Families and Social Change ► Globalization ► World economic stratification ► Implications for families around the world ► Economics ► Health ► Safety, stability, and security ► Race and ethnic relations ► Predictions for the future ► Main themes of the semester

Globalization: driving force for change ► Global interdependence:  Economic futures are intertwined  National problems become international  Families affected by conditions around the world

World Economic Stratification ► Countries stratified into 3 levels:  Core (wealthy, highly developed, slow pop. growth, high standard of living) – U.S., Europe  Periphery (poor, less developed, rapid pop. growth, lower standard of living) -Africa  Semi-periphery (beginning to develop; may become core) India, China

World Economic Stratification ► System dominated by multinational Corporations (MNC’s)  Based in core countries  Divide operations among several countries  Use labor of periphery countries  Profits go to corporate elite, some to core countries  Outside control of any one government  Extremely powerful

Implications for world system Core countries: ► 15-20% of world’s population controls:  80% of corporate markets  68% of foreign investment  50% of energy use ► High political power ► High standard of living ► High national security expenditures

Implications for world system Periphery countries ► Dependent on core countries ► Aid from core countries has declined ► 1/3 of work force un- or under-employed ► Poverty, low standard of living ► Some employment opportunities for women  Have not greatly changed women’s roles

Economic implications for families ► Core: Jobs lost to periphery countries  High cost of national security = funds diverted from social programs  Income inequality: 200 richest people > 2.4 billion poorest ► Periphery: High levels of unemployment  Migration to urban areas, disruption of villages  More jobs for women, BUT their daughters abandon school for household labor

Health implications for families ► Core: slow pop. growth = high proportion of elderly = strain on health care system  World travel = transportation of diseases ► Periphery: have technology from core, less disease, lower mortality  Results in higher population growth.  Health care not available in all rural areas.  Selling organs OK in some countries – affects poorest classes.

Safety, Security, Stability ► Lives disrupted by poverty, exploitation, war. ► Children may:  Witness extreme violence  Lose homes because of political strife (12 million in 2002)  Be killed or disabled by war, violence (7 million)  Become orphaned by violence (1 million) ► Orphaned children = large increase in international adoptions.

Safety, Security, Stability ► Central Asia, Africa: “world of refugees”  80% women  45% < 18 yrs. old  14% < 5 yrs. old  Afghanistan to Pakistan  Between African countries  Most countries unprepared to handle refugees

Terrorism and war as global issues ► Strategy to fight terrorism is international issue ► Insecurity, fear, social disruption = “endemic stress” in some areas ► Civil rights may be affected ► Women and children increasingly used by terrorists

Racism, hate ► Becoming “normalized” in some places – not necessarily fringe or extremist. ► Racial, religious differences have intensified ► Effects on families:  Prejudice, discrimination, limited opportunity  Loss of civil rights  Forced migration – refugee trend  Violence (ethnic cleansing, genocide)

What does the future hold? ► Individualism, private family around the world ► Cultural variation in family forms, values ► Economic divisions will intensify ► Family policies slow to develop ► Global interdependence will benefit elite ► Grassroots organization may evolve for working classes

Major themes of this course ► Connection between family and society ► Connection between mode of production and family form  Land ownership, patriarchal extended family  Industrialization, breadwinner-homemaker family  Post-industrial, women’s employment, individual family

Major themes of this course ► Primacy of private family, emotional bond  Weakest but most satisfying kind of bond  Nurture the emotional bond with: ► Time ► Communication ► Balance