Sociology Exam 4 Chapter 13 The Family and Human Sexuality Module 39 Global View of the Family Family a set of people related by blood marriage some other agreed on relationship or adoption who share the primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society A social institution cluster of social behavioral patterns social subsystems organized to meet basic social needs Ie the family education the political system etc A cultural universal traits found everywhere Ie funerals weddings groups in charge of childcare medical care providers A primary group In charge of bearing and raising children and caring for dependent members Nuclear Family type of family that serves as the nucleus or core on which larger groups are built Preferred family arrangement Only 1 3 of the nation s family households fit this model Of single parent households has increased Extended Family family in which relatives such as grandparents aunts or uncles live in the same home as parents and their children most common form of family around the world Family Unit defined by the US census 2 persons Related by blood adoption and or marriage Common residence Caring for each other Counts families living in the same household Same sex couples are not included Family life cycle varies by class race ethnicity sexual orientation religion age time and culture Households and families are correlated but are NOT the same units Household residents may not be related by blood marriage or adoption but family units are Types of Marriage time marital ties accepted important Monogamy a person may have several spouses in his her lifetime but one man and one woman are only married to each other Serial Monogamy only one spouse at a time can be taken as an indicator of the high value of marriage among Americans MOST COMMON FORM when an individual has several husbands or wives simultaneously Polygamy o Polygyny marriage of a man to more than one woman at the same o Polyandry woman can have more than one husband at the same time The ideal marriage love monogamous until death do us part fidelity to each other Kinship the state of being related to others Culturally learned however and is not totally determined by biological or Adoption can create kinship ties that are legally acknowledged and socially Kin groups include aunts cousins in laws uncles 3 ways to determine descent Bilateral Descent both sides of a person s family are regarded as equally o Ie no higher value is given to the brothers of one s father than to the brothers of one s mother Patrilineal Descent only the father s relatives are significant in terms of property inheritance and emotional ties Matrilineal Descent only the mother s relatives are significant Authority Patterns 1 Patriarchy 2 Matriarchy society that expects males to dominate in all family decision making women have greater authority than men Very uncommon Emerged among Native American tribal societies and in nations where men were absent for long periods because of warfare or food gathering expeditions 3 Egalitarian Family spouses are regarded as equals Many sociologists think this authority has begun to replace patriarchies as the social norm in the US Functionalist Perspective The family as a contributor to social stability Roles of family members William Ogburn Family performs 6 functions 3 Socialization 4 Regulation of sexual behavior 1 Reproduction 2 Protection family contributes to human survival by reproduction parents and other kin monitor a child s behavior and transmit in all cultures the family assumes the ultimate responsibility for the protection and upbringing of children the norms values and language of their culture to the child defined within the family circle varies over time and cultures relationships we expect our relatives to understand us care for us and to be there when we need them 6 Provision of social status background and reputation of our parents and siblings we inherit a social position because of the family standards of sexual behavior are clearly family provides warm and intimate 5 Affection and Companionship Criticisms of Functionalist Perspective Minimizes the influence of other institutions on family functions Emphasis on nuclear white middle class families neglects the understanding of the diversity in American families at all times Neglects family violence Assumption of instrumental and expressive roles according to gender Ignores the roles of other institutions in the socialization of children Conflict Perspective The family as a perpetrator of inequality Transmission of poverty or wealth across generations Family is a reflection of the inequality in wealth and power in the larger society Male dominance over the family unequal Theorists view the family as an economic unit that contributes to societal injustice Family is the basis for transferring power property and privilege from one generation to the next Interactionst Perspective Focus on the micro level of family and other intimate relationships Relationships among family members Example fathers that are more involved with their children children have Interested in how people interact with each other Other interactionists might study the roles of stepparents More stepmothers than stepfathers accept the blame for having bad relations less behavior problems with their stepchildren Feminist Perspective Strong interest in the family as a social institution The family as a perpetuator of gender roles Married women do more housework than married men change in Female headed households housework equality is slow Want to broaden research on the family Module 40 Marriage and Family Courtship and Mate Selection Courtship in the US conducted primarily by individuals who have a romantic interest in each other in our culture often requires individuals to rely heavily on intricate games gestures and signals Courtship everywhere influenced by the norms and values of the larger society Aspects of Mate Selection Endogamy within specifies the groups within which a spouse must be found and prohibits marriage with others o Intended to reinforce the cohesiveness of the group by suggesting to the young that they should marry someone of their own kind Exogamy outside requires mate selection outside certain groups usually one s family or certain kinfolk Incest Taboo social norm common to virtually all societies prohibits sexual relationships between certain culturally specified relatives o In US we must marry outside of the
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