Families and Intimate Relationships

Question 1

sociological definitions of family

Answer 1

-a group of individuals related to one another by blood ties, marriage, or adoption, who form an economic unit, the adult members of which are often responsible for the upbringing of children
-members consider their identity to be closely attached the group, and are committed to maintaining the group over time
- a social institution
- reflects and perpetuates persistent subgroup inequalities
-influenced by other social institutions, including economy, law, and education
-structural and cultural influences
Structural factors—including shifts in educational attainment, the economic prospects of young adults, widening levels of income inequality, and whether one has the legal right to marry
cultural factors—ranging from attitudes toward marriage, sexuality, and cohabitation to beliefs about the appropriate context for raising children

Question 2

kinship

Answer 2

a relation that links individuals through blood ties, marriage, or adoption
does not require acknowledgement of identity

Question 3

marriage

Answer 3

A socially approved sexual relationship between two individuals. Marriage normally forms the basis of a family of procreation; that is, it is expected that the married couple will produce and raise children.

Question 4

Nuclear vs. extended family

Answer 4

Nuclear family: A family group consisting of an adult couple and their dependent children.

Extended family: A family group consisting of relatives outside of the nuclear family.

Question 5

family of orientation vs. procreation

Answer 5

family of Orientation: The family into which an individual is born or adopted.

family of procreation: The family an individual initiates through marriage or cohabitation or by having or adopting children.
-the one enters when adult

Question 6

monogamy

Answer 6

A form of marriage in which each married partner is allowed only one spouse at any given time.

Question 7

polygamy

Answer 7

A form of marriage in which a person may have two or more spouses simultaneously.

Question 8

polygyny vs. polyandry

Answer 8

polygyny: A form of marriage in which a man may have two or more wives simultaneously.

Polyandry: A form of marriage in which a woman may have two or more husbands simultaneously.

Question 9

functionalist perspectives on families

Answer 9

families contribute to the stability and continuity of societies

• socialization: children learn the cultural norms of the society into which they are born
• Parsons, Becker and others see the traditional gendered allocation of paid vs. family work as critical to the stability of families.

Question 10

primarily socialization

Answer 10

The process by which young children learn the cultural norms of the society into which they are born. Primary socialization occurs largely in one’s family.

Question 11

personality stablization

Answer 11

According to the theory of functionalism, the role families play in assisting adult family members emotionally. Marriage between adults is the arrangement through which adult personalities are supported and kept healthy.

Question 12

feminist perspectives on families

Answer 12

presume power differentials, where men and parents have more power than women and children
traditional care work deprives women of economic power and contributes to feminization of poverty

Question 13

main themes of global family change according to Goode

Answer 13

1. Clans and other kin groups are declining in influence.
2. There is a general trend toward the free choice of a spouse or romantic partner.
3. The rights of women are becoming more widely recognized, with respect to both the initiation of marriage and decision making within families.
4. Kin marriages are becoming less common.
5. Higher levels of sexual freedom are developing in societies that were once very restrictive.
6. Birthrates are declining, meaning that women are giving birth to fewer babies.
7. There is a general trend toward the extension of children’s rights.
   In western, additional:
8. The number of births that occur outside of marriage has increased.
9. Laws and norms regarding divorce have liberalized.
10. Nonmarital cohabitation among romantic partners has increased.
11. The average ages at which people first get married and first give birth have increased.
12. Same-sex couples have gained cultural and legal acceptance, and their numbers are growing.

Question 14

historical changes in dating behavior

Answer 14

dating in the 1920s and 1930s was more chaste than it is today; premarital sex was frowned upon, so couples progressed very quickly from dating to marriage

Following the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, premarital sex became more widely accepted, so dating couples could enjoy sexual relationships without rushing into marriage as a way to consummate their relationship

young people feel less constrained; same-sex, interracial

Question 15

marriage trends and differentials

Answer 15

the age at which Americans marry for the first time has risen sharply in recent decades

• increases in non-marital cohabitation among younger people
• increases in postsecondary school enrollment, especially among women
• women’s increased participation in the labor force

Question 16

race and ethnic differences in family structure

Answer 16

Early studies failed to consider distinctions between race and ethnicity
e.g., African American with African and Caribbean diaspora communities, and attributed Black–White differences in family structure to “cultural” differences, including beliefs about the importance of marriage and of being economically self-sufficient

recognizing that socioeconomic resources—including education and the opportunity to work in jobs that provide a living wage and enable people to amass savings—are among the key dynamics

Question 17

Wilson’s “marriageable men” hypothesis

Answer 17

Growing share of Never-married adults– growing race gap
Economists Cancutt et al. (2018) estimate that “differences in incarceration and employment dynamics between black and white men can account for half of the existing black-white marriage gap.”

Question 18

divorce trend in 20th century

Answer 18

increased steadily through the 1970s and 1980s, they have leveled off, and even declined, since the 1990s.
Attitudes have changed in tandem, as the proportion of Americans who disapprove of divorce has starkly declined.

Question 19

impact of divorce on children

Answer 19

often acquiring new step-siblings in the process

The economic well-being of women and children declines in the immediate aftermath of divorce

Question 20

stepfamily

Answer 20

A family in which at least one partner has children from a previous marriage.

Question 21

reasons for rising divorce rate in late 20th century

Answer 21

Macrosocial explanations:
-women’s economic independence hypothesis
-Changing norms about importance of marriage to child well-being.
-Changes in law and religion
-Changing expectations about what a spouse should be (“soulmate”)
Individual level explanations:
- Financial troubles
-Sexual incompatibility/infidelity
-Differences in childbearing/rearing
-Family violence

Question 22

reasons for rising cohabitation rates in late 20th century

Answer 22

spending time together and evaluating compatibility.
Men, however, were concerned about the loss of freedom marriage would entail, whereas women worried that cohabitation would further delay marriage.

One of the most important factors for lower-income young adults is money; sharing an apartment helps save money, and cohabiting pushes off the expenses of a wedding

Question 23

child abuse

Answer 23

• serious physical harm (trauma, sexual abuse with injury, or willful malnutrition) with intent to injure
• many cases are not recorded
• The effects of child mistreatment can linger for years
  
  • elevated risk of multiple health conditions in midlife

Question 24

intimate partner violence (IPV)

Answer 24

• Abuse of one’s spouse or romantic partner

- Women who are more empowered educationally, economically, and socially are most protected from IPV

Question 25

explanations for family violence

Answer 25

• structural factors, including low levels of power among women
• cultural factors, including widespread acceptance of violence and beliefs that male power is equated with violence

Question 26

same-sex parent families

Answer 26

• same-sex couples are seven times as likely as different-sex married or cohabiting couples to have an adopted child or stepchild
• Increasingly tolerant attitudes toward LGBTQ persons
• second parent adoption: where one partner adopts a child and the partner applies to be a second or co-parent
• joint adoption: where the partners adopt a child together

Question 27

reasons for rising rates of singlehood

Answer 27

• people are marrying later than ever
• the rise and stabilization of divorce rates over the past half-century has meant that many more people are living on their own when their marriages end
• the “graying” of the U.S. population is accompanied by growing numbers of older adults whose partners have died
• the “stigma” of being single has diminished

Question 28

main reasons for being child-free

Answer 28

• not having a partner with whom one would want to have a child
• a preference for a child-free lifestyle
• concerns about the environment and bringing a child into an unsafe world
• concerns about whether one has the financial and emotional wherewithal to have a child
• diminishing stigma

Question 29

fertility trends in 20th and 21st century

Answer 29

decrease from 1800-1940: 7–>2
increase from 1940-1960: 2–>3.5
decrease from 1960-1980: 3.5–>1.8
recent years: ~ 2

Question 30

reasons for declining birth rate in 20th c

Answer 30

Economic explanation:
-The cost of raising a child is too high
cultural :
- Attitudes toward birth control
Cultural beliefs about appropriate gender roles.
Cultural beliefs about the family.
Attitudes toward the environment.
Pervasive norms of individualism.
Growing acceptance and popularity of being child-free
Cultural beliefs about “right way” to raise a child.

Question 31

patterns and consequences of dating apps (Lindquist et al)