. Married couples with twins or triplets are 17% more likely to divorce than those with children from single births. Another contributor to the likelihood of divorce is a general decline in marital satisfaction over time. As people get older, they may find that their values and life goals no longer match up with those of their spouse. Divorce is thought to have a cyclical pattern. Children of divorced parents are 40% more likely to divorce than children of married parents. Children whose parents divorced and then remarried, the likelihood of their own divorce rises to 91%.

Shaken-Baby Syndrome

A group of medical symptoms such as brain swelling and retinal hemorrhage resulting from forcefully shaking or impacting an infant's head.

Extended Family

A household that includes at least one parent and child as well as other relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Marriage

A legally recognized contract between two or more people in a sexual relationship who have an expectation of permanence about their relationship.

Serial Monogamy

A person may have several spouses over a lifetime but only one spouse at a time.

Kinship

A person's traceable ancestry (by blood, marriage, and/or adoption).

Family Life Cycle

A set of predictable steps and patterns families experience over time. In the original design by Glick, he asserted that most people will grow up, establish families, have kids, experience empty nest syndrome, and then die. It was elaborated on by other colleagues and developed classic stages of family. 1. Marriage Family 2. Procreation Family 3. Preschooler Family 4. School Age Family 5. Teenage Family 6. Launching Family 7. Empty Nest Family The cycle was used to explain the different processes that occur in families over time. Sociologists view each stage as having its own structure with different challenges, achievements, and accomplishments that transition the family from one stage to the next. The success of a family can be measured by how well they adapt to these challenges and transition into each stage. While sociologists use it to study the dynamics of family over time, consumer and marketing researchers have used it to determine what goods and services families need as they progress through each stage.

Family Life Course

A sociological model of family that sees the progression of events as fluid rather than as occurring in strict stages. A less rigid model that recognizes the events that occur in the lives of families but views them as parting terms of a fluid course rather than in consecutive stages. This type of model accounts for changes in family development, such as the fact that today, childbearing does not always occur with marriage. It also sheds light on other shifts in the way family life is practiced.

Matrilocal Residence

A system in which it is customary for a husband to live with his wife's family. In these systems the husband can be isolated or feel like an outsider. Few societies that use matrilocal systems are matriarchal. Family life is more important regardless of power over men.

Patrilocal Residence

A system in which it is customary for the a wife to live with (or near) her husband's blood relatives/family. They can be traced back thousands of years. Thought to be disadvantageous to women because it makes them outsiders in the home and community; keeps them disconnected from their own blood relatives.

Ambilineal

A type of unilateral descent that follows either the father's or the mother's side exclusively. Most common in Southeast Asian countries, parents may choose to associate their children with the kinship of either the mother or the father. This choice could be based on stronger/more prestigious kinship lines or cultural customs.

Patrilineal Descent

A type of unilateral descent that follows the father's line only. In these societies, such as in China or India, only males carry on the family surname. This gives males prestige of permanent family membership.

Matrilineal Descent

A type of unilateral descent that follows the mother's side only. In these societies, inheritance and family ties are traced to women. It is common in Native American societies. Children belong to women and kinship is traced to mother, grandmother, great grandmother, etc. There are few societies that use matrilineal systems which are matriarchal. Family is more important part of culture than power over men.

What does the economic theory assume about marriage?

Assumptions: 1. People are RATIONAL and their decisions are make to minimize cost and maximize gain. Similar to utilitarian theory. Ex: Choosing McDonald's vs. a gourmet meal. 2. People's decisions to marry depends on whether it maximizes their gain. 3. Marriage is a popular strategy because it maximizes the general gain from both parties. 4. Households can be assumed to behave like a FIRM. Gary Beckers "Rational Choice Theory" - outweighs costs and benefits. Ex: Women gain from marriage a name, family, emotional support, and social network. Men gain family, sex, kids, social network, lifespan, etc.

Why are sociologists interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family?

Because marriages are what create a family and families are the most basic social unit upon a society is built. Both marriage and family create status roles that are sanctioned by society.

What raises questions about how societal shifts affect children?

Changes in the traditional family structure.

Child Abuse

Child abuse may come in several forms, the most common being neglect, followed by physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and medical neglect. The overall rate of violent crime involving children and youth is lower than the rate for the population as a whole, the rate of sexual assault is five times higher. Girls were 37% more likely than boys to be the victim of family violence (and almost twice as likely by the time they reached ages 12 to 17). In large part this is because girls are almost four times as likely to be a victim of sexual assault by a family member than boys are. 25% of all violent crime against children and youth was perpetrated by a family member (parent, sibling, extended family member, or spouse), while another 54% involved an accused known to the victim (casual acquaintances, close friends, or dating partners). Infants younger than 1 year are also the most vulnerable to family homicide, 98% of which were committed by parents. This age group is particularly vulnerable to neglect because they are entirely dependent on parents for care. Some parents do not purposely neglect their children; factors such as cultural values, standard of care in a community, and poverty can lead to hazardous level of neglect.

What contributes to marriage being delayed in society?

Cohabitation and people placing education and career ahead of settling down.

What role does family play in society according to the conflict/critical perspective?

Critical sociologists are quick to point out that North American families have been defined as private entities, the consequence of which historically has been to see family matters as issues concerning only those within the family. Ex: domestic violence, inequality, property rights, etc. One focus of critical sociology is to highlight the political-economic context of the inequalities of power in family life. The family is often not a haven but rather an arena where the effects of societal power struggles are felt. This exercise of power often entails the differentiation and performance of family status roles. Critical sociologists study conflicts as simple as the enforcement of rules from parent to child, or more serious issues such as domestic violence (spousal and child), sexual assault, marital rape, and incest, as products of power structures in broader society. Critical perspectives emphasize that the diversity of family forms does not indicate the "decline of the family" so much as the diverse response of the family form to the tensions of gender inequality and historical changes in the economy and society.

Female Choice Theory

Evolutionary theory. About survival and reproduction. A psychological and sociological theory. Assumptions: -Man favour YOUTH AND BEAUTY. -Men benefit by securing a youthful wife. -Women favour WEATH AND STATUS. -Women benefit by securing a resourceful husband. Successful FERTILITY is enhanced for both parties. Women have more to lose - less options as they grow older - less years = less eggs. Men have less to lose. Men are less choosy whereas women are more choosy. Women want safety. Men want youth because of bloodline and genes. Argues that the tendency to have more than one wife is due to survival and fertility offspring. -Ratio of husbands and wives is a result of DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES in society. -When there is EXTREME INEQUALITY among men, POLYGAMY is more popular because the benefits to a woman's survival and her offspring is greater. -When there is more EQUALITY among men, MONOGAMY is more popular because the benefits to women's offspring is more or less stable.

What are the long-term effects of intimate partner violence?

Extended IPV has been linked to unemployment among victims, as many have difficulty finding or holding employment. Additionally, nearly all women who report serious domestic problems exhibit symptoms of major depression. Female victims of IPV are also more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, suffer from eating disorders, and attempt suicide.

Why is what constitutes a family a prime area of debate in sociology, politics and religion?

In terms of their definitions between the different groups. Social conservatives tend to define the family in terms of structure with each family member filling a certain role such as father, mother, child. Sociologists define family more in terms of the manner in which members relate to one another than on a strict configuration of status roles. They define family as a socially organized group that forms an emotional connection and saves as an economic unit in society. Sociologists identify different types of families based on how one enters them - families of orientation or procreation. These distinctions have cultural significance.

Why do second marriages tend to be more successful than the first marriage?

Individuals are less likely to deal with issues like parental approval, premarital sex, or desired family size. Second marriages tend to be more stable than first marriages, largely because the spouses are older and more mature. Couples tend to marry a second time more for intimacy-based reasons rather than external reasons and therefore enjoy a greater quality of relationship.

How does economic theory look at industrial societies and polygamy?

Industrial societies: 1. Output is LESS DEPENDENT on family labour. 2. Women had less responsibility for the OUTPUT OF CHILDREN. 3. More women DOES NOT bring about more output. In industrial societies, the total number of the household no longer depends on the number of children. Therefore, the DEMAND FOR MORE THAN ONE WIFE DECREASED AND MONOGAMY BECOMES MORE COMMON. Wage labor is the hours that one can work. Less kids = less cost to family. Kids can start helping the family around 8yrs, but obtain a job around 16yrs when they can be productive. *The type of human relationship you have in society is largely dependent on economic processes in that society. Economic structure = type of families.

What role does family play in society according to the symbolic interactionist perspective?

Interactionists view the world in terms of symbols and the meanings assigned to them. The family itself is a symbol. Interactionists stress that family is not an objective, concrete reality, it is a social construct that is subject to the ebb and flow of social norms and ever-changing meanings. Consider the meaning of family elements: "parent" vs "mother" vs "father" or "caregiver." These meanings are more free-flowing through changing family roles. Interactionists also recognize how the family status roles of each member are socially constructed, playing an important part in how people perceive and interpret social behaviour. Interactionists view the family as a group of role players or "actors" that come together to act out their parts in an effort to construct a family. Symbolic interactionism draws our attention to how the norms that define what a "normal" family is and how it should operate come into existence. The rules and expectations that coordinate the behaviour of family members are products of social processes and joint agreement, even if the agreements are tacit or implicit. In this perspective, norms and social conventions are not regarded as permanently fixed by functional requirements or unequal power relationships. New norms and social conventions continually emerge from ongoing social interactions to make family structures intelligible in new situations and to enable them to operate and sustain themselves.

Why are more people choosing to stay single?

It can be based on a variety of factors including religion and cultural expectations. Individuals who place no value on religion are more likely to be unmarried than those who place a high value on religion. In general, being single is not a rejection of marriage; rather, it is a lifestyle that does not necessarily include marriage.

What led to the dramatic increase in divorce rates after the 1960s and what led to the decrease?

It has been associated with the liberalization of divorce laws, the shift in societal makeup including the increase of women entering the workforce, and marital breakdowns in the large cohort of baby boomers. The decrease can be attributed to two probable factors: an increase in the age at which people get married, and an increased level of education among those who marry—both of which have been found to promote greater marital stability.

What is the surge in cohabitation attributed to?

It is likely due to the decrease in social stigma pertaining to the practice. Some couples may choose to live together in an effort to spend more time together or to save money on living costs. Many couples view it as a "trial run" for marriage.

What do surveys reveal about North Americans opinion of what constitutes a family?

One study found that children are the "key" indicator in establishing family status. However, different studies reveal that if you consider yourself a family, then you are a family - this concept reinforces the interactionist perspective.

Total Divorce Rate

Projects how many new marriages would be expected to fail after 30 years based on the divorce rate by marriage duration observed in a given year. In Canada, the total divorce rate has remained steady at between 35-42% In 2008, 41% of marriages were projected to end before their 30th anniversary.

What did research from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth find?

Published in 1994, the evidence is ambiguous as to whether having single or dual parents has a significant effect on child development outcomes. Aggressive behaviour (reported by parents) in both girls and boys aged four to five years old was greater in single-parent families. Significant markers of poor developmental attainment were more related to the sex of the child (more pronounced in boys), maternal depression, low maternal education, maternal immigrant status, and low family income. What the data shows is that the key factors in children's quality of life are the educational levels and economic condition of the family, not whether children's parents are married, common-law, or single. Young children in low-income families are more likely to have vocabulary problems, and young children in higher-income families have more opportunities to participate in recreational activities. This is a matter related more to public policy decisions concerning the level of financial support and care services (like public child care) provided to families than different family structures.

How does divorce affect children?

Research suggests that separating out particular factors of the divorce, especially whether or not the divorce is accompanied by parental conflict, is key to determining whether divorce has a significant negative impact on children. The majority of divorces come out of lower-conflict homes, and children from those homes are more negatively impacted by the stress of the divorce than the stress of unhappiness in the marriage. Overall the effect of divorce on children's well-being is relatively weak and has been declining over time. Divorce may be most difficult for school-aged children, as they are old enough to understand the separation but not old enough to understand the reasoning behind it. Older teenagers are more likely to recognize the conflict that led to the divorce but may still feel fear, loneliness, guilt, and pressure to choose sides. Infants and preschool-age children may suffer the heaviest impact from the loss of routine that the marriage offered. Proximity to parents also makes a difference in a child's well-being after divorce. Researchers suggest that a strong parent-child relationship can greatly improve a child's adjustment to divorce. There is empirical evidence that divorce has not discouraged children in terms of how they view marriage and family.

Family

Socially recognized groups of individuals who may be joined by blood, marriage, or adoption and who form an emotional connection and an economic unit of society.

Why do sociologists argue with Statistics Canada's definition of a family?

Sociologists would argue that the general concept of family is more diverse and less structured than in years past. Society has given more leeway to the design of a family making room for what works for its members.

How does economic theory look at Agrarian societies and polygamy?

The HOUSEHOLD is a FIRM. Agrarian societies (Farming): 1. Output is dependent on family labour = # OF CHILDREN 2. Since women are responsible for BEARING/REARING KIDS 3. More women = MORE OUTPUT In Agrarian societies, the QUANTITY of children is crucial to the total output of the household, therefore, polygamy is more common. The more people the more output one has. Having a large family assists in the workload. Have more wives, more children, to get things done. Wealthier land owners usually had more wives.

Bigamy

The act of entering into marriage while still married to another person.

What do 80% of Canadians believe constitutes a family?

The combination of a husband, wife and children. However, its not representative of the majority of most Canadian families. A 2011 census states only 32% of all census families consisted of a married couple with children.

Family Of Orientation

The family into which one is born.

Polygamy

The state of being committed or married to more than one person at a time. Includes polygyny and polyandry.

Bilateral Descent

The tracing of kinship through both parents' ancestral lines. This pattern of tracing kinship is found in 60% of societies, mostly modernized nations.

Unilateral Descent

The tracing of kinship through one parent only. Is practiced in 40% of the world's societies, with high concentration in pastoral cultures. There are three types: patrilineal (father's line only), matrilineal (mother's line only), and ambilineal (either father's or mother's line depending on the situation).

How would a symbolic interactionist define family?

Their theories indicate that families are groups in which participants view themselves as family members and act accordingly - i.e., families are groups in which people come together to form a strong primary group connection, maintaining emotional ties to one another over a long period of time. Such families could potentially include groups of close friends as family. Interactionism helps us to understand the subjective experience of belonging to a "family."

Why are the number of same sex couples growing significantly in Canada?

They are a result of more coupling, the change in the marriage laws, growing social acceptance of homosexuality, and a subsequent increase in willingness to report it.

How would a critical/conflict sociologist define family?

They emphasizes that the forms that define the "typical" family unit are not independent of historical changes in the economic structures and relations of power in society. The typical large, extended family of the rural, agriculture-based economy 100 years ago in Canada was much different from the single breadwinner-led "nuclear" family of the Fordist economy following WWII and different again from today's families who have to respond to economic conditions of precarious employment, fluid modernity, and norms of gender and sexual equality. It focuses on how families configure themselves in response to political-economic pressures and changes.

What role does family play in society according to the functionalist perspective?

They uphold the notion that families are an important social institution and that they play a key role in stabilizing society. That family members take on status roles in a marriage or family. The family—and its members—perform certain functions that facilitate the prosperity and development of society. The functionalist approach to the family has emphasized the importance of the nuclear family as the basic unit of an orderly and functional society. In functionalist approaches, it often operates as a model of the normal family, with the implication that non-normal family forms lead to a variety of society-wide dysfunctions.

How would a functionalist define family?

This perspective views families as groups that perform vital roles for society—both internally (for the family itself) and externally (for society as a whole). Families provide for one another's physical, emotional, and social well-being. Parents care for and socialize children, a function that prepares new members of society for their future roles. While interactionism helps us to understand the subjective experience of belonging to a "family." It illuminates the many purposes of families and their role in the maintenance of a balanced society.

Nuclear Family

Two parents (traditionally a married husband and wife) and children living in the same household. Recent years has seen a rise in variations of the nuclear family with the parents not married.

What are the most disconcerting challenges that families face?

Violence and abuse. The frequency in families is difficult to determine because most cases go unreported. It is a significant social problem in Canada. 1 in 4 victims of violent crime was victimized by a family member or spouse.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Violence that occurs between individuals who maintain a romantic or sexual relationship; includes unmarried, cohabiting, and same-sex couples as well as heterosexual married couples. IPV may include physical violence, such as punching, kicking, or other methods of inflicting physical pain; sexual violence, such as rape or other forced sexual acts; threats and intimidation that imply either physical or sexual abuse; and emotional abuse, such as harming another's sense of self-worth through words or controlling another's behaviour. IPV often starts as emotional abuse and then escalates to other forms or combinations of abuse.

Cohabitation

When a couple shares a residence but is not married - when a man and woman live together in a sexual relationship without being married. It is becoming more acceptable in recent years and contributes to the phenomenon of people getting married at later ages or being less motivated to getting married. The vast majority of cohabitating relationships eventually result in marriage. However, cohabitation has little effect on the success of a marriage. Those who do not cohabitate before marriage have slightly better rates of remaining married for more than 10 years.

Monogamy

When someone is married to only one person at a time.

What is the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Canada?

Women are the primary victims of intimate partner violence. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women has experienced some form of IPV in her lifetime (compared to 1 in 7 men). In 2011, women in Canada had more than double the risk of men of becoming a victim of police-reported family violence. IPV affects women at greater rates than men because women often take the passive role in relationships and may become emotionally dependent on their partner. IPV affects different segments of the population at different rates. Those who are separated report higher rates of abuse than those with other marital statuses, as conflict is typically higher in those relationships. Similarly, those who are cohabitating or living in a common-law relationship are more likely than those who are married to experience IPV. American researchers have found that the rate of IPV doubles for women in low-income disadvantaged areas when compared to IPV experienced by women who reside in more affluent areas. In Canada, the statistics do not bear this relationship out. Household income and education levels appear to have little effect on experiencing spousal violence.