Florida State University Sociology Department SYO3100 Family Problems and Social Change Dr Gloria T Lessan Spring 2014 Study Guide 4 CAVEAT These questions do not constitute a contract that defines the test 1 Elaborate on the evidence on the occurrence of violence while dating and or cohabiting and between married couples Trace the history of this family problem Discuss the difficulties in measuring rape in particular and as family violence in general Domestic violence Violent acts between family members or between women and men in intimate or dating relationships Married women have significantly less risk of experiencing violence than cohabi tating women Women may refuse to marry violent men Cohabitating women are more likely to have been abused as children Weaker commitment in cohabitating unions may lead to more conflict Higher rates of domestic violence among low income couples 2 According to the readings what is the battered wife syndrome Elaborate on the statement the battered wife syndrome entails a re socialization process Battered wife syndrome it is a victimization process Why Patriarchy role of love ideology neutralization family situation support network community resources long term care agencies A theory of multiple victimization using the cycle of violence and learned helplessness to explain the development of a psychological problem in women who are repeatedly abused by their husbands 3 Family violence appears to be a learned behavior If so how is it possible to stop the cycle of violence Overtime through the use of different policies Other theories point at frustration aggression as the culprit and yet others look at violence as the result of social ex change Discuss policies against domestic violence derived from above theories Are policies effective Yes but not all cases Policies Educational services child care health services home visitation drug counsel ing contraceptive services first hand experienced workers 4 Who are more likely to experience violence in terms of marital status race ethnicity age social class and family history of abuse Address in your answer reference to the double whammy effect Families with the highest rates of violence Low income families Families with unemployed husbands People with less education Have an above average number of children Blue collar workers Individuals without a religious affiliation Under the age of 30 years Husbands amount of alcohol drinking Hereditary Double Whammy Domestic abuse is not hereditary per say but children of domestic abuse have the tendency to repeat the actions of their parents 5 Why do married couples divorce Who is more at risk Which structural factors account for the increase in divorce in the USA How does divorce affects children What is the sleeper effect Societal Risk Factors Brad Changes that have influenced levels of divorce No fault legislation Cultural change Men s employment Women s emplyment Commitment vs personal well being or fulfillment Shift towards concerns of private family vs concerns of public family When husbands do not earn a steady income marriages are subject to greater stress and higher divorce risk Income effect women s employment could lower divorce rate since financial pressures are relieved Independence effect women s employment could raise divorce rate since women could support themselves Individual risk factors Social and economic factors Age at marriage Teen marriages at high risk for divorce Race and ethnicity African Americans have higher rates of marital separation than most racial ethnic groups Premarital cohabitation Cohabitation prior to marriage leads to higher divorce rates Parental divorce Children of parents who divorce are more likely to divorce Spouse s similarity People who are similar are less likely to divorce more compatible in interests and values In general children do not benefit from their parents divorce All children must go through the emotional adjustments after their parent s di vorce May be in the middle of a bitter conflict Most children DO manage to eventually cope However some children experience the sleeper effect Wallerstein reported a widespread lasting difficulty in personal relationships Almost all children experience an initial period of intense emotional upset upon divorce of parents Most resume normal development without serious problems within about 2 years A minority of children experience some long term problems as a result of the breakup that may persist into adulthood Is there life after divorce im sorry if this one is not correct Yes most divorced individuals remarry within 2 4 years after divorce is finalized Men tend to marry before the women do This is how stepfamilies are formed Describe the socio demographic patterns of re marriage in terms gender age class race ethnicity and having children African American women are the least likely to remarry they have a lim ited pool of eligible people to remarry Poor people tend to have a lower chance of remarrying than the non poor Remarriage is more likely among non hispanic whites Elaborate on the degree to which re marriage signals the de in stitutionalization of marriage Elaborate on the meaning of remarriage is a process After divorce or break up of a long term cohabitation single parents and their children develop coping skills to live differently 10 Define and compare whenever applicable the following con cepts stepfamily blended family bi nuclear family re marriage divorce separation custodial re marriage legal re marriage half siblings mother stepfather family father stepmother family joint stepfamily gay lesbian stepfamily 6 7 8 9 Stepfamily a household in which two adults are married or cohabitating and at least one has a child present from a previous marriage or relationship Blended family a family consisting of a couple and their children from this and previous relationships Bi nuclear family The extended family usually consisting of two separate house all holds formed by the children and subsequent spouses of the partners in a divorce Re marriage Legal Divorce property assets and children Separation Physical vs emotional Custodial remarriage In typical remarriage chains today children live with mother and stepfather Legal remarriage Half siblings only having one mutual parent Mother stepfather family Being a stepmother can be harder than being a stepfather In typical remarriage chains today children live with mother and stepfather Father stepmother family Joint