Final Exam Flashcards
Stressor
Life event that can produce change in the family system
Generativity
Focus on one’s legacy
- key issue in middle age according to Erik Erikson
Midlife crisis
Extreme strain as a person re-evaluates his or her life in middle age
Empty nest syndrome
Depression and sense of uselessness some women experience when the last child leaves home
Boomerang kids
Children who return to their parents’ home after moving out
Revolving door
Young people’s repeated moving in and out of their parents’ home
Sandwich generation
Middle-aged adults who experience the stress of the continuing dependency of their children and the increasing disability of their parents
Chronological age
The number of years a person has lived
Physical age
Physical changes that occur with age
Psychological age
Frame of mind and behaviours associated with one’s age
Social age
Expectations of how we should act when we are a certain age and how we should interact with people older and younger than ourselves
Divorce
Legal dissolution of a marriage
Divorce rate
Measure that predicts the proportion of couples that can be expected to divorce before their 30th wedding anniversary, based on current patterns of divorce
Custody
Legal right and responsibility to care for a child in one’s home
Joint custody
Legal right and responsibility of both parents to make decisions and care for their child
Binuclear family
An arrangement where both father and mother act as parents to their children following divorce but maintain separate homes
Transitional state
State of temporary imbalance resulting from changes in relationships, routines, assumptions and roles
Disequilibrium
Lack of balance in family system
Custodial parent
Individual who has custody of his or her child
Noncustodial parent
Parent who does not have custody of the child
Sleeper effect
Problem that emerges only long after an event (such as divorce)
Remarriage
Marriage that takes place after a previous marriage has ended
Stepfamily
Family where children are related to one parent but not the other
Simple stepfamily
Family in which all children are the biological or adopted children of one and only one married spouse or common-law partner in the couple
Complex stepfamily
Variations of stepfamily form
Vested interests
Interests of a group of people who have a stake in keeping society as it is
Gatekeepers
Individuals recognized as having special expertise in identifying problems and who control access to important people or services
ABCX model
Model that explains how families respond to stressors based on the resources they have and how they perceive the stressor
Crisis
Imbalance in demands placed on an individual or the family by a stressor and their ability to meet the demands
Double ABCX model
Elaboration of the original post-crisis factors as well
Resilience
Strengths that are developed in the struggle with family challenges
Normative family changes
Changes that are expected as part of the family life cycle
Enabler
Person whose behaviour allows another to act in a certain way; often used in reference to nonalcoholic members of alcoholic families
Codependent
Often partner or child of an alcoholic and who also displays a variety of psychological symptoms as a result of living with an alcoholic
Family violence
Any form of abuse, mistreatment or neglect that children or adults experience from other members of their family
Abuse
Situation in which a person takes advantage of a less powerful person
Physical abuse
Intentional use of physical force against a child, resulting in injury or causing bodily harm
Corporal punishment
Any kind of physical force used to inflict pain and which serves as a punishment for an offence or to discourage inappropriate behaviour
Sexual abuse
Any form of sexual conduct directed at a child, with or without physical contact
Emotional abuse
Any situation in which a child is seriously or repeatedly subjected to behaviour that could cause them harm
Neglect
Failure to give appropriate attention or care to a child, resulting in serious emotional or physical harm
Intimate partner violence
Violence committed by legally married, separated, divorced or common-law partners, current or previous dating partners and other intimate partners
Battered woman syndrome
Pattern of signs and symptoms appearing in women who are physically and mentally abused over an extended period by an intimate partner, legal defence used by a woman accused of killing abusive partner
Second-stage housing
Longer-term housing for abused women
Social safety net
Basic social security programs needed to support family life
Means test
Method of screening applicants to ensure that only those who need financial assistance receive it
Absolute poverty
Lacking minimum basic requirements necessary for physical survival
Relative poverty
Definition of poverty based on comparing individuals or families to others in the population
Dependency ratio
Ratio of combined youth and senior population to the working-age population, expressed as number of dependents for every 100 workers
Matrilineal
Counting descent through one’s mother
Patrilineal
Counting descent through one’s father
