1 Exam 1 March 14 Paper March 21 No class Mar 28 Exam 2 April 18 Paper 2 April 25 Exam 3 May 19 Iceland highest of births to unmarried women 22 families married w children under 18 1 of population dies every year 50 of kids in single parent families 62 of women w children under 6 employed 10 of Americans never marry 300 children kidnapped by strangers each year o 350 000 by family 1 3 million missing lost runaway 7 of families 2 parent w children mother no employment 35 of American women have abortion by age 45 17 of children in stepfamilies 13 foreign born 40 of families wife is primary breadwinner 36 of Millennials now live in parent s home 2 12 Understanding the Concept of Families Definitions Family Household two or more persons who are related by blood marriage or adoption all persons who occupy dwelling such as house Can be one or more people Informal definition group of people who love care for each other legal issues raise this o Which definition should provide basis for official family policy What is a family today o Pessimistic o Optimistic 2 views families are falling apart family is changing stronger Views in US traditional 2 parent family where husband works outside of home and wife takes care of children evidence is legal cases against working moms Permanence of Family as an Institution 2 Humans have had some form of family institution since the days when we were hunters and gatherers Family Structure Nuclear family Extended family another o Husband wife children bio or adopted o 2 or more generations live with each other or near to one Family of origin orientation Family of procreation o The family you are born into o Family formed through marriage or having kids In other words we belong to 2 families in our lifetime o Family of origin you were the child o Family of procreation you are the parent Implications of Family Membership Social institution in larger society ie legal obligations to children Intensity of involvement Long term membership authority 2 14 Scientific method Systemized organized series of steps that ensures objectivity and Question research hypothesis test analyze reconstruct consistency in researching a problem hypothesis report results How do we study the family Research is guided by theory o Relationship between theory research theory provides lens to examine phenomena research provides observations used to verify disprove theory Historically white middle classed used as norm changing now Family research methods Qualitative Quantitative o Non numerical data examine themes trends in interviews 3 o Numerical analyses of people s responses or specific characteristics numbers inferential statistics Methods 1 Surveys interviews new fad is online research Systematically collect information or data through questionnaires or Cost effective gather lots of info Must have representative sample of population you are interested in studying Limitations in mail low response rates phone surveys biased people may not be honest often rely on convenience samples Individuals or small groups person case studies typically linked with long term counseling which can be beneficial for individuals families Limitations time consuming expensive only generalizable for person group being studied Often relies on Case Studies or in depth informative interview of one 2 Clinical Research 3 Field Research Researchers collect data about people by observing them in natural Non participant observations do not interact vs Participant Limitations reactivity if they know they re being watched low surroundings Typically highly structured observations interact with subjects control compared to lab or structured space 4 Secondary Analysis researchers may lead to new directions for research Researcher review material that has been collected by other Usually accessible convenient inexpensive grad students Limitations may be hard to access if needs permission may not have info needed to answer certain questions 5 Experiments 6 Evaluation Research Very structured artificial situation with controlled variables Get us Limitations reliance on volunteers paid subjects can be expensive closer to a cause effect Easier to replicate or time consuming reactivity is in an artificial setting Seeks to evaluate effectiveness or efficiency of project program Decreases in gov other funding moving toward world of evidence Limitations who is doing the evaluation matters outside vs inside service policy etc Systematic methods used based practices Need to show your program works may show your program doesn t do what it was aimed to do Ethics of Research Ethical concerns with human subjects hepatitis study Stanford prison 4 Funding availability who access to subjects time Pressure from many groups especially if controversial waste Challenges 2 17 317 million people in America mostly on coast south Industrial Revolution Characterized by o Explosion in both number size of cities in West o Transformations of average level of education o Physical separation of work from family household o Massive declines in both birth death rates o Strong interest in social change and family issues o Individual obligations to family questioned Darwin Evolutionary Theory Biological evolution series of stages simple to complex applied to study of cultures Concept Origin of families will tell us where families are going all go through stages concept of unilinear development Natural selection led to best forms of families surviving over time mechanism of social progress Primitive man vs civilized man Provided scientific legitimization for Western colonization and exploitation of primitive people Affected treatment of poorer classes in American and West European societies 2 Opposing Approaches to Understanding Societies Societies function as integrated wholes Societies are inherently with struggles of power Development of Theories Darwin introduced idea struggle for existence and survival of fittest possibility that conflict and struggle are biological phenomena and central to human existence Marx Engels expanded o Inherent quality of conflict within human relations o Contradictory nature of human existence o Value of dialectic dynamism stages of thesis antithesis o Class as central materialist view of mankind o Technology produces 2 classes of people owners workers o Made gender central 5 o Main contribution family as an economic unit o Development of INEQUALITY in the family 2 19 Familial mode of production family produces what it