Public and Private Families Chapter 1

Increasing ambivalence Women in workforce vs. children in day care Divorce vs. unhappy marriage

Focus on the individual Individualism Utilitarian individualism Expressive individualism

Public vs. Private Public One adult, or two adults who are related by marriage, partnership, or shared parenthood, who is/are taking care of dependents Private Two or more individuals who maintain an intimate relationship that they expect will last indefinitely and who usually live in the same household and pool their incomes and household labor

Public vs. Private Public Externalities Benefits or costs that accrue to others when an individual or business produces something Negative – costs imposed on others Positive – benefits received by others Public goods Things that may be enjoyed by people who not themselves produce them Free-rider problem The tendency for people to obtain public goods by letting others do the work of producing them

Public vs. Private Not all families will be accepted by society or by the state There are implications to our social construction of family

Sociology and the Scientific Method The scientific study of social relationships and human groups.

Theory A set of statements or propositions that seek to explain or predict a particular aspect of social life.

Sociological Theory and Family Structural Functional Conflict/Feminist Symbolic Interaction Exchange Postmodern

Structural Functionalism Assumes that society is structured to maintain stability Control and regulation Socialization Emotional support

Conflict Perspective Examines society in terms of conflict, struggle and scare resources. Who benefits and who suffers?

Feminist Theory Looks at gender as the central organizing principle within society (Conflict and SI) Men’s domination

Social Exchange Theory Assumes that humans’ choices are motivated by the same forces that drive economic marketplaces. Maximize rewards and minimize costs

Symbolic Interactionist Theory Looks at everyday social interactions as well as symbols.

Postmodern Individuals reflexively influence their social environments Late modern era The last few decades of the 20 th century and the present day Self-identity A person’s sense of who he/she is and of where he/she fits in the social structure Reflexivity The process through which individuals take in knowledge, reflect on it, and alter their behavior as a result.

Objectivity The ability to draw conclusions about a social situation that are unaffected by one’s own belief Critical to scientific study

What is the Scientific Method? Systematic, organized series of steps that ensures maximum objectivity and consistency in researching a problem Defining the problem Reviewing the literature Formulating the hypothesis Selecting the research design and collecting and analyzing data Developing the conclusion

Replication The practice of researchers performing similar studies to see whether they obtain the same results as a previous study.

Hypothesis A researchable prediction that specifies the relationship between two or more variables.

Research Hypothesis: Speculative statement about the relationship between two or more factors known as variables Variable: Measurable trait or characteristic subject to change under different conditions Independent variable: Variable hypothesized to cause or influence another Dependent variable: Action depends on influence of the independent variable

Research Experiment – A research method designed to elicit some sort of behavior; typically under closely controlled laboratory conditions.

Research Survey – A form of social research in which researchers ask respondents a series of questions, either orally or through a questionnaire. Primary analysis – analysis of survey data by the people who collected the information Secondary analysis – analysis of survey data by people other than those who collected it

Observational/Field research A type of research in which the researchers goes out and observes events as they actually occur.

Unobtrusive research Content analysis – study of recorded communication to determine variations in social trends over time Historical analysis- research method that relies on existing historical documents as a source of data.

Samples Representative Random Convenience

Globalization The increasing flow of goods and services, money, migrants, and information across the nations of the world Impact on the family

Social institution A set of roles and rules that define a social unite of importance to society Organized patterns of belief and behavior centered on meeting social needs