The Family Chapter 12

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Family Systems Family is a group of people who are related by marriage, blood, or adoption and who live together and share economic resources.

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective The nuclear family consists of one or both parents and their children Family of orientation The nuclear family into which a person is born or adopted Family of procreation The nuclear family consisting of the individual, their spouse, and their children

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective In many societies the nuclear family is embedded into larger family groupings. The extended family consists of two or more generations Grandparents, Parents, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins They may all live in one house or grouping of houses or in other areas Nuclear families and extended families are often part of a much larger kinship system. Kinship refers to the network of people who are related by marriage, birth, or adoption.

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Levels of kinship systems Primary – an individuals closest relatives Members of nuclear orientation or procreation Secondary –relatives of primary relatives Cousins, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews Tertiary – secondary relatives Great-grandparents, great-grandchildren, great-aunts, great- uncles, and second-cousins

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Norms and Marriage Patterns Around the World Number of marriage partners – in industrialized nations marriages are usually monogamous (one spouse) whereas in pre-industrial societies the normal pattern is polygyny (more than one female spouse) or polyandry (more than one male spouse)

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Residential Patterns – once individuals are married they must decide where to live Patrilocality is living with or near the husband’s family Most common type around the world Matrilocality is living with or near the wife’s family Bilocality is choosing whether or not to live near the husband or wife’s family Neolocality is living away from both spouses families

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Norms and Marriage Patterns Around the World Descent Patterns – in some societies people trace kinship through the father’s side of the family, in others descent is traced through the mother’s side of the family or through both parents Authority Patterns – the three basic types are patriarchy, matriarchy and egalitarian

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective In some societies people trace their kinship through the father’s side of the family and some trace kinship through the mother’s side of the family. Patrilineal decent is kinship traced via father’s side Common in preindustrial societies Property passed from father to son

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Matrilineal decent is kinship traced via mother’s side Less common than patrilineal decent Property passed from mother to daughter Bilateral decent is kinship traced via both parents Property can be inherited from either side of the family.

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Authority patterns Patriarchy is where the father holds the majority of the power and authority Matriarchy is where the mother holds the majority of the power and authority Egalitarian is where the mother and father share equal power and authority.

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Basic Needs Provided by the Family Regulation of sexual activity – enforce incest taboo which is a norm forbidding sexual relations or marriage between certain relatives Reproduction – societies establish norms governing childbearing and child rearing

The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective Socialization – children must be taught the ways of the society into which they were born Economic and Emotional Security – family acts as the basic economic unit in society and in most cases labor is divided on the basis of gender

The American Family Marriage begins with courtship and marriage between either homogamous or heterogamous couples. Homogamy is marriage based on similar characteristics such as age, SES, religion, and race. Heterogamy is marriage between individuals who have different characteristics.

The American Family Disruptions include family violence, divorce, empty nest, return of adult children and death of a spouse.

The American Family Divorce is most likely to occur among people who marry as teenagers than couples who marry after the age of 20. Couples with college educations are less likely to divorce than couples who have not attended college. However, women who have attended graduate school are more likely to divorce than less educated women.

The American Family Divorce rates also vary by ethnicity African American women are more likely to be divorced than white women. African American women are more likely to marry young and how lower incomes. Hispanic women are less likely to be divorced than white women.

The American Family Divorce effects women more than men in terms of economics, but women adjust better emotionally than men. Rates of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, and anxiety are higher among divorced men than women. Studies suggest that children of divorced parents are more likely to struggle academically and have more emotional problems than children whose parents stay together.

The American Family Sociologist believe divorce rates have risen due to the fact that it is easier to get divorced than it used to be and most states have a no fault divorce. Dual-earner families have increased which means women are no longer financially dependent on men like they once were. Society has also become more tolerant of divorce than it was 20-30 years ago.

The American Family

The American Family Family disruptions in later life When children grow up and leave the home parents are left with what sociologists call the empty nest. Women tend to be affected more. Some children return home after leaving. Family dissolution when a spouse dies. Widowhood can cause problems with finances and lonliness.

The American Family Trends in American Family Life Delayed Marriages – current trend is to marry later in life and being single has become an acceptable alternative to being married Delayed Childbearing – women are delaying childbirth to complete their education and establish a career Childlessness – couples are making the conscious choice to remain voluntarily childless

Dual-Earner Marriages – increase in the number of dual- earner marriages due to the increased number of women entering the workforce One-Parent Families – come about in various ways such as divorce, death of a spouse, births to unwed mothers or adoption by unmarried individuals Remarriage – the majority of people who get divorcedabout 75 percentget remarried