Chapter 15
Families and Intimate Relationships
Chapter Outline
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Families in Global Perspective
Theoretical Perspectives on Families
Developing Intimate Relationships and
Establishing Families
Child-Related Family Issues and
Parenting
Transition and Problems in Families
Family Issues in the Future
Traditional Definition of
Family

A group of people who are related by
blood, marriage, or adoption, live
together, are an economic unit, and bear
and raise children.
New Definition of Family

Relationships in which people live
together with commitment, form an
economic unit and care for any young,
and consider their identity to be
significantly attached to the group.
How Much Do You Know About
Trends in U.S. Family Life?

True or False?
 Today, people in the United States are
more inclined to get married than at any
time in history.
How Much Do You Know About
Trends in U.S. Family Life?

False.
 Census data show that the marriage
rate has gone down by about one third
since 1960. In 1960, there were about
73 marriages per 1,000 unmarried
women age 15 and up, whereas today
the rate is about 49 per 1,000.
How Much Do You Know About
Trends in U.S. Family Life

True or False?
 Most U.S. family households are
composed of a married couple with one
or more children under age 18.
How Much Do You Know About
Trends in U.S. Family Life?

False.
 Less than 25 percent of all family
households are composed of married
couples with one or more children
under age 18.
Family Structure and
Characteristics
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
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Kinship refers to a social network of people
based on common ancestry, marriage, or
adoption.
Family of orientation is the family into which a
person is born and in which early socialization
usually takes place.
Family of procreation is the family a person
forms by having or adopting children.
Family Structure and
Characteristics
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
An extended family is composed of
relatives in addition to parents and
children who live in the same household.
A nuclear family is composed of one or
two parents and their dependent children,
all of whom live apart from other relatives.
Question

A social network of people based on
common ancestry, marriage, or adoption
is known as:
a. kinship.
b. a family.
c. a clan.
d. subculture.
Answer: a

A social network of people based on
common ancestry, marriage, or adoption
is known as kinship.
Question

All things considered, how satisfied are
you with your family life?
GSS National Data
Divorced/ Never
Widowed
separated married
Marital Status
Married
Satisfied
95.3%
85.7%
78.7%
84.5%
Neither
satisfied or
dissatisfied
2
6
11.1
10.2
Dissatisfied
2.7
8.3
10.2
5.3
Household Composition:
1970 and 2000
1970
2000
Married couples with children
40.3%
24.1%
Married couples without children
Persons living Alone
30.3%
17.1%
28.7%
25.5%
Other family Households
10.6%
16%
Other nonfamily households
1.7%
5.7%
Question

The strength of the American family is
declining.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree somewhat
c. Unsure
d. Disagree somewhat
e. Strongly disagree
Marriage
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
Legally recognized arrangement between
two or more individuals that carries
certain rights and obligations.
Monogamy is the only form of marriage
sanctioned by law in the United States.
Establishes a system of descent so
kinship can be determined.
Question


If you are currently married:
Taking things all together, how would
you describe your marriage? Would you
say that your marriage is:
a. Very happy
b. Pretty happy
c. Not too happy
GSS National Data
Lib.
Con.
Religion
Catholic Jewish None
Protestant Protestant
Very
happy
65%
62.6%
61.2%
64.4%
56%
Pretty
happy
32.5
35
35.8
31.3
38.9
Not too
happy
2.6
2.4
3
4.3
5.2
Patterns of Descent and
Inheritance
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
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Patrilineal descent is a system of tracing
descent through the father’s side of the family.
Matrilineal descent is a system of tracing
descent through the mother’s side of the familywomen may not control property.
Bilateral descent is a system of tracing
descent through both the mother’s and father’s
sides of the family.
Power and Authority in
Families
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
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A patriarchal family is a family structure in
which authority is held by the eldest male
(usually the father).
A matriarchal family is a family structure in
which authority is held by the eldest female
(usually the mother).
An egalitarian family is a family structure in
which both partners share power and authority
equally.
Residential Patterns
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
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Patrilocal residence refers to the custom of a
married couple living in the same household (or
community) as the husband’s family.
Matrilocal residence is the custom of a married
couple living in the same household (or
community) as the wife’s parents.
Neolocal residence is the custom of a married
couple living in their own residence apart from
both the husband’s and the wife’s parents.
Question

The custom of a married couple living in
their own residence apart from both the
husband's and the wife's parents are
known as:
a. isolated residence.
b. neolocal residence.
c. neutral local residence.
d. exogamous residence.
Answer: b

The custom of a married couple living in
their own residence apart from both the
husband's and the wife's parents are
known as neolocal residence.
Marriage Patterns
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Endogamy is the practice of marrying within
one’s own group.
Homogamy is the pattern of individuals
marrying those who have similar characteristics,
such as race/ethnicity, religious background,
age, education, and/or social class.
Exogamy is the practice of marrying outside
one’s own social group or category.
Functionalist Perspective:
Four Functions of Families
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sexual regulation
Socialization
Economic and psychological support for
members.
Provision of social status and
reputation.
Theoretical Perspectives On
Families
Theory
Functionalist
Conflict/
feminist
Focus
Role of families in
maintaining stability of
society and individuals’
well-being.
Families as sources of
conflict and social
inequality.
Theoretical Perspectives On
Families
Theory
Focus
Interactionist
Family dynamics, including
communication patterns and the
subjective meanings people
assign to events.
Postmodernist
Permeability of families.
Conflict Perspective
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Families in capitalist economies are
similar to workers in a factory:
Women are dominated at home the same
way workers are dominated in factories.
Reproduction of children and care for
family members reinforce subordination of
women through unpaid labor.
Symbolic Interactionist
Perspective
How family problems are perceived and
defined depends on:
 Patterns of communication.
 The meanings people give to roles and
events.
 Individual interpretations of family
interactions.
Postmodern Perspective
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Families are diverse and fragmented.
Boundaries between workplace and home
are blurred.
Family problems are related to
cyberspace and consumerism in an age
characterized by high-tech “haves’ and
“have-nots.”
Question

According to functionalists, all of the following
are key functions of families, except:
a. provision of social status.
b. economic and psychological support.
c. maintenance of workers so that they can
function effectively in the workplace.
d. sexual regulation and socialization of
children.
Answer: c

According to functionalists, maintenance
of workers so that they can function
effectively in the workplace is not a key
functions of families.
Cohabitation
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
Cohabitation refers to a couple who live
together without being legally married.
Based on Census Bureau data, the
people who are most likely to cohabit are
under age 45, have been married before,
or are older individuals who do not want
to lose financial benefits (such as
retirement benefits) that are contingent
upon not remarrying.
Cohabitation and Two-Stage
Marriage
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
Cohabitation somewhat follows the two-stage
marriage pattern set out by anthropologist
Margaret Mead.
Mead suggested marriage should occur in two
stages:
• Individual marriage - two people make a
commitment to each other but agree not to
have children during this stage.
• Parental marriage - couple decides to have
children and share responsibility for them.
Question

Do you agree, disagree, or neither agree
or disagree with the following statement
 It is alright for a couple to live
together without intending to get
married?
GSS National Data
Age
<30
30-49
50 and up
Agree
61.9%
50.7%
28.3%
Neither Agree
nor Disagree
16.6%
17.3%
23%
Disagree
21.4%
32%
48.7%
Domestic Partnership

Household partnerships in which an
unmarried couple lives together in a
committed, sexually intimate relationship
and is granted the same rights and
benefits as those accorded to married
heterosexual couples.
Why People Get Married
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Being "in love."
Desiring companionship and sex.
Wanting to have children.
Social pressure.
Attempting to escape from their parents'
home.
Believing they will have greater
resources.
Housework and Child-Care
Responsibilities
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Today, over 50% of all marriages in the United
States are dual-earner marriages - marriages in
which both spouses are in the labor force.
 In 2001 more than 76% of employed mothers
with children under age 6 worked full time
 The second shift is the domestic work that
employed women perform at home after they
complete their workday on the job.
The Child-Care Class System:
Who’s Watching Our Children?
Deciding to Have Children
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Society's bias is to assume having
children is the norm.
Infertility affects nearly five million U.S.
couples, or one in twelve couples in which
the wife is between the ages of fifteen and
forty-four.
44% of pregnancies are intended, 56%
are unintended.
Question

What do you think is the ideal number of
children for a family to have?
GSS National Data
Age
<30
30-49
50 and up
0-1
5.6%
5.1%
3.4%
2
56.7
61.6
56.5
3+
37.7
33.3
40.1
Question

How important is having children to you?
a. Important
b. Somewhat important
c. Not important
GSS National Data
Age
<30
30-49
50 and up
Important
54.3%
60.8%
67.8%
Somewhat
important
26
20.1
14.9
Not
important
19.7
19.1
17.3
Primary Reasons for Teen
Pregnancy: Microlevel
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Many sexually active teens don’t use
contraceptives.
Teenagers may receive little accurate
information about the use of contraception.
Some teenage males believe females should
be responsible for contraception.
Some teenagers view pregnancy as a sign of
male prowess or as a way to gain adult status.
Myths of Teenage Fathers
1. They engage in sexual activity early and
often.
2. They sexually exploit unsuspecting
females.
3. They have a need to prove their
masculinity.
Myths of Teenage Fathers
4. They have few emotional feelings for the
women they impregnate.
5. They are rarely involved in caring for
and rearing their children.
Question

If a man and woman have sex relations
before marriage, do you think it is:
a. Always wrong
b. Almost always wrong
c. Not wrong at all
GSS National Data
Age
<30
30-49
50 and up
Always wrong
17.6%
21.9%
37.1%
Almost always
wrong
29.6
28.7
33.4
Not wrong at
all
52.8
49.4
29.5
U.S. Marital Status:15 and over by
Ethnicity
Question

How successful do you feel in your
family life?
a. Not successful
b. Somewhat successful
c. Successful
GSS National Data
Income
Low
Middle
High
Not
successful
14..3%
7.5%
4.5%
Somewhat
successful
38.9%
40.7%
34.2%
Successful
466.8%
51.8%
61.3%4
Single Parenting
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
42% of white children and 86% of African
American children spend part of their
childhood in a single parent household.
Lesbian and gay parents are often
counted as single parents, however many
share parenting with partner.
Two-Parent Households
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
Parenthood in the United States is
idealized, especially for women.
Children in two-parent families are not
guaranteed a happy childhood simply
because both parents reside in the same
household.
Question

It is better for everyone if the man is the
achiever outside the home and the woman
takes care of the home and family.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree somewhat
c. Unsure
d. Disagree somewhat
e. Strongly disagree
Two Important Facts About
Families
1.
2.
For good or ill, families are central to our
existence.
The reality of family life is far more
complicated than the idealized image of
families found in the media and in many
political discussions.
Characteristics of Those Likely to
Get Divorced
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Marriage at an early age.
A short acquaintanceship before
marriage.
Disapproval of the marriage by relatives
and friends.
Limited economic resources.
Characteristics of Those Likely to
Get Divorced
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

Having a high-school education or less.
Parents who are divorced or have
unhappy marriages.
The presence of children at the beginning
of the marriage.
Remarriage
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

In recent years, more than 40% of all marriages
were between previously married brides and/or
grooms.
Among individuals who divorce before age
thirty-five, about half will remarry within 3 years
of their first divorce.
Some people become part of stepfamilies or
blended families, which consist of a husband
and wife, children from previous marriages, and
children (if any) from the new marriage.
Diversity Among Singles

Among persons age 15 and over, 43.4%
of African Americans have never married,
compared with 35.3% of Latinos/as,
31.3% of Asian and Pacific Islander
Americans, and 26.1% of whites.
Factors in the Lower Marriage Rate
of African American Women
1.
2.
There are more African American
women than men as a result of the high
rate of mortality among young African
American men.
African American males who have been
subjected to discriminatory practices and
limited opportunities may perceive their
only economic options are to serve in the
military or participate in criminal activity.
Factors in the Lower Marriage Rate
of African American Women
3. A higher rate of homosexuality exists among
African American men than among women.
4. More African American men than women
marry members of other racial–ethnic groups.
5. Working-class African American families often
stress education for their children and
encourage their daughters to choose
education over marriage.
Quick Quiz
1. A social network of people based on
common ancestry, marriage, or adoption
is:
a. family of orientation
b. a kinship
c. a family
d. ethnic group
Answer: b

A social network of people based on
common ancestry, marriage, or adoption
is a kinship.
2. A family composed of one or two parents
and their dependent children, all of
whom live apart from other relatives is
called:
a. nuclear family
b. sandwich family
c. boomerang family
d. extended family
Answer: a

A family composed of one or two
parents and their dependent children, all
of whom live apart from other relatives is
called a nuclear family.
3. The concurrent marriage of one man with
two or more women is:
a. all of the choices
b. polyandry
c. polygyny
d. polygamy
Answer: c

The concurrent marriage of one man
with two or more women is polygyny.
4. A family structure in which the authority is
held by the eldest female is:
a. a matriarchical family
b. a patriarchical family
c. a patrilocal family
d. a matrilocal family
Answer: a

A family structure in which the authority
is held by the eldest female is a
matriarchical family.
5. Families that consist of a husband, wife,
and children from previous marriages
and (if any) children from the new is
called a:
a. boomerang family
b. reconstituted family
c. sandwich families
d. blended family
Answer: d

Families that consist of a husband, wife,
and children from previous marriages
and (if any) children from the new is
called a blended family.
6. The family one is born into and which
early socialization takes place is:
a. the family of orientation
b. the family of adoption
c. the family of procreation
d. the family of origin
Answer: a

The family one is born into and which
early socialization takes place is the
family of orientation.