Chapter 2 Flashcards
How is a family defined in chapter 2
Family is the must basic unit of the family
What is the history of the family
The family is believed to have existed for thousands of years. In medieval Europe the family was influenced by the church and feudalism, Tadmor studied the family in 18th century writing and found that family included people outside of blood relations
What was the origin of marriage
The habit of a man and woman to come together, to have sexual relations with one another, and to rear their offspring in common, with the man to be protector and the mum, helpmate and nurser of the children, sanction by custom, law and was a social institute.
What are the diffrent family terms over the years
- The Modern Family(1900-1960):
Family that consists of breadwinning husband, housewife and children. - Democratic family:
private group of society in which mates were selected through preferences and children were nutured. - Compassionate family:
were married because they loved each other, rather than moral duty. - Post Modern family: more diverse than past terms of the family structure.
Different ways of defining a family
- Theoretical definitions
- US consensus
- Public opinion
- The legal system
- Life insurance
- In come tax and revenue service
What is FMLA
The Family and Medical leave act, states that employees can leave work to take care of sick family members
What are domestic partners
the personal relationship between individauls sharing a domestic life together
In what ways are families changing
Families are becoming more diverse, less than half of children living with two parent homes.
Cohabitation as increased as a family structure
College educated people follow traditional patterns of marriage more than non educated people.
What is sliding vs deciding
Couples who slide into cohabitation will eventually move towards marriage regardless of strength of relationship.
While deciders discuss their future intentions, about cohabitation are more successful in their marriages.
What is the structural functional family theory
views individuals as members of many interrelated systems, one of which is the family
What are the 4 basic functions for any sytem to survive talcott parsons
loyalty
adaptation
intergration
goal attainment
According to Juliet Mitchell
production
reproduction
socialization
sexuality
3 basic functions by Lammana
raise kids responsibly
give economic support
give family emotional security
What is a theory
a broad generalization, that explains a body of facts or phenomena
Theoretical perspective/ conceptual frameworks
one’s preference for a particular theory
Why are perspectives important
Explain how or why families work
They help us make sense of how families behave
helpful to those who assist families and also make policies for families
What are the eight theoretical perspectives
- Family systems
- Social Exchange Theory
- Symbolic Interaction
- Conflict Theory
- Feminist Perspective
- Family Ecological Theory
- Family Strengths framework
- Family Development theory.
Explain Family strengths theory and weekness
It focuses on what is right with family.
Weaknesses: focussing on positives will not lead to change
Major qualities of healthy family
- commitment to family
- spending enjoyable time with one another
- Spiritual well-being
- Successful management of stress and crisis
- positive communication
- showing appreciation and affection to one another.
Explain conflict Theory
Conflict is natural, by Karl Marx
3 themes
Power is the core of all social relationships
Groups use their own self interests rather than society
Humans are driven to seek different things
Weaknesses: Challenges view of the family as a basic social unit.
Social Exchange Theory
shares a theme that humans are compelled on how to act based on what they value most, involves study of courtship, mate selection.
Strengths: gives strength to structure
gives purpose to individuals, inheritance
Weaknesses:
Not everyone has a voice
not all rewards are stable over time, some behavir doesnt seek rewards
Feminist Perspective
emphasis on women and their experiences.
recognition that under existing social arrangements women are suboedinated or oppressed
strength: helps understand how two forms of economic s interact and impact each other
Weaknesses: Isolates women’s role, forgets both genders
Family Ecological Theory
joins human development and family relationships. eange of problems that families face according to their environment
Strenghts : Links the family’s experiences to it’s environment
Weakness; Broadens research efforts/ raise levels of complexity for findings
Family Development
Views family as a dynamic system
weekness: becomes difficult with non traditional family members
Family system
- When something happens to one member of the family, all family members are affected.
Strengths:
positive influence create role models
based on close family dynamics
easy to identify family patterns
Weeknesses; situational ,
assumes all family members are active participants.
