1. Write down your definition of “family”. List the roles of the people in your family, for example

mother, father, uncle, aunt.

2. Form a group of two or three people and compare definitions.

Compare the list of roles. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

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• A collective body of persons who live in one house and under one head or management. .

• A family comprises a father, mother, and children.

• In a wider sense, it may include domestic servants; all who live in one house under one head.

• In a still broader sense, a group of blood-relatives; all the relations who descend from a common ancestor.

• ”Family,” in its origin, meant “servants;” but, in its more modern and comprehensive meaning, it signifies a collective body of persons living together in one house, or within the curtilage.

Law Dictionary: What is FAMILY? definition of FAMILY (Black's Law Dictionary)

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◦A relationship by blood, marriage, or affection, in which members

◦ may cooperate economically, ◦ may care for any children, and ◦ may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group

◦Family of Orientation: Family you were born into

◦Family of Procreation: Family you make through marriage, partnering, and/or parenthood

◦Fictive Kin: Nonrelatives whose bonds are strong and intimate

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• Regulation of Sexual Behavior• Reproducing and Socializing Children• Property and Inheritance• Economic Cooperation• Social Placement, Status, and Roles• Care, Warmth, Protection, and

Intimacy

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Varies from culture to cultureWestern Nations

MonogamySerial monogamy

African, Arab, & Asian nationsPolygamyPolygynyPolyandry

Social Structure: Stable framework of social relationships

Micro-level: Individual interactions in specific settings

Macro-level: Interconnectedness of marriage, families, and intimate relationships with society

Two key questions

1. How well are families taking care of children, the frail elderly, and the ill? (Public family)

2. How well are families providing emotional satisfaction for members? (Private family)

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Definition: 1 adult or 2 adults who are: Related by

◦Marriage◦Partnership or ◦Shared parenthood◦Taking care of dependents◦And the dependents themselves

Costs and Benefits

Externalities: Costs or benefits to others when an individual or business produces something

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Positive externalities: Benefits received by others when individuals or businesses produce something for which they are not fully compensated.

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Negative externalities: Costs to others when an individual or business produces something of value to itself

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Private goods & services• Benefit consumer

Public goods & services• Benefit others• Benefit community

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Public Goods◦Things that benefit people who did not pay for or produce them:

◦Children◦Social Security ◦Highways◦National Defense

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Functions for society:◦Reproduces society (e.g., children)

◦Cares for young, poor, sick, & elderly

Saves public funds

Free-rider problemPeople who obtain & enjoy public goods

By letting others produce the goods

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• Two or more individuals

• Lasting intimate relationship

• Same household

• Combine income

• Share household labor

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Provides family members:• Intimacy

• Emotional support

• Love

• Financial support

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Kinship is:

Assigned Acquired at birth or by marriage Based on cultural roles

Created by ties of:◦Affection◦Concern◦Obligation◦Responsibility

◦Individualism: Pursuing own interestsPersonally rewarding life

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On one hand, “marriage-centered family” life preferred

On the other, more tolerance for family life without marriage

Never marrying is acceptable

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Most Americans want to marry

But…feel less need (pressure)

Marriage may compete with:◦Staying in school

◦Developing a career

◦Cohabitating

◦Having children

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Self-reliancePersonal achievement

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Developing one’s feelingsEmotional satisfaction

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http://www.slideshare.net/RussellJWhite/then-and-now-1955-to-2010-10821744

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Patterns of Authority

Patriarchy

Matriarchy

Egalitarian

Patterns of Descent

◦Bilateral

◦Patrilineal

◦Matrilineal

Residence Patterns

◦Neolocal

◦Patrilocal

◦Matrilocal

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Scientific method

Systematic, organized steps

Objectivity

Consistency

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Survey◦Sampling◦Open-ended or fixed response

In-depth interview◦Detailed data◦Follow-up questions

Experiment◦Control◦Cause & Effect◦Replication

Focus Group◦Group interaction◦Unanticipated information

Observation◦Behavior in real setting◦Take notes

Secondary Analysis◦National data◦Documents◦Film etc.

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© 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Theories: Help Make Sense of World

Theory: Tool to understand and describe real world

Dominant in 1950s

Focus on men’s and women’s different but complementary rolesMen-Instrumental Women-Expressive

Cooperation

Social stability43

Inequality

Power◦Physical force◦Control of economic resources

Social change

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Gender: Central concept Inequality Men’s domination of women

Men & women experience family life differently

• Economic model

• Calculate Rewards and Costs of relationships

• Costs and benefits of family members’ behaviors

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Symbols used in interaction ◦Words◦Gestures◦Appearances

Interpretation and reality

Development of self

Families and family members go through stages over time

Each stage has —TasksRolesResponsibilities

Definitions of family

Functions of family

Macro-Micro Link

Social Structure

Family Change

Social science theory and

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