FAD2230 Chapter 1: Making Family Choices PDF

CHAPTER 1: MAKING FAMILY CHOICES IN A CHANGING SOCIETY  Lecture Outline Defining Family Family Family Functions Structure Facts Explaining Making about Family Choices Families Diversity  What comes to mind when you hear th...

CHAPTER 1: MAKING FAMILY CHOICES IN A CHANGING SOCIETY  Lecture Outline Defining Family Family Family Functions Structure Facts Explaining Making about Family Choices Families Diversity  What comes to mind when you hear the word “Family”? Which of the following would you consider a family? How do you define family? Has the definition of family changed in recent decades? According to the U.S. Census Bureau… “A family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. ” Source: https://www.census.gov/programs- surveys/cps/technical-documentation/ subject-definitions.html A family is “any sexually expressive, parent- child, or other kin relationship in which people —usually related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption who: (1) form an economic or otherwise practical unit and care for any children or other dependents (2) consider their identity to be significantly attached to the group, and (3) commit to maintaining that group over time.”  Social scientists usually list three major functions filled by today’s families: 1. Raising children responsibly 2. Providing economic and other support 3. Offering emotional security  Family Structure Refers to the form a family takes, and varies according to the social environment in which it is embedded.  How Families Have Changed in the United States Colonial America: Families were the businesses, schools, churches, and correctional, health, and welfare institutions. Differing family experiences for enslaved African Americans due to oppression and marginalization. Industrialized and Urbanized America: Separate work and home life emerged; waves of immigration create more racial/ethnic diversity. Emergence of poor, working class, middle, and upper classes. Post-Modern America: many different institutions that serve the family; no “typical” family. Emphasis on work/life balance, flexible work to accommodate family. The Changing Family What we expect and “idealize” for families have changed over time. What we respect and honor for families have changed over time. “Art imitates life”  Extended Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpmRcP8S7Bo  Nuclear Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC6zpZBQfGI  Postmodern Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVn3AkRFNoo  American Households What type of family did you grow up in?  FACT OR MYTH? 1.Marriage is important to Americans— but not to the extent that it was sixty years ago. 2. A larger proportion of people is married today than in the past. 3. Young people are getting married even younger today. 4. Fertility rates have increased.  FACT OR MYTH? 5. Particularly among college-educated women, parenthood is often postponed. 6. Same-sex-couple households increased by 80 percent between 2000 and 2010 (Homan and Bass 2012). 7. The divorce rate has been increasing since 1980. 8.The remarriage rate has increased in recent decades. Why are families more diverse today? Explaining Family Diversity 1.Relaxed institutional control over relationship choice - *Family Decline Vs. Family Change? 2. Communication technologies 3. Reproductive technologies Explaining Family Diversity: *Decline vs. Change Family Decline: Critics have described the relaxation of institutional control over relationships and families as “family decline” or “breakdown.” Claims that cultural change toward excessive individualism and self-indulgence has hurt relationships, led to high divorce rates, and undermined responsible parenting. Additionally, fewer family households contain children, thus reducing the child-centeredness of society and weakening the institution of marriage. Family Change: Others agree that changes have occurred within the family but argue that change represents historically expected adjustments to changing societal conditions. Advocates argue that we need to view the family from a historical standpoint. Families in the past experienced similar challenges regarding the consequences of illness, death, social class, and race/ethnicity. Explaining Family Diversity 4. Demographic Characteristics: - Race/ethnic composition - Age structure - Religion 5. Economic uncertainty (next slide) How does economic recession effect the choices that families make about the following? getting married having children educational opportunities for their children housing Making Choices Two forms of decision making:  Sliding: Choosing by Default Choices people make when they are not aware of alternatives or when they pursue the path of least resistance.  Deciding: Making Informed Decisions Three components in choosing knowledgably: Recognizing as many options or alternatives as possible. Recognizing the social pressures that may influence personal choices. Considering the consequences of each alternative rather than gravitating toward the one that initially seems most attractive.  Four Themes Personal decisions must be made throughout the life course. People are influenced by the society around them. We live in a changing society. Personal decision-making feeds into society and changes it.  Consider some important decisions you have had to make. ◦Did you make those decisions by “default” or “knowledgeably?” ◦What influenced your decisions? ◦What would you do differently in the future?