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Chapter 15: Social Problems of Marriage and Family

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Presentation on theme: "Chapter 15: Social Problems of Marriage and Family"— Presentation transcript:

1 Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

2 Chapter 15: Social Problems of Marriage and Family

3 Background of a Family Marriage Family Nuclear Family Extended Family
Union of two people typically recognized by law or cultural norms Family Two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption Nuclear Family Household consisting of husband, wife, and children Extended Family Structure that includes nuclear family plus one or more additional relatives

4 Myths About the Family Family researcher Stephanie Coontz
Myths about family that persist in United States: Belief that all families structured like a nuclear family Family units are self-reliant Within each family, there is a predetermined and different set of roles and responsibilities for men and women The nuclear family of the 1950s is the ideal family Perfect family more a product of imagination than reality

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6 The American Family: A Work in Progress
Idea of typical American family constantly changing Median age at which person gets married has changed considerably Economic and educational opportunities for women expanded greatly since 1900 Led some to postpone marriage in favor of starting careers May be due to change in values on nature of marriage, family, and what one seeks from life

7 New Family Structures Cohabitation
Rate of cohabitation increased significantly over past 40 years Rise in divorces over past few decades, young adults now aware of realities of divorce Changing societal norms about cohabitation and sexual relationships outside marriage Different couples may have different reasons for choosing cohabitation over marriage Trial period before marriage or substitute Others may view living together as logical step in serious relationship

8 Continued These different reasons for cohabiting can affect the success of a relationship Without legal recognition of their union, researchers noted that couples that opt to remain unmarried maintain striking resemblance to families of the past Particularly true if couple brings children into relationship Parental roles remain typical

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10 Continued Blended Families and Single-Parent Homes Blended Families
Consist of children and some combination of biological parents and stepparents Many single-parent households in which children typically raised by mother who is divorced or never married father of her children Blended families share number of possible problems similar to single-parent households Though single-parent households tend to have lowest incomes of all forms of the family 48% of all single mothers live below poverty line Employed single mother’s per capita income is 13% lower than per capita income in two-parent households in which father is only one employed outside the home

11 Continued Children raised in single-parent families:
Increased risk for poor academic performance Low self-esteem Substance abuse Delinquent behavior and a host of other social problems Researchers suggested this results from being stigmatized by other children Others suggest it is due to lack of clear and consistent parenting roles Others maintain that because family processes in these families different from nuclear family, wellbeing of individuals suffers Research supports idea that differences have less to do with family structure and more to do with family processes

12 Continued Gay and Lesbian Families
Research is difficult to find and is often controversial 1990s Census data Approximately 60% of gay families and 45% of lesbian families live in urban areas and are concentrated in certain regions of US Only small percentages have children 50% of heterosexual couples have children Only 5% of gay couples and 22% of lesbian couples do

13 Continued Children raised in gay/lesbian homes no more likely to grow up to be gay than children raised in straight homes Less likely to suffer abuse Tend to have more opportunities because parents are generally better educated and better off financially than their peers Children raised by same-sex couples don’t exhibit adverse effects on self-esteem or self-worth related to fact their homes are “different”

14 Issues in the Family Marital Satisfaction Difficult to measure
Married people tend: To be happier Have better health Enjoy higher standard of living because incomes tend to be higher Research on life satisfaction Men tend to benefit more from marriage than women Married men live more stable lives than their single peers Less likely to be involved in dangerous activities More likely to experience contentment in their lives

15 Continued Having children can affect marital satisfaction
Studies show parents report lower levels of satisfaction compared to nonparents Mothers of infants show greatest difference in martial contentment when compared to women with no children Data show satisfaction for both men and women decreases after birth of first child Due to conflicts from parenting and decreased levels of personal freedom Regardless the form of family Adult participants exhibit lower levels of sense of well-being while expressing more frequent negative emotions than do their peers who are without children

16 Continued Child Rearing and Child Care Raising children is expensive
2006 Raising child until age of 17 was $289,000 Expenses can be major point of tension Main issue is making decisions about child care May involve deciding whether one parent will stay home In families where both spouses employed, means making arrangements for children during work hours Several different options Day care centers, family day cares, hiring babysitters, or having children stay with other relatives during the day

17 Continued Increased number of women in workforce corresponded with changes in child care arrangements 1965 15% of mothers employed cared for their preschool children while they worked 1994 Number dropped to 6% Percentage of working fathers who cared for young children increased from 14% to 19% Percentage of preschool children in day care centers increased from 7% in 1965 to 29% in 1994

18 Divorce Despite best intentions Some families wind up in divorce court
Amy Taylor Some couples see divorce as only alternative In case of many failed marriages, cheating constitutes grounds for divorce Some seek to escape domestic violence Other couples divorce because they can’t get along anymore

19 Continued Changes in attitudes about family made it easier to obtain divorce in the United States Family roles and stigma surrounding divorce changed Divorce rate increased considerably since 1950s More women able to pursue own careers and earn a successful living Removed economic concerns single women faced in the past People today more supportive of divorce than in the past Getting divorced much more common

20 Continued 1950s More than 85% of marriages lasted 10 years or more Now, only about 70% last that long Factors such as cohabitation can increase chances of divorce by 35% Why is a complicated and unanswerable question Appears people willing to cohabit have different values and attitudes about meaning of marriage Hurts chances of creating lasting relationship

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22 Decreasing the Odds There are features that decrease likelihood of divorce Some risk factors can be controlled, others based on circumstance People who share similar educational and religious backgrounds more likely to remain married Those who marry in mid-20s or older and wait to have children more likely to stay with their spouse Coming from family that hasn’t been through a divorce decreases likelihood of experiencing one

23 Children and Divorce Children also heavily impacted by divorce
Couple can ease the blow by delivering message together and in a way that does not focus on conflict Taking responsibility for the decision Avoiding the blame game Encouraging children to ask questions

24 Continued Children whose parents divorce experience social problems
Sometimes encounter difficulties at school Emotional drain and loss of time while parents in transition Research indicates that in the US Child loses close to 70% of full school year due to divorce Children who experience intense divorces have extreme difficulty in coping with the situation Children from families with divorced parents more likely to get a divorce Children of divorce found to have more negative attitudes about marriage and possibility of sustaining a long-term relationship

25 Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionists examine how marriage relates to society Researcher Stephanie Coontz Family structure has always changed In previous eras, extended families common Divorce and unmarried coupling rare Definitions of family reflected social norms of those times In present day, definition of family grown to include nuclear family, blended families, and other variations These definitions also likely to change

26 Conflict Theory Conflict theorists focus on competition over limited resources See potential for struggle over time and energy In an institution supposed to be based on mutual affection and desire to ensure happiness of both partners Conflict revolves around household duties and child care Men’s and women’s responsibilities at home not equal Women today still do more total household chores Conflict theorists claim this is a way for men to use advantage to keep busy and create a better life for themselves Some suggest it is clearly oppression

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28 Functionalism Functionalists see family as means of ensuring people are able to function successfully in society Sociologist Emile Durkheim Learning to function in a family is first step in preparing individuals to function in society Children taught which types of behavior are acceptable and which types are frowned upon

29 Continued Living in a family environment helps children develop skills related to tolerance and cooperation Children prepared to operate in the larger world Skills acquired by living in a family: Ability to make friends Maintain a job Interact with others on a daily basis Without family environment, successful integration into society would be more difficult

30 Continued Sociologist David Popenoe
Traditional American nuclear family eroded over time Particularly in past 25 years Strengths that make up family Institutions have weakened Cohesion Performance of familial functions Power over other social institutions Change occurred as family members became more autonomous and less connected to one another Without cohesion, families unable to perform proper functions

31 Preventing Child Abuse
Defined by federal law as “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” 2007 1,760 child fatalities as direct result of injury related to neglect or physical abuse Most vulnerable children are the youngest Children under age of 4 accounted for 75% of child abuse-related fatalities

32 Continued Preventive measures that can be taken
Most states require immediate notification to authorities if person suspects child is being abused More rapid responses lead to fewer children being murdered Complications arise over the definition of “abuse” Some parents who use violence believe they are using physical punishment as just form of discipline

33 Continued Some suggest this form of chastisement (spanking) related to increased likelihood of child abuse Children in US at greatest risk of being abused by someone responsible for their care This social problem most often faced by Schools, courts, and host of social service agencies Therapy and family intervention Help parents identify and understand their triggers Develop ways of coping with and avoiding situations that previously resulted in abuse

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35 No-Fault Divorce and Covenant Marriage
Divorce in which both parties in a marriage are granted a divorce without having to prove fault Between 1953 and 1987 Most fault-based divorce laws eliminated in US Enabled split without legally establishing blame Some view elimination of laws as devastating to family institution Laws provide incentives for divorce rather than providing incentives to solve marital problems

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37 Continued One alternative is covenant marriage
Places conditions on circumstances in which divorce will be permitted Specific terms vary by state Intention is to put roadblock between couple and “easy divorce” Does not mean that couples cannot divorce Only that for those who agreed to enter into one, divorce is more difficult Debate over benefits of covenant marriage Will decrease divorces Can trap people in unhappy marriages


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