Family Flashcards
Sociological perspective on the family
looks at family as single unit and social institution; comes with set of roles & rules that define importance to society; look at important external forces to view social world of the family
Traditional definition
social unit of people related through marriage, birth, or adoption who reside together, engage in economic cooperation, socially approved sexual relations, and reproduction
Contemporary definition
primary group of people-usually related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption-who form a cooperative economic unit and care for any young who consider their identity to be attached to the group; committed to maintaining the group
Functionalist
focuses on stability and cooperation; each partner performs certain functions (husband works, wife does housework); breadwinner-homemaker model; family meets the need to socialize children and reproduce new members
Conflict theory
reinforce and support power relations in society; focuses on inequality, power and social change; male dominance=physical control of economic resources; men can’t be dominant in societies where women produce valuable goods and state regulates physical force
Exchange perspective
women choose to exchange performance in household/childcare services in return for men’s income; men choose to perform outside labor in exchange for women’s household labor; heteronormative; when women earn money, they are less dependent on men and men dont have as much control
Symbolic interactionist
interpret symbols of how people act- shared understandings of how people should act creates basis of social roles that people should play- spouse, parent, breadwinner, homemaker, child, etc. ; valuable in current times that have more step families, dual career marriages, single parent families; emerge so that people can meet basic needs and form relationships
Feminist perspective
gender defines social roles and cultural characteristics; these roles have no biological reason behind them, culturally dictated and socially constructed; roles are constructed to give men the power
