FAMILY CSI – UNIT 4 - 2015

DEFINITION Family – people who consider themselves related by blood, marriage, or adoption Not just people you live with Includes people you only see occasionally

Household – people who occupy the same housing unit

Check the difference: Are these groups families, households, or both? Cast of Finding Carter The Simpsons Cast of New Girl Cast of The Real World The Kardashians

FUNCTIONS OF FAMILIES

Brainstorm:What are the benefits to organizing people into families?What purposes do families serve individuals and society?What do they DO?

FUNCTIONS OF FAMILIES

Economic production – husband & wife (or partner) can specialize their labor

Socialization – raise & teach youth in society

Take care of sick & elderly

Recreation – have fun; feel safe

Sexual Control – parents protect offsprings’ “purity”

Reproduction – ensure children are supported

TWO FAMILIES Family of Orientation – one you’re born intoNurtures youSocializes you

Family of Procreation – one you marry intoAt basic level, exists to produce children

TYPES OF FAMILIES: NUCLEAR Family structure containing husband, wife, and children

~25% of households are nuclear families

TYPES OF FAMILIES: EXTENDED Family structure containing wife, husband,

children, and other relatives Grandparents Aunts & uncles Cousins

People are increasingly living with their extended families (2+ adult generations in the home) Unemployment Arrival of immigrants

How big is your extended family? Count grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins, and immediate family (mom/dad/siblings)

TYPES OF FAMILIES: UNFAMILIAR Most of us are familiar with nuclear & extended families

In other cultures, there are other family systems:Polygamy – Greek translation ‘often/many married’Polyandry – wife has multiple husbandsPolygyny– husband has multiple wives

Reading: Nepal’s wife Sharing Custom Fades

PRO/CON ACTIVITY1. What are the benefits & costs of nuclear

families ?

2. What are the benefits & costs of polygamous families?

Discussion – Should polygamy be legal? Video Clips (time permitting) Modern Polygamy (ABC News) 11 min https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcH3XyobtBw My Five Wives (ABC News) 8 min https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Pm5092a0c

MARRIAGE & DESCENT

Gender Roles

WHO ARE YOU RELATED TO? Also known as kinship systems

Bilateral Descent – consider relatives from both mother & father to be family Common in the US (and most societies today)

Matrilineal Descent – consider relatives from mother’s side Sometimes associated with polyandry & matriarchal families

Patrilineal Descent – consider relatives from father’s side Sometimes associated with patriarchal families

SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY

Matriarchy – rule by women

Patriarchy – rule by men

Egalitarianism – equality between the sexesConsidered to be the ideal in Western nations todayIs the US an egalitarian society?

WHO DOES THE WORK IN YOUR HOUSE? Cooking

Cleaning

Laundry

Outdoor chores

Repairs

Gardening

Animal care

Paying bills

Reflects gender roles – assumed responsibilities for individuals based on gender

THE SECOND SHIFT

Women’s housework after returning home from work

STRATEGIES OF RESISTANCE Waiting It Out Not volunteering Showing irritation Wives dislike nagging or begging

Playing Dumb Become incompetent at housework

Burn food, forget groceries, etc.

Needs Reduction “Cereal is fine for dinner” “I don’t care if the shower is dirty”

Flattery Express appreciation as replacement for actual work

Activity: Write 2 short stories (a few sentences) that demonstrate a strategy of resistance.

Pass them to your neighbor to see if they can identify the strategy!

ARTICLE: MILLENNIAL MEN AREN’T THE DADS THEY THOUGHT THEY’D BE

Before reading:Do you intend to share home responsibilities like chores & child-rearing with your spouse?How would you feel if your spouse made more money than you? What challenges could get in the way of an egalitarian marriage?

MARRIAGE

WHO CAN YOU MARRY? Exogamy – marry outside of your social group/familyBrings in new genesMake ties with neighboring tribes

Endogamy – marry inside of your social group/familyKeeps genes more homogenousMaintains traditionsExamples

Bans on interracial marriage Bans on inter-religious marriage Incest

INCEST TABOO Most societies have an incest taboo – why?

Avoid role confusion (sibling or mother?)

Forces people to look outside family for marriage = forge alliances

Extends social network of bride & groom

Children who co-reside show avoidance toward inbreeding, even if technically unrelated Taiwanese ‘minor’ marriage example

Likely discovered early on in agricultural communities Saw connection between domesticating plants & animals to yield results and incestual relations yielding low birth weights & decreased fertility

Should children born from sperm donors be given two birth certificates to avoid confusion?

ARRANGED MARRIAGES Still somewhat common around the world More prominent through the 18th century

Standpoint = parents know best

Traditional Marriage = parents choose spouse, but if son/daughter refuses, they’ll find someone else

Forced Marriage = can be punished or killed for refusing

marriage

Factors Reputation of family Vocation of spouse Wealth Appearance Values Caste/religion Horoscope Medical/Hereditary Diseases