chapter 16 textbook questions Flashcards
what will happen to traditional family types in the future
Family types will probably become more varied in the future . More people will live alone. Unmarried cohabitation will likely continue to delay marriage and child bearing
what do changes to eligibility for benefits and the estabishment of workfare programs do?
Governments at all levels have changed regulations to increase the self-sufficiency of individuals, for example through changes in eligibility for Employment Insurance and welfare and through the establishment of workfare programs . The term “welfare wall” refers to barriers that discourage the transition from dependence on social assistance to independent work (Starkey, 2006). Recent governments have moved away from universal benefits and shifted funds to help selected groups of people, such as poor families with children. Two examples are the clawback that reclaims part of the Old Age Security pension from more affluent individuals and the shift from a family allowance paid for each child to the Child Tax Credit, which provides larger sums to poorer families. There is also increased emphasis on financial responsibility for family members.
will the family survive
Rather than worrying about whether the family will disappear, it is far more productive to understand how and why the family is changing. Families are becoming more diverse in response to changing social circumstances. The “traditional” nuclear family system of parents and their dependent children has been the predominant family form in Western societies only since the Industrial Revolution. As we enter a new era, we can expect further changes to this kind of family.
how was the traditional family life cycle changed
A young person can no longer count on going through the “traditional ” family life cycle , which includes marriage, having and raising children, the empty nest, and shared retirement and old age, with appropriate roles established for each phase. New stages are added as individuals cohabit, marry, separate, divorce, and recouple. With second and third marriages, the social time clock is becoming more and more blurred. Parents may have two sets of children widely separated in age. New social scripts that specify behaviour appropriate for the new life stages are already emerging (Walsh, 2003a). Since 2004, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act has specified and regulated the legal issues pertaining to assisted human reproduction. In the future, we can expect new laws or court cases to clarify grey areas surrounding lone parenthood, remarriage, and stepfamilies. Societal pressure to respect the differences in families of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities will continue. There will also be demands for social institutions such as schools and the legal system to be more sensitive to these differences.
changes in marriage and childrearing patterns in recent year
Marriage patterns are changing. Unmarried cohabitation, including relationships between same-sex individuals, has increased. Although cohabitation is often a prelude to marriage, many of these relationships are temporary. The very meaning of marriage appears to be changing. In the past, it marked the union of one man and one woman, with the purpose (among others) of having and raising children. Bearing children outside marriage has become increasingly common (Le Bourdais & Lapierre-Adamcyk, 2004). Divorce and remarriage have increased. Gay and lesbian groups successfully pressured the government to legalize same-sex marriages (Hurley, 2005). The ban against polygamy has been questioned (Shelly, 2009). In 2011, for the first time, stepfamilies were counted in the census (Statistics Canada, 2012j). Despite the many challenges, though, the norm in our society of one relationship at a time (serial monogamy) remains constant.
how will the socialization of children change in the future
he socialization of children may be less directly under their parents’ control, even though they may choose many of the providers. Experts disagree over the effect this trend will have on children.
what are efforts by the governments to reduce deficits asking of families
The efforts of federal and provincial governments to reduce deficits are placing more responsibility on family members for the physical care of relatives. Since most adults are employed, this need conflicts with workplace demands. Quebec has offered universal childcare subsidies since 1997, and the federal government introduced the Universal Child Care Benefit in 2006 (Government of Canada, 2009; Lefebvre, 2004). But with an aging population, the concern might shift from childcare to eldercare. If families are to cope, they will need more community services for the elderly, such as home nursing and relief help (Neysmith, 2003). A Senate committee found that the cost of home care is significantly less than the cost of care in a facility (Senate of Canada, 2002). However, there is no national program to support caregivers. New policies will be needed to provide financial and other kinds of support for those who care for older family members
who has the increase in people living alone been greatest amoung
The increase has been greatest among older women
what issues does an aging population create
traditional family types in the future
how does the fact that more women are working outside of home impact husband wife relationships?
here is increasing role flexibility between the sexes. The breadwinner husband and homemaker wife have become a minority as more and more women are working outside the home . The increase in the cost of living, as well as high levels of unemployment, often demand at least two wage earners if the family is to avoid poverty. With high levels of separation and divorce, women can no longer depend on a spouse for lifelong financial support. Having a job provides a certain level of financial insurance. The responsibilities of earning a living and looking after the home and children are shared by both spouses, although often not equally. Advocates call for greater equality both in women’s pay and in men’s participation in homemaking. There is also pressure for more daycare and a greater variety in the forms it takes to better meet the needs of working parents and their children
matrillineal
counting descent through one’s mother
patrilineal
counting descent through one’s father
what is the effect of communication technology on familie
One of the most profound influences on families is in the area of communications technology . We have already discussed how electronic media have made it possible for people to work from home and how children are affected by these media. But there is concern over the effect of these technologies on family relationships. Some individuals spend long hours surfing the Internet or engaging in discussions, some quite intimate, in online chat rooms and social media. Virtual dating offers many “perks” that real-life dating cannot, such as sexual encounters without fear of disease or pregnancy, anonymity, and, for some, a chance to cheat on a partner without ever leaving home(Jones, 2010). When this occurs, family relationships may suffer and fade through lack of interaction. Some individuals worry that the growth in the use of computers, smartphones, and social media may undermine parents’ authority because many children have more expertise than their parents (Bold, 2001). This situation is similar to that of immigrant families where children interpret the new language for their parents.
Yet communications technology can also help families keep in touch. Busy working parents use cellphones and tablets so that they can always be available if their children need them and to check up on their children’s activities. Text messaging, email, and social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, keep distant family members in contact. There are even reports of virtual family dinners taking place through videoconferencing
dr. kerry daly and negative life stories
Dr. Kerry Daly , of the University of Guelph, suggests that we are caught up in negative stories—that the family is fragile and declining. He encourages us to think of the positive. First, families are a force for justice, for example openness in adoption and the growing rights of gay and lesbian couples and their children. Second, families act as an anchor of care. Whether they provide the care themselves or arrange for others to do so, members rely on and take responsibility for each other (Daly, 2004b). The family has proven itself highly adaptable. Its varying forms enable us to meet the challenges of a constantly changing society (Erera, 2002). Remember Adela and Sara from the opening of Chapter 1? Adela described to Sara how her own family has changed, adapted, and diversified in ways she probably never would have imagined. One day, Sara will probably be sitting with her own granddaughter and describing similar changes. There is no case study for this final chapter—it is yet to be lived and written by you, the reader.
how can we predict the future of the family
We can make educated guesses about the future of the family by looking at several factors: in particular, statistical trends, recent government policies, and activist issues. Predictions are more likely to be accurate one or two years down the road than for 10, 30, or 40 years. We can attempt to explain what trends may mean in terms of family experiences, but this is shakier ground. There are so many unknowns in the situation that in 20 years, predictions made today may seem absolute foolishness. In spite of that risk, let’s look into the crystal ball to try to ascertain the future of the family .
