Structure of the Family: A Global View
The way in which we define the family determines the kinds of family
we will consider to be normal or deviant and what rights and obligations we
will recognize as legally and socially binding.
Forms of the Family. In the nuclear family
arrangement, spouses and their offspring constitute the core relationship.
In the extended family arrangement, kin provide the core relationship.
Most Americans will belong to a family of orientation and a family
of procreation. Descent and inheritance can be patrilineal, matrilineal,
or bilineal, and couples may take a patrilocal, matrilocal, or
neolocal residence. Most societies are patriarchal, with some
industrialized nations becoming more egalitarian; none are known that
are truly matriarchal. Forms of Marriage. Marriage refers to a socially
approved sexual union undertaken with some idea of permanence. Two types of
marital regulations define the "right" spouse: endogamy and
exogamy. Incest taboos are rules that prohibit sexual intercourse with
close blood relatives. Societies further structure marriage relationships in
one of four ways: monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage. Patterns of Courtship. Societies "control"
love through child and arranged marriage, social isolation of young people,
close supervision of couples, and peer and parental pressures. A variety of
factors operate in the selection of a mate: homogamy, physical attractiveness
(the matching hypothesis), and complementary needs. Exchange theory
provides a unifying link among these factors.
Marriage and the Family in the United States
Some see the nuclear family as the source of many modern woes, others as the
last bastion of morality in an increasingly decadent world.
Life within Marriage. Most adult Americans hope
to establish an intimate relationship with another person and make the relationship
work. However, increasing numbers of Americans no longer view marriage as a
permanent institution but as something that can be ended and reentered.
Parenthood. Nuclear families that are not disrupted
by divorce, desertion, or death typically pass through a series of changes and
realignments across time, what sociologists call the family life course.
Altered expectations and requirements are imposed on a husband and wife as children
are born and grow up.
Two-Income Families. More than
60 percent of all mothers with children under age six are in the paid workforce.
Such women also do more of the housework and child care than men. Research findings
about the effect of working mothers on children are varied. In one-fifth of
such couples the woman is the chief breadwinner.
Beyond the Traditional Nuclear Family. Americans
have a variety of lifestyles, the overall pattern of living that people
evolve to meet their biological, social, and emotional needs. Among the lifestyles
Americans find themselves adopting are singlehood, single parenthood, cohabitation,
and relationships based on homosexuality.
Challenges for American Families and American Society
Some family problems stay in the family; others spill over into society.
Family Violence, Child Abuse,
and Incest. Family violence, child abuse, and incest are more
common than most people think. The sexual abuse of children often leads to behavior
problems, learning difficulties, sexual promiscuity, runaway behavior, drug
and alcohol abuse, and suicidal behavior.
Child Care. Most child psychologists agree that
high-quality day care and preschools provide acceptable child care arrangements.
The United States is one of the few industrialized nations that have no comprehensive
day care program and the quality of child care available is often poor.
Divorce. Divorce exacts a considerable emotional
and physical toll from all family members. Children raised by single parents
are more likely to drop out of high school, to use drugs, to have teen births,
to have illegitimate children, and to be poorer than children raised in two-parent
homes. More than half the adults who remarry undergo a second divorce.
Care for the Elderly. Social scientists call middle-aged
adults the "sandwich generation" because they find themselves with
responsibilities for their own teenage and college-age children and for their
elderly parents. Grown children still bear the primary responsibility for their
aged parents.
Sociological Perspectives
on the Family
The Functionalist Perspective.
Functionalists identify a number of functions families typically perform:
reproduction; socialization; care, protection, and emotional support; assignment
of status; and regulation of sexual behavior through the norm of legitimacy. The Conflict Perspective. Conflict theorists have
seen the family as a social arrangement benefiting men more than women. Some
conflict sociologists say that intimate relationships inevitably involve antagonism
as well as love.
The Interactionist Perspective.
Symbolic interactionists emphasize that families reinforce and rejuvenate
their bonds through the symbolic mechanism of rituals such as family meals and
holidays.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education