MARRIAGE AND FAMILYJournal: Why are families important?

KEY DEFINITIONS:

A family is:

Any group related by marriage, blood or adoption

Marriage—legal union with mutual rights & obligations

Civil union-recognition of association by state DNR Medical care Insurance benefits taxes

2 TYPES OF FAMILIES

ORIENTATION

BORN INTO THIS FAMILY

GIVES NAME, IDENTITY & HERITAGE

PROCREATION

ESTABLISHED BY MARRIAGE

ESTABLISHED BY CIVIL

UNION???

2 TYPES OF FAMILIES

Nuclear

1 or both parents+ kids

Close knit?

Extended

2 or more adult generations

Share economic resources& common household

FAMILIES THRU TIME

HUNTING & GATHERING

• Small families• Follow herd• Little food stability---low life expectancy

FARMING

• Larger families• More food----more kids, higher life

expectancy• Extended family need to help farm

INDUSTRIAL

& POST INDUSTRIAL

• Smaller families• Kids not needed on farm• Kids are $$$

PATTERNS OF FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS--

INHERITANCE

PATRILINEAL

MATRILINEAL

BILATERAL

AUTHORITY

MATRIARCHY

PATRIARCHY

EGALITARIAN

WHERE YOU LIVE?

PATRILOCAL

MATRILOCAL

NEOLOCAL

MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENTS

Monogamy

Polygamy

Polyandry

polygyny 1

2

4

4

3

1 1 2

WHOM DO YOU MARRY?

EXOGAMY OR ENDOGAMY MARRY OUTSIDE KIND OR GROUP—INCEST OR MARRY WITHIN YOUR OWN KIND

RACE, SOCIAL CLASS

HOMOGAMY OR HETEROGAMY MARRY SOMEONE LIKE YOU—EDUCATION,

RELIGION, AGE, POSSIBLY RACE

MARRY SOMONE DIFFERENT THAN YOU- ARTIST MARRIES CEO MORE SO FOR INTERESTS & EDUCATION

WHO DO YOU MARRY?

Journal: What are the characteristics of your perfect spouse?

ARRANGED MARRIAGES VS. MARRYING FOR LOVE

• 25% OF MARRIAGES IN JAPAN ARE ARRANGED

• CONSIDER INCOME, EDUCATION, WEALTH

• MORE OF A BOND BETWEEN FAMILIES

ARRANGED MARRIAGES

• INCREASING TREND FOR US COUPLES TO MARRY SOMEONE DIFFERENT

• 50% DIVORCE RATE • BONDING OF PEOPLE NOT

FAMILIES

MARRYING FOR LOVE

THEORIES ON FAMILY-CONFLICT

Tradition of male

dominance

-creates social

inequalities

Feminism-emphasis

on control of private proerty-women

have education/c

areers

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISMWHAT DO FAMILIES DO?

1-DEVELOP SELF CONCEPT

2-VIOLENCE-SECRETIVE ¼ OF ALL ADULTS WERE ABUSED 1 OUT OF EVERY 4 GIRLS; 1 OUT OF 10 BOYS—

SEXUALLY ABUSED 4 MIL WOMEN BEATEN BY HUSBAND EACH YR. ALL SOCIAL CLASS LEVELS—MORE PUBLIC 1/3 OF ALL HUSBANDS & 1/3 OF ALL WIVES VIOLENT OTHERS-EMOTIONAL & VERBAL ELDERLY

3-ADJUSTMENTS TO CHANGES SOCIETY CHANGES-----FAMILIES CHANGE

2ND THEORY—FUNCTIONALISM

KEY FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY 1-SOCIALIZE KIDS 2-SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT 3-REPRODUCTIVE 4-REGULATE SEXUAL ACTIVITY 5-TRANSMIT SOCIAL STATUS 6-ECONOMIC UNIT

PATTERN FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES

NUCLEAR BILATERAL DEMOCRATIC NEOLOCAL MONOGAMOUS

83% OF PEOPLE RATE BEING IN LOVE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO MARRY

WHAT ABOUT CONFORMITY?

WHY DO PEOPLE MARRY?

83% OF PEOPLE RATE BEING IN LOVE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO MARRY

OTHER REASONS: 1-CONFORMITY 2-ECONOMICS

WHY IS THE MARRIAGE RATE AND DIVORCE RATE DECLINING?

1-AGE 2-YEARS OF MARRIAGE 3-NATURE & QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIP 4-EDUCATION OTHERS: 5-ECONOMY

BOOM- RECESSION- FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE OF WOMEN

OTHERS: VIEWS ON DIVORCE