Marriages and Families, 9e
Lamanna
Riedman
Chapter 1
Family Commitments
Making Choices in a Changing
Society
Chapter Outline
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Defining Family
The Freedom and the Pressure of
Choosing
Making Choices
A Family of Individuals
Marriages and Families: Four Themes
Defining Family
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Law and Science
 People related by blood, marriage or
adoption.
U.S. Census Bureau
 Two or more persons who share a
household and who are related by
blood, marriage or adoption.
Which of These Is a Family?
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A husband and wife and their offspring.
A single woman and her three children.
A 52-year-old woman and her adoptive mother.
A man, his daughter, and the daughter’s son.
An 84-year-old widow and her dog, Fido.
A man and all of his ancestors back to Adam
and Eve.
Which of These Is a Family?
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Two lesbians and their children from a
previous marriage of one woman and a
previous relationship of the other woman
with a male friend.
Two children, their divorced parents, the
current spouses of their divorced parents,
and the children from previous marriages
of their stepparents.
Which of These Is a Family?
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Two adult male cousins living together.
A 77-year-old man and his best friend.
A childless husband and wife who live 1,000
miles apart.
A divorced man, his girlfriend, and her child.
Both sets of parents of a deceased married
couple.
Six adults and their 12 young children, all living
together in a communal fashion.
American Households, 2000
Facts: U.S. Families Today
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Fewer people are currently married.
People are postponing marriage.
Cohabitation has emerged as a lifestyle
intermediate between marriage and
singlehood.
Some cohabitants maintain gay and
lesbian domestic partnerships.
Facts: U.S. Families Today
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The number of people living alone is
substantial.
Many adult children live with their parents.
A much higher proportion of older men
than older women are married.
Facts: U.S. Families Today
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Parenthood is increasingly postponed and
fertility has declined.
More births are to unmarried mothers
than in the past.
There are now fewer children and more
elderly.
Divorce rates have stabilized, but remain
high.
Facts: U.S. Families Today
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Remarriage rates have declined, but
remain high.
Most children live in two parent
households.
Over the last five years the proportion of
children living in singleparent families has
stabilized.
Facts: U.S. Families Today
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There is considerable variation in
children’s living arrangements.
Children are more likely to live with a
grandparent today than in the recent past.
Most parents are working parents.
Children are more likely than the general
population or the elderly to be living in
poverty.
New Definition of Family
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Any sexually expressive or parent–child or
other kin relationship in which people related
by ancestry, marriage, or adoption:
Form an economic unit and care for any
young.
Consider their identity to be significantly
attached to the group.
Commit to maintaining that group over time.
Making Choices
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People make choices even when they are
not aware of it.
There are two forms of decision making
 choosing by default
 choosing knowledgeably
Making Choices
Knowledgeably
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Recognizing as many options or
alternatives as possible.
Recognizing the social pressures that
influence personal choices.
Clarifying one’s own values.
Choosing knowledgably
Choosing by Default
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Choices people make when they are not
aware of alternatives or when they pursue
the path of least resistance.
 Sometimes, college students choose
their courses or even their majors by
default.
 Many decisions concerning marriages
and families are made by default.
Choosing Knowledgeably
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Two components in choosing knowledgeably:
 Recognizing as many options or alternatives
as possible.
 Recognizing the social pressures that may
influence personal choices.
An important aspect of making knowledgeable
choices is considering the consequences of
alternatives rather than gravitating toward the
one that seems most attractive.
A Family of Individuals
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91% of Americans report that family
relations are extremely important to them.
Family values such as family
togetherness, stability, and loyalty focus
on the family as a whole.
Placing family wellbeing over individual
interests and preferences is termed
familism.
Families Boundaries
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Families create boundaries between
themselves and the rest of the world.
Families mark off physical space that is private
and theirs alone.
Family members determine what is allowed to
enter the family space and under what
conditions.
Family boundaries create a space in which
members can relax and be themselves.
Archival Family Function
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Families create, store, preserve, and pass on
objects, events, or rituals.
Archives contain a variety of symbols:
 Snapshots of happy times
 Family movies
 Artifacts from infancy or childhood
 Symbols of recognition and achievement
 Anecdotes which reinforce an identity as the
reckless one, the helpful one, etc.
Marriages and Families:
Four Themes
1.
Personal decisions must be made
throughout the life course.
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Decision making is a trade-off; once
we choose an option, we discard
alternatives.
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No one can have everything.
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The best way to make choices is
knowledgeably.
Marriages and Families:
Four Themes
2.
People are influenced by the society
around them.
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Cultural beliefs and values influence
our attitudes and decisions.
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Societal or structural conditions can
limit or expand our options.
Marriages and Families:
Four Themes
3.
We live in a changing society, characterized
by increased ethnic, economic, and family
diversity; by increased tension between
familistic and individualistic values; by
decreased marital and family permanence;
and by increased political and policy attention
to the needs of children.
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This situation can make personal decision
making more difficult and more important.
Marriages and Families:
Four Themes
4.
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Personal decision making feeds into society and
changes it.
We affect our social environment every time we
make a choice.
Making family decisions can mean choosing to
become politically involved in order to effect
family-related social change.
Making family choices according to our values
gives our family lives greater integrity.
Quick Quiz
1.
Placing family well-being over individual
interests and preferences is referred to
in the text as
a) familism.
b) modified individualism.
c) kinship focusing.
d) primokinship.
Answer: a
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Placing family well-being over individual
interests and preferences is referred to
in the text as familism.
2. The archival family function refers to:
a) cataloging family heritage.
b) family lineage.
c) maintaining the family as a unique
experiential reality or group.
d) family tradition.
Answer: c
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The archival family function refers to
maintaining the family as a unique
experiential reality or group.
3. According to the text, the best way to
make decisions about our personal lives
is to make them
a) by default.
b) according to the principles of familism.
c) according to the principles of
individualism.
d) knowledgeably.
Answer: d
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According to the text, the best way to
make decisions about our personal lives
is to make them knowledgeably.