Chapter 1 How Do We Define Family Legal vs Social Science Definition of Family Social Science Family A relationship by which blood marriage or affection in which the members may cooperate economically may care for any children and may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group Legal Family Related by blood marriage or adoption and are living together The legal definition leaves many people out when defining a family Family of Orientation Family you were born into Family of Procreation Family you create through marriage parenting and or parenthood Fictive Kin Nonrelatives whose bonds are strong and intimate The Functions of a Family Marriage An institutional arrangement between persons to publicly recognize social and intimate bonds Anthropologist William Stephens Definition of Marriage 1 Socially legitimate sexual union 2 Public announcement 3 Undertaken with some idea of permanence 4 Assumed with a more or less explicit marriage contact Families serve the function of 1 Regulation of Sexual Behavior 2 Reproducing and Socializing Children 3 Property and Inheritance 4 Economic Cooperation 5 Social Placement Status and Roles 6 Care Warmth Protection and Intimacy Linking the Micro Level and Macro Level Perspective on Families Social Structure A stable framework of social relationships that guides our interactions with others Micro Level Focus on individuals and his her interactions in specific settings Macro Level Focus on interconnectedness of marriage families and intimate relationships with the rest of society Family as a Social Institute Social Status and Families Social Institute A major sphere of social life with a set of beliefs and rules that are organized to meet basic human needs Master Status The major defining status or statuses that a person occupies If you could define yourself as one word for example a mom Families are Always Changing Marriage Patterns Monogamy Marriage between a man and a woman Polygamy Having more than one spouse at a time Polygyny Husband has multiple wives Polyandry Wife has multiple husbands Patterns of Authority Patriarchy A form of social organization in which the norm expectation is that men have a natural right to be in positions of authority over women Matriarchy A form of social organization in the norm expectation is that the power and authority in society should be invested in women Egalitarian The expectation that power and authority are equally invested in men and women Patterns of Descent Residence Patterns Bilateral Descent that can be traced through male and female sides of family Patrilineal Lineage that is traced exclusively through the man s family line Matrilineal Lineage that is traced exclusively thought the woman s family line Neolocal Expectation that newly married couples establish a residence and lives there independently Patrilocal Expectation that newly married couples will live with the husband s family Matrilocal Expectation that newly married couples will live with the wife s family Families are always Changing History of Family Life in the US Family life in colonial America European colonists Families were bigger and served as the central unit for life Families worked as a team to survive Industrialization Urbanization and immigration Families left home to go to work as well as school There was more separation as families moved away from being the central unit The Rise of the Modern Family the twentieth century There was no longer one sole breadwinner for the family Both parents were working and children were place in daycare and school There was an increase in divorce rates Experiential Reality Most of us think of ourselves as experts on family relationships we all come from some type of family so what s not to know We have our opinions and beliefs based on Our own personal experience What others have told us mom dad teachers etc What we have witnessed What we read or hear about in the media Common sense For example I will pay you 100 if you can guess the color of my wedding dress Most of us would pick white based on what we know about American culture that s the common sense answer which is our experiential reality Sometimes common sense or personal experience can help us know or understand our social world But sometimes they cannot Consequently we rely on science which uses an empirical approach answers questions through a systematic collection and analysis of data The Importance of Social Science Research Empirical Approach an approach that answers questions through a systematic collection and analysis of data Common Research Methods Used to Study Families and Relationships Goals of family research 1 Describe 2 Predict 3 Explain In depth Interview 1 Survey 2 3 Experiment 4 Focus Group 5 Observational Study 6 Secondary Analysis 7 Quantitative Qualitative The Importance of Social Theory Theories Help Us Make Sense of the World Theory A general framework explanation or tool to understand and describe the real life world Macro Theories Structural Functionalism A theory that attempts to determine the structure systems functions and equilibrium of social institutions family Conflict Theory A theory that emphasizes issues surrounding social inequality power conflict and social change Ex The age of healthcare benefits of elders vs children why not children Feminist Theory A theory in which gender is seen as the central concept for explaining family structure and family dynamics Micro Theories Social Exchange Theory A theory that draws upon a model of human behavior used by many economists Ex The principle of least interest the people who is least interested in the relationship holds the power Symbolic Interaction Theory A theory that emphasizes the symbols we use in everyday interactions words gestures appearances and how these are interpreted Ex The importance of engagement rings Developmental Theory A theory that suggest families and individual family members go through distinct stages over time with each stage having its own sets of tasks roles and responsibilities Systems Theory A theory that proposes that a family system the family members and the roles that they play is larger than the sum of its individual members Ex We are affected by everything like a family member having cancer affects the whole family Are we rejecting marriage and family relationships The vast majority of people say they want to get married and it last forever as well as have children despite what the media depicts
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