Chapter 13 The Family

Chapter Outline  Defining the Family  Family Functions: An International Perspective  Modernization and Romance  Modernization and Kinship  Modernization and Divorce  Gender and Extramarital Sex  Living Together The One-Parent Family  Remarriage

Defining the Family  Standard definition of the family as a universal human institution:  A small kinship structured group with the key function of nurturant socialization of the newborn.

Variations in Family Life in Premodern Societies Men may have multiple wives77 Newlyweds settle closer to groom’s family69 Easy for a man to divorce his wife75 Husbands and wives share the same “bed”61 Couple has privacy when sleeping28 Norm against sex during menstruation82 Women are segregated during menstruation34 Grooms are much older than their brides70 Couples spend much leisure time together27 Couples usually eat meals together74 Men do no domestic chores51 Nuclear family is typical29

Family Functions  Sexual gratification  Economic support  Emotional support

Average Household Size in Preindustrial Societies NationYear Number of Persons In Average Household British North America England France Germany Italy Japan Poland Scotland Serbia1733–

Modernization And Divorce  2/3 of divorces occur between people who have children.  About 75% North American adults who divorce remarry.  Most people who get divorced report their marriage no longer provided emotional satisfaction.

Why Is Divorce Common?  Romance is a highly perishable commodity  The opportunities to get divorced have increased.

% of American Women Whose First Marriage Ended in Divorce Divorced after: 5 years of marriage15 years of marriage All Women20%43% Race/Ethnicity Asian10%23% Hispanic17%42% White20%42% African American 28%55%

% of American Women Whose First Marriage Ended in Divorce Divorced after: 5 years of marriage15 years of marriage All Women20%43% Age at Marriage Less than 1829%59% 18–1924%49% 20–2417%36% 25 and over8%35%

% of American Women Whose First Marriage Ended in Divorce Divorced after: 5 years of marriage15 years of marriage All Women20%43% Family Income Low31%65% Medium19%40% High13%31%

% of American Women Whose First Marriage Ended in Divorce Divorced after: 5 years of marriage15 years of marriage All Women20%43% Religion Catholic17%37% Conservative Protestant 18%40% Other (non- Christian) 17%40% Liberal Protestant21%44% None27%56%

% of American Women Whose First Marriage Ended in Divorce Divorced after: 5 years of marriage15 years of marriage All Women20%43% Parents Not divorced17%38% Divorced26%52%

Have you had sex with someone other than your spouse while you were married?” MenWomenTotal Yes25%13%19% No

Explanation of Divorce Rates: Trent and Scott Findings:  Modernization causes a modest decrease in divorce rates during the early stages, but as nations develop, the divorce rate climbs.  The divorce rate is higher where a larger proportion of women work outside the home.  Where women outnumber men, divorce is high despite the fact that marriage rates are lower.

Living Together Study of American Couples:  51% of women who cohabitated with their future spouse were divorced by the end of 15 years of marriage.  39% of women who had not cohabited with their spouse divorced within 15 years.

The One-parent Family  In 1960, 5% of all births in the U.S. were to unmarried women.  This has risen to 33%.  In Iceland and Sweden, most births are to unmarried women.  In Greece and Japan, unwed births are rare.  Most unwed mothers keep their children and in 90% of divorces, children remain with the mother.

Effect of One Parent Families on Children  Studies suggest children in one-parent families are more prone to delinquency but the differences are not great.  Research finds that poor parenting, regardless of the number of parents, is the primary cause of deviant behavior in children.  It isn’t how many parents a child has at home, but how effective they are as parents that is most important.

Unmarried Motherhood Nation Births to Unmarried Mothers (%) Nation Births to Unmarried Mothers (%) Iceland65Canada26 Sweden54Netherlands19 Norway49Germany18 France39Spain11 Great Britain37Italy8 United States 33Switzerland8

Remarriage  Most people who divorce get remarried.  Women are more likely to remarry if they are less than 25 when they divorce.  77% without children remarried, while 70% with two or more children remarry.

Among Married Couples, the % wherein the Woman “Always” or “Usually” Performs the Chore NationLaundry(%) Small Repairs(%) Grocery Shopping(%) Italy Japan Germany91442 Spain Sweden81242 Canada70546 United States 69649