Family Structures and Relationships

Family Types

• An extended family includes parents, children, and other relatives living together or maintaining close ties.
• A nuclear family consists of two parents (mother and father) and their children in one household.
• Kinship encompasses family relationships based on blood ties, marriage, or social connections, and is a network of relationships among people who share ancestry or social ties.

Family Structures

• A two-earner family involves both parents or partners working outside the home and contributing financially.
• A single-parent family has one parent responsible for raising children due to choice or circumstance, like divorce or death.
• A domestic partnership is a legally recognized relationship between two individuals who live together and share responsibilities but are not married.

Marriage and Family Structures

• Monogamy is the practice of having only one partner at a time.
• Polygamy is a marriage system with one person having multiple spouses.
• Polygyny is a form of polygamy where one man has multiple wives.
• Polyandry is a form of polygamy where one woman has multiple husbands.

Marriage Customs

• Endogamy is marrying within a specific social group, community, or ethnicity.
• Exogamy is marrying outside one's social group, community, or ethnicity.

Divorce

• Factors contributing to high divorce rates include economic stress and changing societal norms.
• Marital satisfaction expectations, lack of communication, emotional support, and high levels of individualism are also factors.
• Gottman's Four Horsemen predict divorce and consist of negative communication behaviors.
• Criticism attacks a partner's character instead of addressing the problem.
• Defensiveness denies responsibility and makes excuses.
• Contempt displays disrespect, mockery, or sarcasm.
• Stonewalling involves emotional withdrawal and refusal to engage in conversation.

Gerontology and Aging

• Gerontology studies aging and the challenges older adults face.
• Older years refer to later life stages, typically post-retirement.
• Transitional older years involve significant lifestyle changes like health issues or retirement.
• The culture of youth focuses on youthfulness, beauty, and vitality, marginalizing older adults and contributing to discrimination.
• Ageism is discrimination based on age, especially against older adults.
• Aging decline: Physical and mental deterioration with aging is linked to chronic health conditions and social isolation.

Social Isolation and Anti-Ageism

• Social isolation is a physical or social disconnection that leads to mental and physical health issues.
• Anti-ageism initiatives combat ageism by advocating for inclusive attitudes and practices.

Deviance

• Deviance is behavior violating societal norms or expectations.
• The absolutist approach views deviance as inherent, with some behaviors always wrong.
• The relativist approach sees deviance as context-dependent, defined within specific social settings.
• Stereotyping assigns generalized traits based on group membership.
• Stigma is a mark of disgrace that results in social exclusion.

Labeling Theory

• Labeling Theory says people become deviant because society labels them as such, influencing their behavior.
• Example: A teenager labeled a "troublemaker" continues rebellious behavior because society expects it.

Medicalization of Deviance

• Medicalization of deviance is defining deviant behaviors as medical conditions that require treatment instead of punishment, like addiction or mental health disorders.

Religion (Durkheim)

• Durkheim defined religion as a system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things uniting individuals into a moral community.
• The sacred refers to things set apart and treated with reverence.
• The profane refers to ordinary, everyday things.
• A church is a large, established religious group with formalized structures.
• A sect is smaller and more exclusive, often protesting a larger church.
• A cult is a new, unconventional group often led by charismatic leaders.

Religion and the Three Paradigms

• Functionalism views religion as contributing to social stability and cohesion.
• Social conflict theory sees religion as maintaining inequality and reinforcing the status quo.
• Symbolic interactionism focuses on meanings and symbols attached to religious practices and how religion shapes identities.

Biesta's Framework and Education

• Biesta’s Framework emphasizes socialization, qualification, and subjectification.
• Socialization helps individuals learn societal norms.
• Qualification equips individuals with knowledge and skills.
• Subjectification encourages autonomy, selfhood, and critical thinking.
• Contemporary education is often criticized for focusing too much on qualifications (test scores) instead of personal or ethical engagement.

Exit Through the Gift Shop and Mickey Mouse Monopoly

• Exit Through the Gift Shop is a documentary film about street art commercialization and artist-audience relationships.
• Mickey Mouse Monopoly explores how Disney media influences children's culture, values, and behavior, highlighting consumerism and corporate control issues.