Chapter 9; Families Flashcards
Structural Definitions of family
Define family baased on the statuses that comprise it
ex. census definition:
-married/common law couples with or without kids, living in the same dwelling
-lone parents with at least one kid living in the same dwelling
-grandparent(s) with at least one grandkid (and no parents) living in the same dwelling
Functional definitions of families
define family in terms of internal processes and functions
ex. Vanier institute of the family:
-2 or more people tied by mutual consent, birth, adoption, or placement
-assume responsibility for:
-physical maintenance/ care of group members
-addition of new members through procreation/adoption
-socialization of children
-social control of members
-production, consumption, distribution of goods and services
-nurturance
Emotional Definitions
Fictive kinship: social bonds among people not related, married, or adopted but feel attached to one another and assume some of the benefits/obligations of family life
families of the heart
families we choose
can include pets
Why do definitions matter?
Macro level determines who is included in social policies, workplace benefits, and law
Mirco level influences determine your own definition of family
-affects your choices
-affects your judgement about others’ choices
-affects your attitudes about changing trends in family life
Changing family patterns
- same-sex couples; have been increasing
- changing views on marriage; less Canadians are getting married
- Alternative forms of coupling; cohabiting, living apart together, polyamory
- uncoupling through divorce/seperation; increases due to changes in legislation and womens property rights, declining rates since 1980s
- Step families and lone parent kids; have been increasing
- smaller families; women give birth to less kids
The family decline perspective
held by religious conservative/ some sociologists; perspective emphasises the disappearance of the “traditional” family; man and woman in their first marriage + kids, considers this the “golden standard for childrearing”
underscores the harm done by “non-traditional’ families
The family pluralism perspective
Supports family diversity, argues issues in families have always been around and are not a cause of non-traditional families
nuclear families
family structure comprising of a married couple and their kids
difficulties faced by some families
12% of families face poverty
racialization, discrimination, bicultural youth
family violence
family violence
make up 1/3 of violent crimes
more than 80% of victims are women, especially in rural areas
patrilineal
lineage is traced through the father’s side of the family, especially in its male members
matrilineal
lineage is traced through the mother’s side of the family, especially in its female members
bilineal
lineage is traced through both the mothers and fathers side of the family
sixties scoop
child welfare authorities began to step into Indigenous families on a large scale
what percent of children in foster care are Indigenous?
48%
Family life course development theory
families transition through stages which are quantitatively different, ex. transition to parenthood affects the relationship between parents and individual well-being
Functionalist perspective on families
Parsons; families serve the function of socializing children and stabilizing adult personalities
fmailies fulfill some new functions compared to families in the past, ex. policing childrens media use and coordinating other sources of socialization
conflict perspective on families
resources are distributed unequally within families; thus conflict emerges as family members compete over resources
under capitalism women are subordinated
sibling conflict is normal
family violence
feminist perspectives on the family
families are central to feminist theories
gendering of peoples experiences takes place, in part, within families (micro level)
family life is central to the reproduction of the gendered structure of society (macro level)
families are sites of social inequality
draw attention to household responsibilities
challenge heteronormativity
Interactionist perspectives
as the most “significant” of significant others, families shape our understandings of the world and our place in it
husbands/wives often have different perceptions of their marriage; can be significant consequences
-parenting after seperations
-intimate partner violence
postmodern perspective
-wide ranging forms of coupling and families
-people’s choices impact broader social structures
-families are affected by other changes occurring in the world ex. COVID
