Chapter 15 Families and Intimate Relationships

Chapter Outline Families in Global Perspective Theoretical Perspectives on Family Developing Intimate Relationships and Establishing Families Child-Related Family Issues and Parenting Transitions and Problems in Families Family Issues in the Future

Families in Global Perspective The Census Bureau defines a family as consisting of two or more people who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption, and residing in the same housing unit. Families are relationships in which people live together with commitment, form an economic unit and care for any young, and consider their identity to be significantly attached to the group.

Kinship refers to a social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption. The family of orientation is the family into which a person is born and in which early socialization usually takes place. The family of procreation is the family that a person forms by having or adopting children.

An extended family is a family unit composed of relatives in addition to parents and children who live in the same household. A nuclear family is a family composed of one or two parents and their dependent children, all of whom live apart from other relatives.

Marriage is a legally recognized and/or socially approved arrangement between two or more individuals that carries certain rights and obligations and usually involves sexual activity. Monogamy is a marriage between two partners, usually a woman and a man. Polygamy is the concurrent marriage of a person of one sex with two or more members of the opposite sex. Polygyny is the concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women. Polyandry is the concurrent marriage of one woman with two or more men.

Patrilineal descent is a system of tracing descent through the father’s side of the family. Matrilineal descent is a system of tracing descent through the mother’s side of the family. Bilateral descent is a system of tracing descent through both the mother’s and father’s sides of the family.

A patriarchal family is a family structure in which authority is held by the eldest male (usually the father). A matriarchal family is a family structure in which authority is held by the eldest female (usually the mother). An egalitarian family is a family structure in which both partners share power and authority equally.

Patrilocal residence refers to the custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) as the husband’s parents. Matrilocal residence is the custom of a married couple living in the same household (or community) as the wife’s parents. A neolocal residence is the custom of a married couple living in their own residence apart from both the husband’s and the wife’s parents.

Endogamy is the practice of marrying within one’s own group. Exogamy is the practice of marrying outside one’s own group.

Theoretical Perspectives on Family Functionalist Perspectives Functionalists emphasize the importance of the family in maintaining the stability of society and the well-being of individuals. Families serve four key functions: sexual regulation socialization economic and psychological support provision of social status The sociology of family is the subdiscipline of sociology that attempts to describe and explain patterns of family life and variations in family structure.

Conflict and Feminist Perspectives Conflict theorists see families as sources of social inequality and conflict over values, goals, and access to resources and power. Feminists emphasize inequality in families based on patriarchy rather than class.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives Symbolic interactionists focus on what people think and say and do within relationships. Postmodernist Perspectives According to postmodern theories, we have experienced a significant decline in the influence of the family and other social institutions.

Developing Intimate Relationships and Establishing Families Love and Intimacy Work and home as separate spheres Cohabitation and Domestic Partnerships Cohabitation refers to two people who live together, and think of themselves as a couple, without being legally married. Domestic partnerships are household partnerships in which an unmarried couple lives together in a committed, sexually intimate relationship and is granted some of the same rights and benefits as those accorded to married heterosexual couples.

Marriage Same-Sex Marriages Homogamy refers to the pattern of individuals marrying those who have similar characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, religious background, age, education, or social class. Same-Sex Marriages Legal marriage DOMA Overall support

Housework and Child-Care Responsibilities Dual-earner marriages are marriages in which both spouses are in the labor force. The second shift refers to the domestic work that employed women perform at home after they complete their workday on the job.

Child-Related Family Issues and Parenting Decisions to have children Ideal family size Reproductive technologies Child-free and infertility Adoption Legal process Step families Teenage Childbearing High rates, but declining Consequences

Discussion How could we decrease teen pregnancy rates?

Single-Parent Households Increase Consequences Two-Parent Households Decline Shared parenting Remaining Single Single by choice

Discussion Are children better off in two-parent families?

Living Arrangements of Children Under 18 Figure 15.1

Transitions and Problems in Families Domestic violence refers to any intentional act or series of acts—whether physical, emotional, or sexual—by one or both partners in an intimate relationship that causes injury to either person. Foster care refers to institutional settings or residences where adults other than a child’s own parents or biological relatives serve as caregivers. Divorce is the legal process of dissolving a marriage that allows former spouses to remarry if they so choose. Blended families are families which consist of a husband and wife, children from previous marriages, and children (if any) from the new marriage.

Family Issues in the Future “Traditional” families Economy Changing structure

Quick Quiz

The concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women is: polygamy polyandry polygyny all of the choices Answer: c The concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women is polygyny.

A family structure in which the authority is held by the eldest female is: a matriarchical family a patriarchical family a patrilocal family a matrilocal family Answer: a A family structure in which the authority is held by the eldest female is a matriarchical family.

Families that consist of a husband, wife, and children from previous marriages and (if any) children from the new is called a: boomerang family reconstituted family sandwich families blended family Answer: d Families that consist of a husband, wife, and children from previous marriages and (if any) children from the new is called a blended family.

The family one is born into and which early socialization takes place is: the family of orientation the family of adoption the family of procreation the family of origin Answer: a The family one is born into and which early socialization takes place is the family of orientation.

According to functionalists, all of the following are key functions of families except the: provision of social status economic and psychological support maintenance of workers so that they can function effectively in the workplace sexual regulation and socialization of children Answers: c According to functionalists, maintenance of workers so that they can function effectively in the workplace is not a key functions of families.