The Family and Marriage Family and Marriage Across Cultures • In all societies, the family has been the most important of all social institutions. • It produces • new generations • socializes the young • provides care and affection • regulates sexual behavior • transmits social status • provides economic support. Defining the Family For sociologists, family is defined as a group of people related by marriage, blood, or adoption. While the concept of family may appear simple on the surface, the family is a complex social unit that is difficult to define. Marriage is a legal union/contract sanction by the state. In all states you have to get a license. This legal contract is based on legal rights and obligations. The Family of Orientation The family of orientation is the birth family. It gives the child an ascribed status in the community. It orients children to their neighborhoods, communities, and society and locates them in the world. The Family of Procreation The family of procreation is established upon marriage. The marriage ceremony legally sanctions a couple to have offspring and to give children a family name. It becomes the family of orientation for the children created from the marriage. There are Two Basic Types of Families The nuclear family is composed of a parent or parents and any children. The extended family consists of two or more adult generations of the same family whose members share economic resources and live in the same household. Who inherits? In a patrilineal arrangement, descent and inheritance are passed from the father to his male descendants. In a matrilineal arrangement, descent and inheritance are transmitted from the mother to her female descendants. In some societies, descent and inheritance are bilateral–they are passed equally through both parents. Who is in authority? In a patriarchy, the oldest man living in the household has authority over the rest of the family members. In a matriarchy, the oldest woman living in the household holds the authority. With equalitarian control, authority is split evenly between husband and wife. Where do couples live? The patrilocal pattern calls for living with or near the husband’s parents. (blue) Residing with or near the wife’s parents is expected under a matrilocal pattern. (red) In the neolocal pattern married couples establish residences of their own. What forms does marriage take? Monogamy–the marriage of one man to one woman–is the most widely practiced form of marriage and the only legal form in many societies. Some often-married people practice serial monogamy–having several husbands or wives, but being married to only one at a time. Polygamy involves the marriage of a male or female to more than one person at a time. – Polygyny is the marriage of one man to two or more women at the same time. – Polyandry is the marriage of one woman to two or more men at the same time.

Choosing A Mate Exogamy is the practice of marrying someone outside one’s group. Endogamy requires an individual to marry within one’s group. The tendency of people to marry those with social characteristics similar to their own is homogamy. In heterogamy, partners are dissimilar in some important characteristics, such as age, race, social class, and ethnicity. Indicate whether exogamy (Ex), endogamy (En), or homogamy (H) is reflected in each of the following situations.

____H a. Catholics are supposed to marry Catholics. ____Ex b. A father is not permitted to marry his daughter. ____H c. Members of the same social class marry. ____Ex d. A brother and sister are legally prohibited from marrying. ____En e. People tend to marry others of the same age. ____H f. Rich people marry other wealthy people. Family and Marriage in the United States Although the United States is a diverse society, the American family possesses many similiarities. Families are nuclear. Families are bilateral. Families are democratic. Families are neolocal. Families are monogamous. Romantic Love and Marriage People marry for many reasons. In the United States, the norm is for love to precede the marriage vows. One of the strongest motivations for marriage is conformity–parents and peers expect/pressure children to marry after a certain age. Some marry for wealth, power, or career advancement. The marriage rate is the number of marriages per year for every one thousand members of the population. Divorce The divorce rate is the number of divorces per year for every one thousand members of the population. Four main factors affect divorce in American society. – The divorce rate rises during economic prosperity and goes down when times are hard. – The rise in the divorce rate after 1960 followed the growing up of the baby-boom generation. – The increasing financial independence of women means they are more willing to end bad marriages. – American values and attitudes about marriage and divorce are changing–society is much more forgiving of divorce and remarriage. What does the future for marriage look like? There is a good chance that the recent decline in the United States divorce rate may continue for several reasons. The average age at first marriage is increasing. The average age of the population is increasing. As baby boomers grow older–they are no longer in the age bracket that produces the highest divorce rate. American couples are having few children and spacing them farther apart, reducing one pressure on marriages. Family Violence Americans have traditionally denied the existence of widespread violence in the family setting, but we are learning that domestic violence occurs at all class levels and affects all family members. National statistics indicate that 47 of every 1,000 children are reported as victims of child maltreatment annually. At least four million women are battered by their husbands annually. Husbands are also victims of abuse from their wives. Verbal and psychological abuse are other forms of domestic violence. Choose the word from each pair that best describes the typical American family. a. nuclear or extended b. patrilineal or bilateral c. authoritarian or democratic d. neolocal or matrilocal e. polygynous or monogamous Changes in Marriage and Family Many new patterns of marriage and family have emerged in the United States including the following: blended families, single-parent families, child-free families, dual-employed marriages, cohabitation, same-sex domestic partners, single individuals, and families with boomerang children. Blended Families A blended family is formed when at least one of the marriage partners has been married before and has a child or children from the previous marriage. Blended families create a new type of extended family, not strictly based on blood relationships. Blended families face three major problems: – money difficulties – stepchildren’s antagonism, and – unclear roles. Single-Parent Families One in four American families is headed by a single parent. Eighty-five percent of single-parent families are headed by women. Thirty percent of children under the age 18 in America live in single-parent households. Adolescents, children between the ages of 12 and 17, living in single-parent households have higher rates of deviant behavior. Other Types of Families Childless marriages: In 1998 about 19 percent of women who have ever been married did not have children, offering a variety of reasons. Dual-employed marriages: In families where both parents are working outside the home there are benefits and drawbacks to this arrangement. Cohabitation: A marriage-like arrangement without the legal obligations of formal marriage has become an alternative to traditional monogamy. Other Types of Families Same-sex domestic partners: The number of same-sex domestic partners is increasing, although exact figures are not available. Single life: An increasing number of Americans choose to remain single. The term boomerang kids is being applied to young adults who either leave home and return or stay at home and live with parents. What is the future of the American family? While many Americans are experimenting with alternative living arrangements, the nuclear family remains the most popular choice. The American family is changing. The trend toward more working parents will continue, producing increased strain on parents, children, and society. The family will survive, but what forms will it take are unclear. Chapter Summary The family is the most important institution in all societies. Marriage forms the basis of the family of procreation, while birth offers the family of orientation. There are different types of families and patterns of family structure. The marriage ceremony is an important societal ritual. Theorists believe that family offers socioemotional structure, perpetuates male dominance, and helps develop self control.

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Summary Chapter Summary American families tend to be nuclear, bilateral, democratic, neolocal, and monogamous. Family violence exists in many forms in America. American families are changing by assuming different forms.