Family Flashcards
Family
A group of people who are connected by blood, a sexual relationship, or the law
Kinship
Relationships defined by blood, affinity, and adoption (ex. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or people we choose to be related to)
Marraige
A socially sanctioned union that includes legal rights and responsibilities of spouses to each other, their children, and the larger society
Adoption
Voluntarily choosing to have a legal parent-child relationship, not related by blood
Blended Families
Families with step-parents, step-siblings, or half-siblings
Matrilineal
Kinship between generations through the mother’s line, passing down names, property, and titles from mothers to their daughters
Patrilineal
Kinship between generations through the father’s line, passing down names, property, and titles from fathers to their sons
Universal Norms
Norms that exist in virtually all societies
Incest Taboo
Cultural prohibition against sexual activity between relatives
Polygamy – Polygyny and Polyandry
Having multiple spouses at once. Polygyny is when a man has multiple wives and polyandry is when a women has multiple husbands. Polyandry is less common
Nuclear Families
A married couple with dependent children
Breadwinner-homemaker Model
Gendered labour arrangement where a partner (often, the man) works to make money and the other (often, the woman) stays home and did chores and takes care of their children
Dual-earner Arrangement
Both spouses have wage-earning jobs, but women have a “second-shift,” where they do childcare and housework when they come home
The second-shift is magnified when a woman is more successful at her work as men feel their masculinity is threatened, so they’re more assertive
This gender division persists because women view this problem to be micro-level, rather than institutional level
Same-sex Couples Relationship Qualities
They are more egalitarian (people are equal), most notably, lesbian relationships. Sharing labour results in a more satisfying relationship
Future of Families: Economic
Socioeconomic disparities are rising. It’s ingrained in our social institutions and is difficult to change. Middle class is disappearing as wealthy parents continually become wealthier while the bottom becomes poorer
Eliminating the voice of working people in political decision-working threatens the strength of American democracy
Future of Families: Demographic
Marriages between mixed races rises, as well as the number of immigrants. This threatens undocumented immigrants for deportation. Deportation is expected to increase and affects families and causes extreme stress, which is related to health problems
Future of Families: Sociocultural
Sociocultural is the development of interpersonal relationships and boundaries. Work and family demand time, so children must decide what bonds they want to create while parents have to learn to balance. Since gender boundaries are no longer clear, parents must decide how to balance work and and family time
Future of Families: Technological
People are having fewer children and the population is getting older. This may increase multigenerational households, where multiple generations live under the same roof. Also the sandwich generation may rise, where people take care of their senior parents and their children.
Maybe technology will develop to allow working conditions to be more flexible, providing relief for the child and elder-care conundrum
Ex. Birth control is the biggest advancement in gender equality
Friendships
No clear category of friendship, so some people may liken it to siblingship or a wedlock type, but nothing can clearly define it
Extended Family
Aunts, uncles, and cousins living in the same house
Grandparents acting as parents, often the result of parental drug abuse, incarceration, or abandonment
Cohabitation and 4 Characteristics
Man and woman in a social relationship live together without being married.
- ) This has increased because of the decrease in social stigma
- ) “Trial run” for marriage, usually resulting in marriage
- ) Has little effect on the success of a marriage
- ) May contribute to delayed marriage
Stigma of being Single, Men vs. Women
Both experience social pressures of getting married, but women receive greater scrutiny. They’re referred to as unhappy “spinsters” or “old main,” while men are seen as bachelors who haven’t found the “right girl”
Marriage and Religion
Marriages can be based on religion and cultural expectations. People who place no value on religion are less likely to get married compared to those who place high value
Divorce Act
Once the divorce act was enacted, the divorce rates increased, but after a while, started decreasing again. This may be because people who are getting married have an increased level of education; marital stability
