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nullnullChapter 14: The Family and Intimate RelationshipsThe Family and Intimate RelationshipsThe Family and Intimate RelationshipsGlobal View of the Family Sociological Perspectives on the Family Marriage and Family Divorce Diverse Lifestyles Social Policy and The Family: Gay MarriageComposition: What Is the Family?Composition: What Is the Family?Family: set of people related by blood, marriage, or some other agreed-upon relationship, or adoption who share primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society Nuclear family: nucleus or core upon which larger family groups are built Composition: What Is the Family?Composition: What Is the Family?Extended family: family in which relatives live in same home as parents and their children Monogamy: form of marriage in which one woman and one man are married only to each other Serial monogamy: when a person has several spouses in his or her lifetime, but only one spouse at a timeComposition: What Is the Family?Composition: What Is the Family?Polygamy: when an individual has several husbands or wives simultaneously Polygyny: marriage of a man to more than one woman at a time Polyandry: marriage of a woman to more than one husband at the same time Exceedingly rare Like many societies, polyandrous cultures devalue social worth of womenFigure 14-1: U.S. Households by Family Type, 1940–2010Figure 14-1: U.S. Households by Family Type, 1940–2010Note: Nonfamily households includes women and men living alone or exclusively with people to whom they are not related, as in a college dormitory, homeless shelter, or military base. Source: Author’s estimate based on Bureau of the Census 1996; Jason Fields 2004; see also McFalls 2003:23.Kinship Patterns: To Whom Are We Related?Kinship Patterns: To Whom Are We Related?Kinship: state of being related to others Family and kin group not necessarily one and the same Bilateral descent: both sides of person’s family equally important Patrilineal descent: only father’s relatives are important Matrilineal descent: only mother’s relatives are significantSociology in the Global CommunitySociology in the Global Community14-1: One Wife, Many Husbands: The Nyinba Why would a monogamous marriage be considered an unfortunate one in the Nyinba culture? What might be some other ways for a society to handle the physical constraints of life in a mountainous terrain?Authority Patterns: Who Rules?Authority Patterns: Who Rules?Patriarchy: males are expected to dominate in all family decision making Matriarchy: women have greater authority than men Egalitarian family: family in which spouses are regarded as equalsFunctionalist ViewFunctionalist ViewFamily serves six functions for society Reproduction Protection Socialization Regulation of sexual behavior Affection and companionship Provision of social statusConflict ViewConflict ViewFamily reflects inequality in wealth and power found within society In wide range of societies, husbands exercise power and authority within the family Family is an economic unit contributing to social injusticeInteractionist ViewInteractionist ViewFocuses on micro-level of family and other intimate relationships Interested in how individuals interact with each other whether they are cohabiting partners or longtime married couplesFeminist ViewFeminist ViewSociologists looked particularly closely at how women’s work outside the home impacts child care and housework Feminists urged social scientists and social agencies to rethink notion that families in which no adult male is present are automatically cause for concern Feminists stress need to investigate neglected topics in family studiesTable 14-1: Sociological Perspectives on the FamilyTable 14-1: Sociological Perspectives on the FamilyCourtship and Mate SelectionCourtship and Mate SelectionAspects of Mate Selection Many societies have explicit or unstated rules that define acceptable mates Endogamy: specifies groups within which a spouse must be found and prohibits marriage with members of other groups Exogamy: requires mate selection outside certain groups, usually one’s own family or certain kinCourtship and Mate SelectionCourtship and Mate SelectionAspects of Mate Selection Incest taboo: social norm common to all societies that prohibits sexual relationships between certain culturally specified relationships Homogamy: conscious or unconscious tendency to select mate with personal characteristics similar to one’s ownCourtship and Mate SelectionCourtship and Mate SelectionThe Love Relationship Parents in U.S. tend to value love highly as a rationale for marriage Society expects parents and peers to help person confine search for a “socially acceptable” member of the opposite sex Coupling of love and marriage not universal In societies with arranged marriages, economic considerations play significant role In some societies, neither parents nor bride has a say in whom she marriesFigure 14-2: Percentage of People Ages 20 to 24 Ever Married, Selected CountriesFigure 14-2: Percentage of People Ages 20 to 24 Ever Married, Selected CountriesSource: United Nations Population Division 2005.Research in ActionResearch in Action14-2: Arranged Marriage, American-Style Can you under any circumstances, imagine yourself accepting an arranged marriage? For Indian Americans as a group rather than as individuals, what might be some long-term benefits of arranged marriage? Might these benefits give them an advantage over other ethnic groups?Social Class DifferencesSocial Class DifferencesIn U.S., upper class emphasizes lineage and maintenance of family position Lower class families likely to have one parent at home Children typically assume adult responsibilities Women often play significant role in economic support of family among the poorRacial and Ethnic DifferencesRacial and Ethnic DifferencesSubordinate status of racial and ethnic groups profoundly affects family life Black, single mothers frequently belong to stable, functioning kin networks Native Americans draw on family ties to cushion many hardships Mexican Americans demonstrate differences Machismo: sense of virility, personal worth, and pride in maleness Familism: pride in extended familyParenthood and GrandparenthoodParenthood and GrandparenthoodRossi identified 4 factors that complicate transition to parenthood Little anticipatory socialization Only limited learning during pregnancy Transition to parenthood abrupt Society lacks clear and helpful guidelines for successful parenthood U.S. saw extension of parenthood with adult children living home “Boomerang generation” or “full-nest syndrome”AdoptionAdoptionAdoption: process that “allows for the transfer of legal rights, responsibilities, and privileges of parenthood” to a new legal parent or parents About 4% of all people in U.S. adopted In 2006, almost 21,000 children entered U.S. as adopted children of citizens Court in New York held that couple does not need to be married to adopt Over 500,000 children live in foster careDual-Income FamiliesDual-Income FamiliesAmong married people between the ages of 25 and 34, 95% of men and 68% of women were in the labor force in 2005 Rise in dual income couples caused by Economic need Declining birth rate Increase in proportion of women with college education Shift to a service economy Women’s consciousness changingSingle-Parent FamiliesSingle-Parent FamiliesSingle-parent families: only one parent present to care for children Not a rarity 21% of White families with children 35% of Hispanic families with children 55% of African American families with children Number of fathers as single parents quadrupled from 1980 to 2000 Single fathers tend to be more isolatedFigure 14-3: Rise of Single-Parent Families in the United States, 1970–2001Figure 14-3: Rise of Single-Parent Families in the United States, 1970–2001Note: “Children” refers to children under 18. Early data for Asian Americans are for 1980. Hispanics can be of any race. Not included are unrelated people living together with no children present. All data exclude the 4 percent of children in nonparental households. Source: Bureau of the Census 1994:63; Kreider and Fields 2005:3.Figure 14-3: Rise of Single-Parent Families in the United States, 1970–2001Figure 14-3: Rise of Single-Parent Families in the United States, 1970–2001Note: “Children” refers to children under 18. Early data for Asian Americans are for 1980. Hispanics can be of any race. Not included are unrelated people living together with no children present. All data exclude the 4 percent of children in nonparental households. Source: Bureau of the Census 1994:63; Kreider and Fields 2005:3.StepfamiliesStepfamiliesRising rates of divorce and remarriage led to noticeable increase in stepfamily relationships Resocialization required when adult becomes stepparent or child become stepchild Difference between first-time stepfamilies and households with repeated divorces, breakups, or custodial changes Stepparent involvement does not guarantee improvement in family lifeStatistical Trends in DivorceStatistical Trends in DivorceDivorce rates increased in late 1960s, started to level and decline since late 1980s About 63% of all divorces in U.S. remarry Women less likely than men to remarry because many retain custody of childrenFactors Associated with DivorceFactors Associated with DivorceGreater social acceptance of divorce More liberal divorce laws Fewer children Greater family income More opportunities for womenImpact of Divorce on ChildrenImpact of Divorce on ChildrenDivorce is traumatic for all involved About a third of children benefit from divorce because it lessens exposure to conflict Parents only engaged in low-level of conflict in about 70% of divorces, so divorce is harder on those children Interest of parents do not necessarily serve children wellFigure 14-4: Trends in Marriage and Divorce in the United States, 1920–2006Figure 14-4: Trends in Marriage and Divorce in the United States, 1920–2006Sources: Bureau of the Census 1975:64; National Vital Statistics Reports 2007.Diverse LifestylesDiverse LifestylesCohabitation: male-female couples who choose to live together without marrying Remaining Single More people postponing entry into a first marriage Marriage without Children Modest increase in childlessness in U.S. Lesbian and Gay Relationships Lifestyles of lesbians and gay men varyResearch in ActionResearch in Action14-3: The Lingering Impact of Divorce Do you know any adult children of divorce who have had difficulty establishing successful marriages? What seems to be the problem, an inability to handle conflict or a lack of commitment to the marriage? What practical conclusions should we draw from the research on children of divorce? Should couples stay together for the sake of their children?Figure 14-5: Unmarried-Couple Households by StateFigure 14-5: Unmarried-Couple Households by StateNote: Data are for 2000 and include both opposite-sex and same-sex partners. U.S. average is 9.1 percent. Source: T. Simmons and O’Connell 2003:4.Gay MarriageGay MarriageThe Issue Idea of same-sex marriage strikes some in U.S. as attack on traditional marriage Others see it as an acknowledgement of formal relationships The Setting Vermont gave gay couples legal benefits of marriage through civil union (1999) Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled state’s constitution gives gay couples right to marryGay MarriageGay MarriageSociological Insights Functionalists: religious views toward marriage cannot be ignored Conflict theorists: denial of right to marry reinforces second-class citizenship Interactionists: focus on support or opposition of family, co-workers, and friends Typically, people are more opposed to gay marriage than to civil unionGay MarriageGay MarriagePolicy Initiatives Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada recognize same-sex marriages Many nations remains strongly opposed In U.S. local jurisdictions recognized domestic partnerships for benefits Domestic partnership: two unrelated adults who share a mutually caring relationship, reside together, and agree to be jointly responsible for their dependents, basic living expenses, and other common necessitiesFigure 14-6: Discriminatory Marriage and Anti–Gay Discrimination LawsFigure 14-6: Discriminatory Marriage and Anti–Gay Discrimination LawsNote: Current as of March 2007. Vermont prohibits same-sex marriage but provides for same-sex civil union. Source: Human Rights Campaign 2007.