Chapter 11 Family

Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society Universal Aspects Replacing population through reproduction. Regulating sexual behavior. Caring for dependents – children, elderly, disabled. Socializing the young. Providing intimacy, belongingness, emotional support

Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society Family: A group of persons linked together by blood, adoption, marriage or quasi-marital commitment.

Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society Family Patterns Extended family – a couple and their children live with other relatives. Nuclear family – a couple and their children form an independent household living apart from other relatives. Blended family – a couple with children born to one parent as well as children born to both parents.

Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society Marriage: An institutionalized social structure that provides an enduring framework for regulating sexual behavior and childbearing.

Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society Marriage Patterns Monogamy – marriage between one wife and one husband. Polygamy - any form of marriage where one person has more than one spouse at a time.

Family Diversity - Polygamy Some modern American families, like these fundamentalist Mormons, live a polygamous life despite legal and social opposition from most of their fellow citizens and from most other Mormons.

Contemporary Family Choices Postponing Marraige Currently the average first time bride/groom is older than at any other time in history Average age of female at wedding 1890 – 22 1950 – 20 2010 – 26 Although marriage has been postponed the age at which an individual set up a household with someone of the opposite sex has remained the same

Contemporary Family Choices Marriage or Cohabitation Cohabitation means living with a romantic/sexual partner before marriage During the last 30 years, the chances that an individual will cohabit has increased more than 400% for men and 1,200% for women. Approximately half of all recently married couples lived together beforehand. Evidence suggests that cohabitation is an alternative to marriage that may erode the social need for marriage. Deinstitutionalization of marriage – the gradual disintegration of social norms that undergird the need, the meaning, and role expectations of marriage

Roles and Relationships in Marriage The Parental Role: A leap of Faith Parenting - biggest risk most people will take. Children are expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. There are uncertain returns. Presence of children in home reduces marital happiness. Most people desire and have children to accomplish a sense of family and love.

Contemporary Family Choices Having Children…or Not Nonmarital Births… 40% of all U.S. births are non-marital. Most of these are to women 20yrs of age and older. Many women are electing to be single parents. Many women having nonmarital births cohabit with the fathers. Teen childbearing declined considerably between 1991 – 2005, but has risen slightly since. Teen mothers are more likely to be poor.

Connections: Historical Note Today, more pregnant teenagers keep their babies without getting married. Prior to the 1970s, girls who found themselves pregnant had three choices: 1. getting an abortion (usually illegal and sometimes life-threatening) 2. having a “shotgun” wedding 3. giving up their babies for adoption. Those who chose the last option usually left their home towns so they could hide their pregnancy.

Contemporary Family Choices Having Children…or Not Delayed Childbearing… Many women are electing to delay having children 5 – 10 years after marriage. 28% women 30 – 34 and 19% women 40 – 44 are childless. Choosing Childlessness… While many women will eventually want children, increasing numbers have decided that they are uninterested in having children.

Adoption Birth control and abortion have reduced the number of unwanted babies, and fewer single mothers give up their babies. International adoption is now popular among those who can afford it. Practice raises questions about the Commodification of children – where children are treated as goods available for purchase.

Contemporary Family Choices Same-sex Marriage 1989 – Denmark was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage Since then many European countries, Canada and U.S. states have legalized same-sex marriage Some states allow for “Registered Domestic Partnerships” but do not call it marriage.

Problems in the American Family Divorce In the United States, more than 2 million adults and approximately 1 million children are affected annually by divorce. Estimates indicate that 40 – 50% of first marriages today will end in divorce. At the individual level, research shows six factors influence divorce: 1. Age at marriage 4. Education 2. Parental divorce 5. Race 3. Premarital childbearing 6. Religion

Problems in the American Family Divorce Societal-level Factors… Economic changes to tangible assets have made divorce less risky. Ex. Middle class main assets are education and job experience. These are portable and cannot be shared. Therefore less loss in divorce. Economic strain in lower class makes it more difficult to support family  divorce Economic change in women’s employment make bad marriage less desirable.

Problems in the American Family Violence in the Family Each year, 1.5 million children are known to be sexually, physically, or emotionally abused by their parents or caregivers, with about 1/3 of these receiving serious physical injuries. 22% of women and 7% of men report being physically assaulted by a spouse or cohabitant of the opposite sex. Men more likely than women to batter their partners. Violence among married couples has dropped by 50% over the last twenty years.

Family Relationships Despite the many social problems families face, there are also signs of health: the durability of the mother–child bond, the frequency of remarriage, the many stepfathers who willingly support other men’s biological children, and the frequency with which the elderly rely on and get help from their children.