Chapter 2

Question 1

How is a family defined in chapter 2

Answer 1

Family is the must basic unit of the family

Question 2

What is the history of the family

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What was the origin of marriage

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

What are the diffrent family terms over the years

Answer 4

1. The Modern Family(1900-1960):
   Family that consists of breadwinning husband, housewife and children.
2. Democratic family:
   private group of society in which mates were selected through preferences and children were nutured.
3. Compassionate family:
   were married because they loved each other, rather than moral duty.
4. Post Modern family: more diverse than past terms of the family structure.

Question 5

Different ways of defining a family

Answer 5

1. Theoretical definitions
2. US consensus
3. Public opinion
4. The legal system
5. Life insurance
6. In come tax and revenue service

Question 6

What is FMLA

Answer 6

The Family and Medical leave act, states that employees can leave work to take care of sick family members

Question 7

What are domestic partners

Answer 7

the personal relationship between individauls sharing a domestic life together

Question 8

In what ways are families changing

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

What is sliding vs deciding

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

What is the structural functional family theory

Answer 10

views individuals as members of many interrelated systems, one of which is the family

Question 11

What are the 4 basic functions for any sytem to survive talcott parsons

Answer 11

loyalty
adaptation
intergration
goal attainment

Question 12

According to Juliet Mitchell

Answer 12

production
reproduction
socialization
sexuality

Question 13

3 basic functions by Lammana

Answer 13

raise kids responsibly
give economic support
give family emotional security

Question 14

What is a theory

Answer 14

a broad generalization, that explains a body of facts or phenomena

Question 15

Theoretical perspective/ conceptual frameworks

Answer 15

one’s preference for a particular theory

Question 16

Why are perspectives important

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What are the eight theoretical perspectives

Answer 17

1. Family systems
2. Social Exchange Theory
3. Symbolic Interaction
4. Conflict Theory
5. Feminist Perspective
6. Family Ecological Theory
7. Family Strengths framework
8. Family Development theory.

Question 18

Explain Family strengths theory and weekness

Answer 18

It focuses on what is right with family.
Weaknesses: focussing on positives will not lead to change

Major qualities of healthy family

1. commitment to family
2. spending enjoyable time with one another
3. Spiritual well-being
4. Successful management of stress and crisis
5. positive communication
6. showing appreciation and affection to one another.

Question 19

Explain conflict Theory

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Social Exchange Theory

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Feminist Perspective

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Family Ecological Theory

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Family Development

Answer 23

Views family as a dynamic system

weekness: becomes difficult with non traditional family members

Question 24

Family system

Answer 24

1. 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.