Marriage and Family

1. Marriage and Family

2. What is family? Family is universal, all groups organize members into families, different definitions around the world Western world family is husband, wife, children Other cultures more than one wife (polygyny), more than one husband (polyandry) Broad definition is people that consider themselves related by blood, marriage or adoption Marriage and Family in a Global Perspective

3. Marriage and Family in a Global Perspective • Family classifications • Nuclear- husband wife children • Extended- includes aunts, uncles, grandparents • Family of orientation-family that person grows up in • Family of procreation-formed when couple has their first child • Marriage- groups approved mating arrangements, usually marked by ritual (wedding), that indicates new status

4. Marriage and Family in a Global Perspective Common Cultural Themes • Each group establishes norms of who marries whom • Endogamy- members must marry within groups, sometimes written into law • Exogamy- must marry outside of group • Incest taboo example of exogamy • All societies have system of descent (how you are related to others) • Bilateral systemused in our culture (trace through mother and father) • Other types patrilineal, matrilineal

5. Marriage and Family in a Global Perspective • Inheritance- family relation computes rights of inheritance, match groups ideas and logic (no natural system) • Authority usually rests males in all societies • Authority in Western cultures becoming more egalitarian (changing last names at marriage)

6. Each group perceives it forms of marriage and family as natural • Functionalist Perspective-How does it contribute and relate to other parts of society? • Family fulfills six basic needs that are essential to the survival of society • economic production • socialization of children • care of sick and aged • Recreation • Sexual control • Reproduction Marriage and Family from a Theoretical Perspective

7. Functionalist perspective Incest taboo- helps families avoid role confusion Forces people to look outside of family for marriage partners Isolation and overload are dysfunctions Isolation of nuclear family, extended family becomes less important Not as many people to rely on for material and emotional support, stresses spread among fewer people (causes emotional overload, makes family vulnerable to more dysfunction) Marriage and Family from a Theoretical Perspective

8. Conflict Theory- power of wives increasing • Women contribute more to income and decision making • Seen in power struggle over housework (called second shift, creates discontent among wives) • Symbolic Interactionistperspective deals with gender roles Marriage and Family from a Theoretical Perspective

9. Romantic love- attraction and idealizing one another (found in most societies) • Role of love differs from one society to another • Western life seen as only basis for marriage • Two components- emotional (feeling of attraction), cognitive (label we attach to those feelings, being in love) Family Life Cycle

10. Marriage • Patterns follow predictable patterns • Age, social class, education, race • People with similar characteristics in these areas marry each other (homogamy) • Social upheavals of 1960’s brought down race barrier to marriage Family Life Cycle

11. Childbirth and Childrearing Parents spend more time with kids today than 30 years ago (mothers and fathers) Single mothers rely on daycare and grandparents more to raise children Marital satisfaction drops after birth of child, adding third person means interaction must be shared Family Life Cycle

12. Family Life Cycle • Childbirth and Childrearing • Social class makes difference how children are raised • Working class children develop naturally, place limits on children and let them choose their activities • Children expected to follow rules, concern with outward conformity, more likely to use physical punishment • Middle class- children need nurturing, pick activities they think will develop child’s thinking and social skills • Concern that children develop curiosity and self expression, withdraw privileges or affection for punishment

13. Family Transitions in Later Life • Empty nest- when children leave home new domestic situation that arises • Children leaving home later, more return home after college (causes problems in home between children and parents) • Widowhood- women more likely to become widows (live longer on average), living spouse needs to reassess life Family Life Cycle

14. Culture, socioeconomic status major factors in determining family but there is an element of racial diversity • African American families- likely to marry later, more likely to be headed by women • Fictive kin- people who help out seen as relatives, stretching of kinship, owe obligations to those that help • African American women tend to marry men with less education (women on average more educated in this racial group Diversity in U.S. Families

15. Latino Families • Longer they are in US the more families resemble American family • Strong family orientation, disapproval of divorce • Loyalty to extended family • Machismo used to be big part of family culture (strength of male important), declining in recent years • Husband-father plays bigger role than other ethnic groups Diversity in U.S. Families

16. Asian American Families • Family life reflects cultures where they are from, changes the more time they are in America • More permissive in child rearing • Punishment centers on shame and guilt • Tend to be have more respect for the elderly, family obligation • Success of child brings respect to family Diversity in U.S. Families

17. Native American Families • Most significant issue- to follow modern or traditional ways • Creates vast differences between families • Avid physical punishment of children • Elders play a more active role, provide child care, teach discipline Diversity in U.S. Families

18. One Parent Families • Increase in number recently • More likely to live in poverty, primary source of strain • Women usually head of one parent families • Children more likely to do poorly in school, have emotional problems and economic hardships Diversity in U.S. Families

19. Diversity in U.S. Families

20. Families without children • Childlessness has grown over past 20 years • Common reason is sense of freedom • More education for women, acceptance of contraception, high cost of raising children cited as reasons Blended Families • Significantly increasing because of divorce • Creates complicated family relationships Diversity in U.S. Families

21. Gay and lesbian families More common in European countries 2004 Mass. First state to legalize gay marriage Most couples with children located in larger cities 1/5 previously married, have children from heterosexual marriage Same sex couples more likely to breakup Diversity in U.S. Families

22. Trends in U.S Families • Family life in US undergoing a fundamental shift • Women postpone marriage and childbirth • One reason it has changed is because cohabitation has become more accepted • Cohabitation more common today than 30 years ago • Level of commitment is major difference between marriage and cohabitation • Easier to end relationship • Couples who cohabitate before marriage more likely to divorce Diversity in U.S. Families

23. Births to unmarried mothers has increased • Becoming more common for grandparents to raise children (skipped generation families) • Sandwich generation- people who care for parents and children • People usually between 40-55, leaves little time for personal interests Diversity in U.S. Families

24. Divorce rate depends on where you live Has increased over the years Race and ethnicity factor in divorce Divorce and Remarriage

25. Marriage at an early age. A short acquaintanceship before marriage. Disapproval of the marriage by relatives and friends. Limited economic resources Having a high-school education or less. Parents who are divorced or have unhappy marriages. The presence of children at the beginning of the marriage. Characteristics of those Likely to Get Divorced

26. Children of Divorce • More likely to experience emotional problems • Lower graduation rates, more likely to divorce themselves • 75-80% do function well • Children close to both parents make best adjustment • Effects of divorce found across generations, grandchildren of divorce have weaker bonds with their parents and higher rates of marital discord with their parents Divorce and Remarriage

27. Serial fatherhood new pattern that has emerged • Divorced father maintains contact with children right after divorce, sees them less as time goes on • Women more likely than men to feel divorce gives them a “new life’ • More likely to cause economic hardship for women, women’s standard of living drops about a third • Remarriage many remarry, most divorced people marry other divorced people • Men more likely to remarry • If you have children, more likely to divorce because of nature of complicated relationships Divorce and Remarriage

28. Two Sides of Family Life Dark side Battering, rape, incest, child abuse Battering- likely to occur equally between men and women Women injured more often Related to sexist structure of society Norms encourage men to use aggression and violence to control women Child Abuse- supposed to love, nurture, protect them Most is never brought to our attention

29. Two Sides of Family Life Marital or Intimacy Rape- more common than thought Occurs in cohabiting couples (intimacy rape) Victims suffer from shock, anger, depression after incident Incest- sexual relations between certain relatives Usually occurs in families that are socially isolated Most common offenders cousins, fathers, brothers

30. Two Sides of Family Life Most Americans report that they have a happy marriage (60%) Factors that make a happy marriage: Agree with Spouse Aims and Goals Believe Spouse Grown More Interesting Want Relationship to Succeed Laugh Together Spouse is Best Friend Like Spouse as Person Think Marriage is Long-Term Commitment Believe Marriage is Sacred

31. Two Sides of Family Life Happy Families Spend a Lot of Time Together Are Quick to Express Appreciation Committed to Promoting Mutual Welfare Talk and Listen a Lot Are Religious Deal with Crises Positively

32. The Future of Marriage and Family Will marriage work out? Symbolic interactionists point out that we make our own worlds, we interpret experiences and act accordingly, create a self fulfilling prophesy Future of marriage Will continue because of its positive functions Cohabitation, births to single mothers, age at first marriage will increase Women will continue to gain marital power We will continue to see the “sandwich generation”’ until bay boomers die off Distorted myths of marriage will continue (negative and positive)