Intimate Relationships and Families Sociology 103 v.2 1 | Intimate Relationships and Families – SOCI 103 Written by Ron Hammond and Paul Cheney Utah Valley University CC-BY 4.0 License Acknowledgements We’d like to extend appreciation to the following people and organizations for allowing this textbook to be created: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Chancellor Diane Van Hook Santa Clarita Community College District College of the Canyons Distance Learning Office In providing content for this textbook, the following professionals and sources were invaluable: Anne Laurel Marenco, Ph.D., Kathryn Coleman, MA, and Robert Wonser, MA Contributions from Cecilia Gomez, Jennifer Jaworowski and Kristin Sanchez Unless otherwise noted, the content in this textbook is licensed under CC BY 4.0 2 | Intimate Relationships and Families – SOCI 103 Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to Sociological Studies ....................................................................................... 7 Making Sense of Abstract Theories....................................................................................................... 7 Conflict Theory ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Structural Functionalism Theory ........................................................................................................... 9 Symbolic Interactionism Theory ......................................................................................................... 10 Theories Developed for Understanding the Family ............................................................................ 12 Family Systems Theory........................................................................................................................ 12 Family Developmental Theory ............................................................................................................ 14 The Life Course Perspective ................................................................................................................ 15 Social Exchange Theory ....................................................................................................................... 16 Ecological Theory ................................................................................................................................ 17 Feminist Family Theory ....................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Family Theories ..................................................................................................................... 21 Family Structures ................................................................................................................................ 21 Family Functions ................................................................................................................................. 22 Groups ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Sociological Imagination ..................................................................................................................... 26 Family Research .................................................................................................................................. 29 Family Culture ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Opportunity ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Demography ........................................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 3: Studying Marriages and Families .......................................................................................... 32 The Research Process2 ........................................................................................................................ 32 Sociologists Perform Survey Research ................................................................................................ 34 Surveys ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Ethics of Research ............................................................................................................................... 36 Family Research .................................................................................................................................. 37 Chapter 4: Family Strengths Ron Hammond and Paul Cheney-Utah Valley University .................... 39 Fostering Rituals, Traditions, and Holidays ......................................................................................... 39 Religion and Spirituality ...................................................................................................................... 40 Family History ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Quality Family Time ............................................................................................................................ 41 3 | Intimate Relationships and Families – SOCI 103 Resisting Family Entropy ..................................................................................................................... 41 Resisting Marital Entropy .................................................................................................................... 42 Threats to a Strong Family .................................................................................................................. 42 Factors that Help Families Resist Decay ............................................................................................. 42 Chapter 5: Dating and Mate Selection .................................................................................................... 44 Theories of Mate Selection ................................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 6: Love and Intimacy .................................................................................................................. 56 Types of Love ...................................................................................................................................... 59 Love in Short-term and Long-term Relationships ............................................................................... 63 Chapter 7: Sex and Gender ..................................................................................................................... 66 What Is The Difference Between Sex and Gender? ............................................................................ 66 Debunking Myths about Women ........................................................................................................ 68 Gender Roles as a Social Force ........................................................................................................... 69 Rape .................................................................................................................................................... 72 Opportunities ...................................................................................................................................... 72 Research on Gender ............................................................................................................................ 74 What about Men? ............................................................................................................................... 77 Chapter 8: Sexuality ................................................................................................................................ 81 Genital Development .......................................................................................................................... 82 The Importance of Sexuality ............................................................................................................... 85 Sexual Anatomy .................................................................................................................................. 86 The Sexual Experience ........................................................................................................................ 90 Extramarital Affairs ............................................................................................................................. 92 Sexual Identity ..................................................................................................................................... 92 Sexuality and Politics ........................................................................................................................... 94 Chapter 9: Marrieds and Non-Marrieds ................................................................................................. 96 Legality of Marriage ............................................................................................................................ 97 Cohabitation.....................................................................................................................................