FAMILY, MARRIAGE

Issues in Family and Marriage

Conflicting Definitions of Family

1. family as a group (which performs functions for the society) 2. family as a network of relatives (by blood, marriage, adoption) who are mutually obligated to each other

Text book follows a current view:

Traditional= nuclear family of residence (where husband/father is the breadwinner, wife/mother is stay at home, no other relatives living with this family) New and non-traditional=dual earner, step family, blended family, single parent family, non-married couples, same sex couples, singlehood

Other sociologists would object:

Need to distinguish between an ideal family type and the empirical family type Ideal=cultural preferences specific to a society Empirical=the patterns that actually exist in a society

In addition,

Calling the nuclear family traditional is inaccurate Need to distinguish between the historical sequence of family types, and, Distinguish between the institutional and companionate (companionship) family types

American family type19th C

family the same as household? family the same as the marriage? Family was male-headed Similar to European stem-family?

Variations In Family and Marriage

Family of Orientation (Origin)vs. Procreation Nuclear, Extended Descent: patrilineal, matrilineal, bilineal (bilateral)

Variations: Residence

Where is the newly-married couple expected to live? 1. Patrilocal=near grooms family 2. Matrilocal=near brides family 3. Bilocal=either brides or grooms family 4. Neo-local=neither (new, independent household)

Variations: Authority

Patriarchy=rule by eldest male Matriarchy=(does this really exist for a society, as an ideal..may be an empirical type) Equalitarian authority or companionship family type (companionate) *Note: may be departures from the ideal with patriarchy or male headed

Variations: Forms of marriage

Monogamy Polygamy: 1. Polygyny=one man married to a number of women 2. Polyandry=one woman married to a number of men (extremely rare. Husbands may be brothers)

Variations: Mate Selection

1. By capture 2. By arrangement (parents with aid of matchmakers, relatives) (bride price or dowry) 3. Free choice

Variations: issues in mate selection

Exogamy Endogamy Homogamy Matching vs complementary needs

Institutional vs. Companionate

Institutional: marriage exists for some purpose (creating offspring, maintaining family economic status or family line etc_ Companionate: affection of partners is only reason behind marriage

Permanent Availability Model

always available Source of instability Consumer culture?

Marriage as lifetime commitment:

Strong marriage de-emphasizes descent issues In era of weak marriages, descent line emphasized

Marriage & family in USA

Leveling off of divorce rate Most marry at some point 2/3rds claim happy Changes: employed mothers (dual earner households)