Study Guide Exam 3 Fall 2012 Chapters 12 13 14 15 and articles Be able to apply the major theoretical perspectives to each topic How do sociologists define family Two or more people related either by birth or through social commitment who share resources care for any dependents and often maintain close emotional relationships A construct of meaning and relationships both economic and emotional A social unit based on kinship relations not only relations based on blood but also those created by choice marriage partnership or adoption Meaning of family is socially constructed Know the functions of the family Social stability on a micro bond level these relationships create a social bond between individuals and their relatives On a macro level kinship ties can create intricate social networks that include extended family and multiple generations Material aid family members typically help one another by pooling their material resources and labor Descent and inheritance descent refers to the way people trace kinship over multiple generations Inheritance refers to the rules regarding the reallocation of property within a family after someone dies Care and socialization of dependence families often care for a variety of dependents especially children and the elderly Sexual regulation cultural norms typically indicate which sexual relations are socially acceptable Emotional comfort love is expected to figure centrally in marriage and family members are expected to assist one another out of sense of mutual responsibility commitment and concern How might a structural functionalist view the family The family is a vital social institution Family confers social status and class Family helps define who we are and how we find our place in society Family provides for the essential needs of the child s affection socialization and protection Problems in the family e g divorce or domestic violence can also lead to problems in the society such as crime poverty or delinquency The influences of patriarchy second shift physical violence partner and child abuse Feminist perspective patriarchal family system Violence May reduce parenting ability Child abuse children are 3x more likely to be abused by fathers than mothers 30 of those abused will become abusers Child abuse may lead to emotional and behavioral effects In the U S nearly 25 of surveyed women and 8 of surveyed men reported that they were raped or physically assaulted by a current or former physical partner Research has linked family violence to Low socio economic status Social and structure stress Social isolation Neglect failure to provide for a child s basic needs Characteristics of household division of labor especially among dual earner families Among dual earner families parents are actually spending more time with their children because they are spending less time on housework The concern that parents in two earner families are not spending enough time with their children seems to be largely the result of rising expectations of the family In marriages where both partners have full time jobs the wife is still primarily responsible for housework Second shift the phenomenon of employed women still having primary responsibility for housework and childcare Impact of Industrialization on family types and family size Smaller family size Extended families less common Later median ages of marriage especially for women More women in paid labor force Families include more elderly members o Families adapt to different circumstances and adopt new values and rules according to their needs Parenting and the central responsibility of the family children as public good from this perspective how is good parenting defined o Functionalist perspective parents socialize children to be citizens o Socialization of children What is the observed pattern of median age at first marriage Median age at first marriage has been rising Current divorce rates and overall pattern factors reasons noted for increase in divorce Declining since 1980 Divorce rates are attributed to o Individualism o No fault divorce laws o Increasing economic independence of women o Transition from extended to nuclear families o Increasing geographic and occupational mobility As societal and cultural norms surrounding divorce changed the stigma has decreased Modern remarriage patterns in the US Problems associated with single parenting what type of policy solutions are promoted U S policymakers often try to address the challenges faced by single parent families by focusing on finding more ways to promote marriage and better enforce the financial responsibilities of absent fathers Hull article competing theories about changing landscape of marriage Transformation theory and pure relationships Transformation theory observes that intimacy is undergoing radical change in contemporary Western societies pure relationship one that s entered into for its own sake and maintained only as long as both partners get enough satisfaction from it to stick around Partners in pure relationship establish trust through intense communication yet the possibility of breakup always looms The deinstitutionalization of marriage can be traced to factors like o The rise of unmarried childbearing o The changing division of labor in the home o The growth of unmarried cohabitation o The emergence of same sex marriage What is religion Why do sociologists study religion Religion a unified system of beliefs and ritual practices to the sacred that bond people into a moral community Sociologists do not try to assess the conflicting truth claims of the world s religions Instead they study religion to understand the role it plays in social life Impact of religion in social life comes from some people believing in the truth of their faiths and adjusting their behavior accordingly Social functions of religion o Promotes social solidarity o Operates as a form of social control o Can provide believers with deep social psychological benefits o Can motivate social action What purpose does religion serve according to Peter Berger Religion is primarily an effort to create a meaningful reality in which to live Religion helps us to make sense of our existence and provides order to an otherwise chaotic world Liberation theology A form of Christian belief dedicated to combating poverty and other forms of social injustice Understand Durkheim s description of everyday life as profane while what is sacred is set apart and defined as
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