Ch 13 (pt.1) Family

Question 1

Family

Answer 1

a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another, including any children

Question 2

Kinship

Answer 2

a social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption

Question 3

Marriage

Answer 3

a legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation, sexual activity, and childbearing

Question 4

Extended family

Answer 4

a family composed of parents and children as well as other kin; also known as a consanguine family

Question 5

Nuclear Family

Answer 5

a family composed of one or two parents and their children; also known as conjugal family (traditionally two opposite sexes and their children)

Question 6

Why is the definition of family important?

Answer 6

1. primary agent for the socialization of people.
2. How family is defined has practical consequences: the family interacts with all other aspects of social institutions.
3. Certain rights and responsibilities follow from definitions.

Question 7

Who constitutes a “family member” can dictate: (4)

Answer 7

1. Disclosure of confidential information
2. Ability to make decisions on behalf of “relative”
3. Entitlement to various forms of social support
4. Understanding in research about families

Question 8

“…a social group characterized by a common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction [including] adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting couples” (George Murdock)

Answer 8

Original Social Definition

Question 9

Census family is defined as a married couple and the children, if any, of either and/or both spouses; a couple living common law and the children, if any, of either and/or both partners; or a parent of any marital status in a one-parent family with at least one child living in the same dwelling and that child or those children. All members of a particular census family live in the same dwelling. Children may be biological or adopted children regardless of their age or marital status as long as they live in the dwelling and do not have their own married spouse, common-law partner or child living in the dwelling. Grandchildren living with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present also constitute a census family.

Answer 9

Statistics Canada Definition

Question 10

Endogamy

Answer 10

marriage between people of the same social category (same social status)

Question 11

Exogamy

Answer 11

marriage between people of different social categories (people marrying others of different status, different religions, different ethnicities)

Question 12

Monogamy

Answer 12

marriage that unites two partners

Question 13

Polygamy

Answer 13

marriage that unites a person with two or more spouses.

Polygyny: two or more women
Polyandry: two or more men

Question 14

Descent

Answer 14

the system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations

Question 15

Patrilineal

Answer 15

Tracing kinship through men

Question 16

Matrilineal

Answer 16

Tracing kinship through women

Question 17

Bilateral

Answer 17

Tracing kinship through both men and women

Question 18

Structural-functional theory on family (4)

Answer 18

Shows how families help society operate smoothly. The family performs many vital tasks: (families must be inevitable and necessary because it is found in every culture)

1. Socialization of the young
2. Regulation of sexual activity (what age you become an adult, who you have sex with)
3. Social placement (families help maintain social organization, where you belong in society)
4. Material (Economic) and emotional security

Question 19

Social-conflict theory on family (3)

Answer 19

the family perpetuates social inequality by transmitting divisions based on class, ethnicity, race, and gender. The family perpetuates social inequality:

1. Property and Inheritance (Inequality is maintained in society because wealth and inheritance stay in certain families)
2. Patriarchy (families reflect patriarchal systems: transform women into sexual and economic property of men)
3. Race and Ethnicity (endogamic marriages are common: people marry others like themselves)

Question 20

Symbolic-Interaction Theory on family

Answer 20

Opportunities for intimacy, sharing activities helps build emotional bonds

Question 21

Social-Exchange theory on family

Answer 21

courtship/marriage = negotiation. Dating allows each person to assess the advantages and disadvantages of a potential spouse. Courtship and marriage as a negotiation to make the “best deal” on their partner

Question 22

Romantic love

Answer 22

affection and sexual passion for another person—as the basis for marriage

(Since feelings change over time, romantic love is a less stable foundation for a marriage than social and economic considerations, one reason that the divorce rate is much higher in Canada than in nations where cultural traditions are a stronger guide in the choice of a partner.)

Question 23

Arranged marriages

Answer 23

alliances between two extended families of similar social standing; involve an exchange not just of children but also of wealth and favours

Question 24

Homogamy

Answer 24

marriage between people with the same social characteristics

Question 25

Infidelity

Answer 25

sexual activity outside of one’s marriage

Question 26

Child rearing (3)

Answer 26

1. Trend toward smaller families is most pronounced in high-income nations 2. An expensive long-term commitment 3. Are children now a liability?

Question 27

Later life (3)

Answer 27

1. Increasing life expectancy in Canada means that couples who stay married do so for a longer time 2. Empty nest, but grandparents help with child-rearing 3. Caring for aging parents

Question 28

Number of Children Per Family (Stats)

Answer 28

- The Total Fertility Rate in Canada in 2020 was 1.40 - Replacement rate is 2.1 - What may contribute to the low fertility rate? (Women in the workplace, Children are expensive, availability of birth control)

Question 29

Adult Children (3)

Answer 29

* Cluttered nest = adult children living at home * Empty nest = adult children moving out of the home * Sandwich generation = caring for aging parents and children at home

Question 30

Why are divorce rates so high in Canada? (7)

Answer 30

1. Individualism is a part of Canada’s culture 2. Romantic love fades 3. Women are less dependent on men 4. Many of today’s marriages are stressful 5. Raising children adds to the stress 6. Divorce has become socially acceptable 7. Legally, a divorce is easy to get

Question 31

Cohabitation (common law)

Answer 31

the sharing of a household by an unmarried couple

Question 32

Families: Looking Ahead (5)

Answer 32

1. Divorce rate is likely to remain high 2. Family life in the future will be more diverse: cohabiting couples, one-parent families, gay and lesbian families, and blended families are all on the rise 3. Men continue to play a limited role in child rearing 4. Families will continue to feel the effects of economic changes 5. The importance of new reproductive technologies will increase