Chapter 9 Flashcards
Compare varying definitions of family, and explain why the way family is defined is important.
Varying definitions of family include structural, functional, and emotional definitions. Structural definitions emphasize the statuses that make up families, functional definitions focus on the everyday “doing” of family life, and emotional definitions draw attention to love and affection. The definitions have implications at the macro level and the micro level.
Identify the key trends that indicate changes in Canadian families.
Marriage rates have declined, cohabitation has increased, divorce has increased, same-sex relationships have increased, and people are having less children.
Distinguish between the main assumptions of the family decline and family pluralism perspectives.
The family decline perspective claims that recent changes in families are because of the view of the family being “in crisis”. The family pluralism perspective suggests that changes in families are indicative of fewer constraints and greater freedom than in the past.
Outline the difficulties that some families face in Canada today.
Around 8 % of Canadian children live in low-income families, which affects various aspects of their lives. Families of certain ethnic backgrounds face particular challenges in terms of economic conditions and racialization. The effects of systemic/institutionalized discrimination are especially evident when considering Aboriginal families, not just in the past but in the present day. The problem of family violence is not limited to any social group.
Explain why the fact that some families experience problems is not indicative of a decline of the family as an institution.
The problems experienced by some families are because of a lack of societal supports for the diverse needs of families in a changing society. Government policies emphasize short-term issues rather than long-term outcomes.
Explain how each of the following theories contributes to knowledge about families: functionalist, conflict, and interactionist.
Functionalists theories explore how families are best able to fulfill their functions, such as effective child socialization. Conflict theories state that even without families, there is competition over scarce resources that can be associated with power differentials and family violence. Interactionist theories draw attention to the fact that families shape our understandings of the world and ourselves, and that our understandings of the world come into play within our everyday lives as family members.
