Sociological Perspectives on Society and Family Structures

Sociological Perspectives on Society

• Functionalism: Views society as a system where parts work together for stability and solidarity.

• Conflict Theory: Focuses on competition for limited resources (e.g., wealth, power) between groups like classes, races, and genders.

• Feminist Theory: Highlights gender inequality and its intersections with other social categories (race, class). It emphasizes women's perspectives and aims to dismantle patriarchal structures.

• Symbolic Interactionism: Emphasizes how shared meanings from daily interactions construct society. Individuals interpret symbols (language, gestures) to shape their social reality.

Family Structures

• Nuclear Family: Composed of parents and one or more children.

• Single-Parent Family: One parent and one or more children.

• Extended Family: A nuclear or single-parent family living with extended relatives.

• Same-Sex Family: Two people of the same sex with or without children.

• Blended Family: One or both parents have children from a previous marriage.

Developmental Clocks

• Chronological Clock: Measures time by age (e.g., age of majority for legal rights and responsibilities), which is influenced by life expectancy.

• Biological Clock: Reflects physical changes with age, such as sexual maturity and physical development. It's influenced by improved nutrition and healthcare.

Transition and Adolescence

• Transition: The change from one state to another.

• Adolescence (Pre-industrial): Children worked for family survival; little emphasis on child development or childhood.

• Industrialization (Late 19th Century): Families move to cities, some children work with parents; family life becomes more varied.

• 20th Century: Increased importance of education and mandatory schooling with labour laws; teenagers emerge as a distinct demographic group.

Mate Selection & Marriage

• Arranged Marriages: Selection of partners by families, with lower divorce rates and reported higher marital satisfaction.

• Courtship and Dating: Evolved from formalized customs to more casual dating in the 1950s-60s.

• Mate Selection Theories: Individuals are attracted to similar backgrounds and resources (age, race, SES, interests, etc.).

• Ideal Mate Theory: Attraction based on unconscious ideals of partner.

• Developmental Perspective: Understanding self-identity before forming relationships that define it.

• Evolutionary Psychology: Women seek providers and good fathers, and men seek fertile and nurturing partners.

• Social Exchange Theory: Partners balance resources and deficits; matches can reflect power or economic advantages.

• Functions of Family: Reproduction, socialization, caregiving, resource production and consumption.

• Reasons for Divorce: Communication problems, infidelity, financial strain, incompatibility, substance abuse, domestic violence, lack of intimacy, parenting conflicts, mental health issues, or cultural differences.

• Types of Infidelity: Emotional, physical, and online/cyber.

Young Adulthood Issues

• Longer Life Expectancy: Significant implications for caregiving roles.

• Mental Health Issues: Prevalence in young adults with suicide as a significant concern. Higher rates amongst males.

• Educational Access: Students from lower-income families face increased student debt due to tuition increases.

Historical Marriage

• Early Human Organization: Families fostered reproduction, child-rearing, and societal integration; love was not always a primary consideration for marriage.
• Changing Views: Society increasingly views marriage in relation to love and individual happiness.

Explore different sociological perspectives such as Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Feminist Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. Additionally, learn about various family structures including nuclear, single-parent, extended, and same-sex families. This quiz will enhance your understanding of how societal functions and family dynamics intersect.