Unit 6The Family

Truth or Fiction• Families are the same all over the world

– Families have the same kind of structure and functions in every culture– A variety of family patterns and structures are found throughout the

world’s diverse cultures• Marriage patterns have remained unchanged in the United States since

colonial times– Most American adults get married to one spouse, have children, and

raise a family– Marriage patterns have changed dramatically since colonial times,

with changes in the structure of marriage and the roles of spouses. • Family disruptions, such as divorce, have little effect on the adults and

children involved– Family disruptions usually affect just one or two family members, while

other members remain mostly unaffected– Family disruptions can have a devastating effect on all family members

The Family

• According to many people in the media, and even some lawmakers, the social institution of the American family is undergoing so much change that the institution may eventually cease.

• Write a few sentences agreeing or disagreeing with this statement.

Unit 6 Vocabulary

• Nuclear Family • Extended family • Kinship• Polygamy• Patrilineal • Matrilineal • Homogamy • Heterogamy

Family Systems• A family is a group of people who are

related by marriage, blood, or adoption and who often live together and share economic resources.

• A nuclear family consists of one or both parents and their children. Considered the typical and most recognizable family.

• An extended family consists of two or more generations including grandparents, parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins all living together.

• Kinship refers to a network of people who are related by marriage, birth, or adoption.

Marriage and Kinship Patterns

• Family organization is determined by how a society answers four questions: 1. How many marriage partners may a person

have? 2. Who will live with whom? 3. How will family membership be determined? 4. Who will make the decisions in family?

Marriage and Kinship Patterns

• Marriage refers to the set of norms that establishes and characterizes the relationship between married individuals.

• The marriage of one man to one woman is called monogamy.

• Marriage with multiple partners is polygamy.

The Functions of the Family

• Regulation of Sexual Activity – Helps prevent incest by forbidding sexual relations with

relatives• Reproduction – To survive, societies must replace members who die and

move away• Socialization– Children must be taught the ways of their society

• Economic and Emotional Security – Tasks are divided on the basis of gender and age– Expected to provide TLC and guide the individual’s

psychological development.

Life Happens Exercise • The Objectives

1. Provide their members with the basic necessities of: • Food • Clothing• Shelter• Taxes

2. Provide their children with the best possible education3. To maintain the physical and mental well being of each family

member by providing: • Health Care• Entertainment • Vacations

Life Happens Activity

• In your notebook develop and maintain a budget that calculates a monthly budget– Food– Clothing– Shelter– Utilities– Transportation– Health Insurance – Child Care– Miscellaneous Personal and Household Expenses– State Sales Taxes– Credit Card Bills

The American Family• Traditionally

– A working father– A stay-at-home mother– Two or three children

• Marriage– Romantic love– Homogamy - Marriage of someone with social characteristics

similar to their own. Age, socioeconomic status, religion, and race. – Heterogamy - Marriage outside of one’s own social

characteristics. Due to higher college enrollments, more geographic mobility, and increased participation of women in the workforce.

Family Disruption

• Violence– The most devastating disruption. A person of any age is more likely to

be attacked in their home than anywhere else. • Divorce

– ½ of American marriages end in divorce. Highest divorce rate in the world. • Laws have become more lax• Dual-Earner families • Society has become more tolerant • People underestimate the problems of marriage

• Legal dissolution of marriage• Empty Nest• Death of a spouse

Trends in American Family Life

• Delayed Marriage• Delayed Childbearing– Sandwich generation – those people who must

meet the needs of young children and aging parents simultaneously.

• Childlessness• Remarriage• Dual-earner marriages• One-parent families