introduction to sociology: chapter 13 - family and religion roderick graham

Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 13 - Family and Religion

Roderick Graham

Family A social institution found in all societies that unites

people in cooperative groups to care for one another, including any children

Kinship A social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or

adoption Marriage

A legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation as well as sexual activity and childbearing

Family: Global Variations

Extended Family A family composed of parents and children as well

as other kin Includes everyone with “shared blood”

Nuclear Family A family composed of one or two parents and their

children The nuclear family is the type we see on television

and is considered the middle class ideal

Marriage Patterns Endogamy

Marriage between people of the same social category

Limits marriage prospects Exogamy

Marriage between people of different social categories

Monogamy Marriage that unites two partners Permitted by law in higher-income nations

Polygamy Marriage that unites a person with two or more

spouses Permitted by many lower-income nations

Constructing Family Life: Micro-Level Analysis

“One way of thinking about marriage and family…”

The Social-Exchange Approach Describes courtship and marriage as forms of

negotiation

Dating allows the assessment of advantages and disadvantages of a potential spouse

Terms of exchange are converging for men and women

Several distinct stages of family life across the life course Courtship and romantic love Ideal and real marriage Child rearing Family in later life

Courtship and Romantic Love

Arranged Marriages Alliances between two extended families of similar

social standing and usually involve an exchange not just of children but also of wealth and favors

Romantic Love Affection and sexual passion toward another person

Homogamy Marriage between people with the same social

characteristics

Settling In: Ideal and Real Marriage

American culture gives idealized picture of marriage

Sexuality also a source of disappointment Frequency of marital sex declines over time

Infidelity Sexual activity outside marriage Another area where reality does not match the

ideal

Child Rearing

Big families pay off in preindustrial societies Children supplied labor High death rate

Industrialization transformed children from asset to liability

Parenting is expensive, lifelong commitment

Family in Later Life

Increasing life expectancy in U.S. Couples who stay married do so for a longer time

“Empty Nest” Requires adjustments Less sexual passion, more understanding and

commitment Adults in midlife now provide more care for

aging parents

“Baby Boomers” in their 60s are the “sandwich generation” Many, especially women, spend many years caring

for aging parents as they did for their children Final and most difficult transition in married life

Death of a spouse Wives typically outlive husbands because of greater

life expectancy Challenge greater for men

Fewer friends than widows Lack housekeeping skills

After marriage couples have to make the transition from “ideal” to “real” marriage. There can be problems during this transition

Many times couples decide to divorce The family is the most violent group in

society with the exception of the police and the military

Divorce

Causes of Divorce Individualism is on the rise Romantic love fades Women are less dependent on men Many of today’s marriages are stressful Divorce is socially acceptable A divorce is easier to get

Figure 13.2 (p. 386)Divorce Rate for the United States, 1890-2006Over the long term, the U.S. divorce rate has gone up. Since about 1980, however, the trend has been downward.

Society: The Basics, 10th Edition by John MacionisCopyright 2009 by Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights

reserved.

Who Divorces Young couples are at greatest risk

Especially after brief courtship Lack money and emotional maturity

Also rises if couple marries after an unexpected pregnancy People whose parents divorce have a higher divorce rate More common if both partners have successful careers Men and women who divorce once are more likely to

divorce again High-risk factors follow from one marriage to another

Divorce and Children Mothers gain custody but fathers earn more income Well-being of many children depend on court-

ordered child support payments Courts award child support in 57% of all divorces

involving children 3.2 million “deadbeat dads” Federal legislation requires employers to withhold

money from earnings of parents who fail to pay

Remarriage and Blended Families Four out of five people who divorce remarry Blended Families

Composed of children and some combination of biological parents and step-parents

Blended families must define who is part of the nuclear family

Adjustments are necessary Offer both young and old the chance to relax

rigid family roles

Violence against Women Often unreported to police 700,000 people are victims of domestic violence each

year 32% of women who are homicide victims are killed by

spouses, partners, or ex-partners Women are more likely to be injured by a family

member than a stranger Marital Rape Laws

Found in all 50 states Communities across U.S. have shelters to provide

counseling and temporary housing for women and children of domestic violence

The Family and Violence

Violence against Children 3 million reports of child abuse and neglect each

year 1,500 involves a child’s death

Involves more than physical injury Misuse of power and trust to damage child’s well-being

Child abusers conform to no stereotype More likely to be women than men

All abusers share one trait All abused themselves as children

The Family and Violence

Profane Occurring as an ordinary element of everyday life

Sacred Set apart as extraordinary, inspiring awe and

reverence Religion

A social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred

Faith Belief based on conviction rather than on scientific

evidence


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Sociologists categorize hundreds of different American religious organizations along a continuum

Church at one end and sects at the other And then there are cults

Church

Church A type of religious organization that is well-integrated

into the larger society Persisted for centuries

State church A church formally allied with the state

Considers everyone in the society a member Denomination

A church, independent of the state, that recognizes religious pluralism Hold to their own beliefs but recognizes rights of others

Sect

Sect A type of religious organization apart from the larger

society Rigid religious convictions, denies beliefs of others

Charisma Extraordinary personal qualities that can infuse

people with emotion and turn them into followers Generally form as break-away groups Actively recruit (proselytize) new members Churches and sects differ in composition

Churches (high social standing); sects (social outsiders

Cults

Cult A type of religious organization that is largely outside

a society’s cultural traditions Most spin off from conventional religion Typically forms around a charismatic leader Because some principles and practices are

unconventional, viewed as deviant or evil Many demand adoption of radical lifestyle

Sometimes accused of brainwashing

Religious Commitment in the US

Eight in 10 people claim “comfort and strength” from religion More than half of U.S. adults are Protestants One-fourth are Catholics 2% are Jews

Religious diversity stems from constitutional ban on government sponsored religion and high immigrant population

Identification with religion varies by region Religiosity

The importance of religion in a person’s life

Figure 13.4 (p. 398)Religiosity in Global PerspectiveReligion is stronger in the U.S. than in many other nations.

Source: World Values Survey (2006


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National Map 13.1

Religious Membership across the United States


reserved.

National Map 13.2

Religious Diversity across the United States


reserved.

Religion is changing in the U.S. Sociologists focus on the process of:

Secularization Includes

Civil religion “New Age” seekers Religious revival

Secularization

The historical decline in the importance of the supernatural and the sacred

Commonly associated with modern, technologically advanced societies Science is the major way of understanding

More likely to experience birth, illness, and death in the presence of physicians rather than church leaders

Will religion disappear some day? Sociologists say no

Majority of people in U.S. profess belief in God Conservatives view secularization as a mark of

moral decline Progressives view secularization as liberation

from dictatorial beliefs Secularization sparked by U.S. Supreme Court

ban on prayer in schools (1963)

Civil Religion

A quasi-religious loyalty binding individuals in a basically secular society

Religious qualities of citizenship People find religious qualities in political

movements Involves a range of rituals

Standing to sing the National Anthem Waving the flag at parades

U.S. flag serves as a sacred symbol of our national identity and expect people to treat it with respect

Religious Revival: “Good Old-Time Religion”

Fundamentalism A conservative religious doctrine that opposes

intellectualism and worldly accommodation in favor of restoring traditional, otherworldly religion

Distinctive in five ways: Fundamentalists take the words of sacred texts

literally Fundamentalists reject religious pluralism Fundamentalists pursue the personal experience of

God’s presence Fundamentalists oppose “secular humanism” Many fundamentalists endorse conservative political

goals

introduction to sociology: chapter 13 - family and religion roderick graham

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