Family

Chapter 7

Lecture PowerPoint

© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

Social Institutions Permanent features of society Embedded in culture and structure Carry out necessary functions Maintain and reproduce social arrangements Family is the most basic institution (others:

Religion, Economy, Political System, Education, Health Care)

Family Structures – changes over time The Preindustrial Family

Functioned like a miniature economy. Everyone worked to produce items needed to survive work took place in or near home. Children were economic assets Depended heavily on kinship networks Based in agricultural system – land ownership and

inheritance Kinship weakened as families became more mobile.

Family Structures – changes over time The Industrial Revolution

Removed work from home. Men participated in public wage-earning work. Women remained in private world of household Devaluation of women’s work (unpaid) Meritocracy raised aspirations for standard of

living Children became economic liabilities Family size declined

Family Structures – changes over time Post Industrial Families

Transition to service economy by 1970’s Increased demand for labor, opportunity for

women Married women entered labor force Changed balance of power in marriage Changed family roles from obligatory to optional

Family structure Mode of production

Institutional marriage, extended family

Agricultural production

Companionship marriage, nuclear family

Industrial production

Individual marriage, diversity of forms

Service based economy

Contemporary Family Forms – Individual Choice

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2 parent biological or adoptive family Childless couple 2 parent stepfamily or step-adoptive family 1 parent family, usually

Divorced woman Never married woman

Cohabiting male and female Same sex couple, with or without children Single person

Figure 7.1 | Changing Structure of American Families

Family and Work: A Not-So-Subtle Revolution

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changes in the organization of work and family life since the 1970s Increased participation of women in work force Decreasing marriage and birth rate Changes in balance of power in marriage Increasing divorce rate (leveled off in 80’s) Changes in childrearing practices

Figure 7.2 | Women in the Labor Force, 1970-2004

Marital Power and Work Women’s employment may change household

gender roles Three ideologies about wives’ employment

(Arlie Hochschild) Traditional – wife still responsible for home and

family, work takes 2nd priority Egalitarian – 50-50 sharing of work and home Transitional – husband more traditional, wife

more egalitarian (most common, led to conflicts)

Employed Wives Do More Housework Than Their Husbands:

Self-reported housework

Male (%) Female (%)

All or almost all 10.4 53.6

About half 52.6 38.1

Some 30.8 6.4

Little or none 6.2 1.8

Total 100.0 100.0

Source: 2006 General Social Survey (N = 467 married persons, employed full time).

Why don’t men do equal housework? Comparison – doing more than their fathers Needs reduction – wife seems to be handling it Different standards – “what mess?” Wives don’t ask

May still hold traditional views Avoid conflict Enjoy having power over household issues

Women’s strategies for coping “Supermom” – do it all

Difficult to maintain Can lead to resentment

Re-order priorities, cut back on job, family, self, or housework

Get help (assign chores or pay someone) Ask husbands to share

sometimes succeeded, generally improved marriage

Ethnicity and American Families

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African American Families women have taken leading role in providing for

families Less emphasis on formal marriage, but 2 parent

families were common during era of slavery Strong kinship ties, reliance on informal networks 20th century: 2 main trends

Rise of middle class – increasing gap between middle and bottom

Decline in marriage – fewer “eligible” young black men

Swimming and Sinking: Inequality and American Families

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W. E. B. DuBois argued that the high rate of female-headed families in the African American community was a result of racial oppression and poverty, not a cause of it.

William Julius Wilson argued an outright shortage of employed, un-incarcerated black men with whom black women could hope to form a stable family unit, thus leaving them with little choice in terms of taking responsibility for their families.

Latino Families

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Not a unified group - different countries and cultures some characteristics can be identified as common

Strong family and community ties Adherence to traditional gender roles Devout Catholicism High marriage rates (not always formal marriage) Low divorce rates

Native American Families Based on tribe or lineage Relationships may not be all blood High respect for elders Strong value of children – community

responsibility Strong sense of tradition, stories May still be marginalized due to culture

Female headed families

Disadvantaged financially May face stigma – assumption that raising

child alone is selfish choice Often criticized for using welfare and services Face many obstacles to finding good jobs

Lack of child care, limited work hours Lower education, lack of support for school Often employed in “care work” or domestic work

– low status, low income

Children and childrearing Two approaches have been dominant

Traditional– raising a competent adult Focus on discipline, obedience conformity Closer to working class culture Fits institutional marriage and family People have children because it is expected

Developmental – developing child’s potential Focus on creativity, self-direction Closer to middle class values Fits individual marriage and family People have children to enhance their lives

Is “Childhood” a recent concept? Traditional view: childhood as separate stage came with

industrialization Education separated children from outside world Industrialization created homemaker/mother role Children expected to choose own path in life

Contemporary view: childhood was always unique stage separate children’s cultures have always existed “coddling” view of children seems to occur in cycles

Divorce Currently just under 1 divorce per 2 marriages Rate doubled in 1970’s – great concern

Women’s employment provided alternatives “No Fault” system made divorce easier (but may

have been in response to demand) Rate has leveled off Biggest concern is for well-being of children

Figure 7.4 | Divorce Rate over the Past Century

Divorce and children – chain of negative events (Cherlin and Furstenburg) Loss of noncustodial parent Loss of financial support, standard of living Possible loss of home, neighborhood, school Loss of custodial parent due to emotional trauma,

more work hours – “diminished parenting” Loss of childhood, problems in later relationships Most of these could be prevented by well managed

divorce

Future of families, children Often pessimistic predictions, stereotypes Many children’s lives are better than ever

Standard of living Education Health

Worse prospects for: Children of young single mothers Minority children Children of working poor