Chapter 1 - The Changing Family Flashcards
Legal definition of family
A relationship by blood, marriage, or affection, in which members may cooperate economically, may care for any children, and may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group.
Family of orientation
Family you were born into
Family of procreation
The family yo make through marriage, partnering, and/or parenthood.
Fictive Kin
Nonrelatives whose bonds are strong and intimate and accepted as part of the family.
Marriage
An institutional arrangement between persons to publicly recognize social and intimate bonds.
What are the function of families?
Regulation of sexual behavior, reproducing and socializing children, property and inheritance, economic cooperation/economic security, emotional support, and social class placement.
Social structure
A stable framework of social relationships that guides our interactions with others.
Micro-level
Focus on the individual and his or her interactions in specific settings
Macro-level
Focus on interconnectedness of marriage, families, and intimate relationships with the rest of society.
Social institution
A major sphere of social life, with a set of beliefs and rules that is organize to meet basic human needs.
Master status
The major defining status or statuses that a person occupies
Monogamy
Marriage between one man and one woman
Polygamy
A system that allows for more than one spouse at a time
Polygyny
The marriage pattern in which husbands can have more than one wife.
Polyandry
The marriage pattern in which wives are allowed to have more than one husband
Patriarchy
A form of social organization in which the norm or expectation is that men have a natural right to be in positions of authority over women
Matriarchy
A form of social organization in which the norm or expectation is that the power and authority in society would be vested in women
Egalitarian
The expectation that power and authority are equally vested in both men and women
Bilateral
Descent that can be traced through both male and female sides of the family
Patrilineal
A descent pattern where lineage is traced exclusives (or at least primarily) through the man’s family line
Matrilineal
A descent patterns where lineage is traced exclusives or primarily within women’s families
Neolocal
The expectation that a newly married couple establishes a residence and lives there independently
Patrilocal
The expectation that newly married couple will live with the husband’s family
Matrilocal
The expectation that newly married couple will live with the family of the wife.
Empirical approach
An approach that answers questions through a systematic collection and analysis of data
What are the goals of family research?
Describe some phenomena, examine the factors that predict or are associated with some phenomena, explain the cause and effect relationship or provide insight into why certain events do or do not occur, and examine the meanings and interpretations of some phenomenon.
Survey
A form of research that gathers information about attitudes or behaviors through the answer that people give to questions.
Random sample
A sample in which every “person of interest” has an equal chance of being selected into your research study
In-depth interview
A research methods that allows an interviewer to obtain detailed responses to questions
Experiment
A controlled method for determining cause and effect
Focus Group
A small group interview of people who are brought together to discuss a particular topic
Observational study
A research method that goes into the natural setting and observes people in action
Secondary analysis
A research method in which the data were collected for some other purpose but still are useful for the researcher
Qualitative research
Data that can be measured numerically
Structural functionalism
A theory that attempts to determine the structure, systems, functions, and equilibrium of social institutions
Conflict theory
A theory that emphasizes issues surrounding social inequality, power, conflict, and social change
Feminist theory
A theory in which gender is seen as the central concept for explaining family structure and family dynamics
Social Exchange theory
A theory that draws upon a model of human behavior used by many economists
Symbolic interaction theory
A theory that emphasizes the symbols we use in everyday interaction - words, gestures, appearances - and how these are interpreted
Developmental theory
A theory that suggests families, and individual family members, go through distinct stages over time, with each stage having its own set 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 sun of its individual members
Explain how traditional and contemporary definitions of family differ.
Traditional definitions of family generally establish individuals that relate to each other through blood, marriage, or adoption as family. These individuals live together and bear and rear children. This definition, however, excludes a large amount of groups and individuals such as childless couples, LGBT couples, grandparents raising grandchildren, foster parents and their charges, etc. A current definition of family is an intimate group of two or more people who live together in a committed relationship, care for one another and any children, and share activities and close emotional ties. This definition is more inclusive. Some may disagree with this definition because it does not explicitly include marriage, procreation, or child rearing.
Describe the five ways families differ worldwide.
The five ways families differ worldwide are: (1) Family structure, (2) Nuclear and extended families, (3) Residence patterns, (4) Authority and power, and (5) Monogamy and polygamy.
