history of the family familial mode of production hunting/gathering agricultural early america labor...
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History of the Family Familial mode of production
Hunting/gatheringAgriculturalEarly America
Labor market mode of productionIndustrializationModern American familyAmerican ethnic groups 20th century
Familial Mode of Production (Historical)
Families served most societal functions, including economic production
Family as basic unit of social organization
Survival was main concern Cooperation was necessary Men hunted in groups Women cared for children, gathered
food, processed game Little differentiation Roles not valued differently
Hunting and Gathering Societies:
Agricultural Societies
Improved food production: job specialization private property
Money economy Paid work got higher statusWomen and men worked together Men participated in public lifeWomen and children were men’s property
American Indian Families
Primary units were tribes Based on lineage (matrilineal,
patrilineal) Children cared for by community Tribe as extended family Passed on traditions thru stories,
teaching
European Colonists’ Families Performed public services
Education Health care Corrections Orphanages Nursing homes Poor houses
Children were economic assets High child mortality, large families
Little privacy or private life
Labor Market Mode of Production (Recent)
Families serve fewer societal functionsEconomic production more formalizedFamily as basic unit of reproduction,
consumptionEmotional bond replaces economic
contract or duty
IndustrializationRemoved work from home
Separated men’s and women’s work Increased value of education
Lengthened childhood dependency Increased cost of children
Raised standard of living, aspirations
Shifted economic production away from families
Family formation as personal choice
“Modern” American Family: 1776 to 1900
Individualism— increased choice Marriage based on respect,
affection Children as vulnerable Family size declined Parental authority eroded
Worked inside the home Thought to bring out best in
husband
“Modern” American woman:
Ideal woman was:Pure, spiritualSubmissive to man Domestic
Working class families In 1900, 15% of population born in
other countries Long hours, low wages Crowded, unsanitary living conditions Breadwinner-homemaker not
possible Children worked for pay Wives worked in home: laundry,
piecework, took in lodgers
African-American Families Maintained strong ties to kin Children before marriage Women worked Organized by lineages Gutman: slaves often married for
life; kept track of extended family
Mexican-American Families
Landowners and farmer-laborers U.S. acquired southwestern area Mexicans forced into segregated
neighborhoods (barrios). Other Hispanic groups (Cubans, Puerto
Ricans) had different experiences
Asian Families
Patrilineal heritage Emphasis on loyalty Arranged marriages Japanese internment (WW II) Immigration Act (1965) changed restrictions
placed yearly quota Different groups had different experiences
More premarital sex Fewer births Rise in marriage rate Greater emphasis on emotional
satisfaction Marriage became less necessary
Rise of the Private Family: 1900-1930
Divorce rate fell Postponement of marriage and
childbearing 1 in 5 never had children (1 in 10
norm) Possibly more abortions
Children helped out by working
The Great Depression
WWII – women entered labor force – temporarily Post-war economic boom – early marriage Baby boom - renewed emphasis on marriage,
children High point of breadwinner-
homemaker model
1940’s - 1950s
Birthrate plunged – “Contraceptive Revolution?” Changing opportunities for women?
Marriage 4-5 years later than before Young people wanted independence Divorce rate doubled 1960s–70s Cohabitation—1970s Wives, mothers working outside home
1960s and Beyond
Transition over time from:
To “f”amily Conjugal Weaker Isolated from society More freedom Voluntary, based on emotional bond
“F”amily Extended Powerful Context for life Social, financial support Based on economics, obligation