Chapter 12 Family Flashcards
What is a family?
A family is an intimate group in which two or more people
> Live together in a committed relationship
> Care for one another and any children
> Share close emotional ties and functions
What are the different forms of relationships and families?
Marriage—a socially approved mating relationship that people expect to be stable and enduring
Endogamy—the practice of selecting mates from within one’s group
Exogamy—the practice of selecting mates from outside one’s group
Divorce
43-46% of American marriages end in divorce (the dissolution of marriage).
The U.S. divorce rate rose steadily during the 20th century, peaking in the 1980s.
In recent years, divorce rates have shown an overall decline.
Latino Families
Many Latinos stress familism—relationships take precedence over individual decisions
About 70% of Latino children live in two-parent families.
Recent immigrants often depend on family members until they can become self-sufficient.
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) may be physical, sexual, or emotional.
In the U.S., 27% of women and 16% of men say that a current or former partner has physically assaulted them.
Women are more likely to sustain serious physical injuries.
Describe our aging society.
American life expectancy (average length of time people of the same age will live) is increasing: 75 for men; 81 for women.
The number of elderly in the population is booming—13% of the U.S. total population
Why are families important?
Sexual regulation
Reproduction and socialization
Economic security
Emotional support
Social placement
What are the different forms of families?
Nuclear family—families made up of married parents and their biological or adopted children
Extended family—parents and children as well as other kin, such as grandparents
Remarriage
85% of Americans who divorce remarry.
Stepfamily—a household in which 2 adults are biological or adoptive parents, with a child from a prior relationship, who marry or cohabit
Singles and Postponing Marriage
Singles are increasing in the U.S.
43% of residents age 18 and over are single.
Include divorced, widowed, and never married
Major factor is postponement of marriage.
Median age at first marriage is 26 for women and 28 for men.
Cohabitation
Cohabitation—an arrangement in which 2 unrelated unmarried individuals live together and have a sexual relationship
Around 7 million U.S. couples
60% are in their mid-30s to mid-40s
Cohabiters generally experience higher divorce rates once they marry.
Unmarried Mothers
41% of all U.S. births are to unmarried mothers.
Nonmarital birthrates are highest for black women and lowest for Asian American women.
Teenagers account for 22% of nonmarital births
Two-Income Families
Dual-earner couples—both partners are employed outside the home
Employed married couples with children under 18 make up 66% of all married couples in the U.S.
Second shift—household work and childcare employed parents (usually the mother) must do
Family Diversity
Family diversity—the variety of ways that families are structured and function to meet the needs of those defined as family members
African American Families
Black children are more likely to grow up in a single-parent family than children in other racial-ethnic families.
Many black families rely on fictive kin—nonrelatives who are part of the family.
Social class differences affect the African American family.
