Chapter 1 How Families have changed Colonial America families were businesses self sufficient households schools parents were the schools churches parents read bible with their families Correctional health and welfare institutions families took care of all these tasks lived in nuclear families family comprised of adults and their children African Americans and Slavery slave trade was underway Industrialized and Urbanized America Separate homes and work life work was away from the home Waves of immigration cheap labor Socioeconomic classes poor working class middle and upper class Modern America Services teacher plummer doctor Technology IT development software has allowed us to work at home 1950 s Leave it to Beaver Art Imitates Life Stay at home mom 9 5 dad Perfect family college education not important 1 car w dad working from high school degree 1970 s Brady Brunch Integrated two different families Upper class family live in maid Send a message that is possible to have a step family that s perfect and happy 1980 s The Cosby show 1990 s Friends Black SUCCESSFUL family educated affluent Mom wore the pants in the family strong matriarchal black women Didn t stress about money when they lived in NYC always dating were single First T V show where friends became family pushing the envelope for a modern young person 2000 s Osbournes First family reality T V show They were dysfunctional cussing kids out of control Unrelatable problems because they were so wealthy NOW modern family 16 and pregnant the Kardashians the bachelor Lots of reality T V Media shows diversity in relationships Family a relationship by blood marriage or affection Cooperate economically Care for children Consider their identity intimately connected to the larger group Type of Family Family of orientation Family of Procrastination Fictive Kin whose bonds are strong and intimate family you are born to family that you make so much like family that you call them family but they re not non relatives Marriage an institutional arrangement between persons to publicly recognize social and intimate bonds It is a socially legitimate sexual union 1 2 Begun with a public announcement 3 Undertaken with some idea of permanence 4 Assumed with a more or less explicit marriage contract that spells out reciprocal obligations between spouses and their children o Monogamy o Boundaries incest taboo restricts sexual behavior with family o Socialization teaching children the rules expectations and culture of the society Functions of Family Regulation of sexual behavior Reproducing and socializing children in which they live Property and inheritance Economic cooperation and provision Social placements status and roles Chapter 1 continued Exploring the Family Theoretical Perspectives on the Family Care warmth and protection Theoretical Perspectives of the family Ways of viewing reality How reality can be explained Suggests explanations for family patterns and practices Cannot be proven true in all circumstances it s all circumstantial situational Exchange Theory Key Concepts Rewards Costs Outcomes Analyzes interpersonal relationships based on what is exchanged between two people Humans form interpersonal relationships based on the benefits rewards costs or profits expected from that association anything that meets a persons needs in a relationship what we would pay have to give up or suffer as a result of a relationship the equation is Rewards Costs Outcomes Determining if the rewards outweigh the costs Economics The language of love I love you the rewards of being with you far outweigh the rewards and costs of being with someone else looking for someone else or being alone Two Principles relationship relationship Principle of Least Interest the person with the least interest has the most power in the Resources and Power the person with the most resources has the most power in a o the one with the lesser resources begins to feel insecure o balance of power one with looks one has money resources Family Developmental Theory Describes and explains the processes of change in families over the time of a lifespan can be somewhat predictable Consists of stages that build upon each other Marriage birth adoption growth leaving home and retirement designate new stages Stages are determined by the age of the oldest child Stages of Family Life Cycle Married couple without children Child bearing families oldest child birth to 30 months Families with preschool children oldest child 30 months to 6 years Families with school age children 6 to 13 years Families with teenagers 13 to 20 years Families with launching centers first child gone last child leaving home Middle aged parents empty nesters to retirement Aging family members retirement to death Family Developmental Tasks Tasks for individuals and the family which are within each developmental stage Have certain themes o Negotiating family roles and boundaries o Economics o Housing o Romance sex o Developmental needs of children Economics change Who s going to stay at home with the kid a set of behavioral expectation for an individual in a group over time a certain location in social groups to which we are assigned rights and duties Role Position changes throughout your life o Ex wife sister daughter mother aunt grandmother Systems Theory A system is a set of elements standing in interaction put together in such a way that whatever effects one part also affects other parts A family is a system made up of individuals Each individual is unique and serves his her own functions to contribute to the over family identity o The US census bureau definition of a family excludes people who consider themselves to be family Concepts of the systems theory Boundaries define who what is allowed in or out of a certain system o Physical psychological emotional o Closed open random Subsystems part of a system that carries out its own unique function o Spousal parent child sibling sibling Chapter 2 Social Status Sex and Gender Gender Role Sex Gender the expectations about appropriate masculine and feminine attitudes and culturally defined attitudes and behaviors associated with and expected of the biological characteristics male and female anatomy determines at birth two sexes What it means to be masculine or feminine behaviors defined by society does not necessarily correspond with one s sex beliefs values and expectations masculine based on society s definition of appropriate gender roles the degree to which an
View Full Document