Full Download Ebook Ebook PDF Marriages and Families Changes Choices and Constraints 9th Edition PDF
Full Download Ebook Ebook PDF Marriages and Families Changes Choices and Constraints 9th Edition PDF
—Nijole V. Benokraitis
Remarriage: Prevalence, Process, and Characteristics 400 Economic Security, Work, and Retirement 426
How Common Is Remarriage? 400 Working Longer 427
Remarriage as a Process 400 Variations in Retirement Income 428
Some Characteristics of Remarried Couples 401 Grandparenting 430
Remarriage Satisfaction 403 Grandparenting Styles 430
Remarriage Stability 403 Grandparents as Surrogate Parents 431
The Diversity and Complexity of Stepfamilies 404 Grandparents’ Divorce 433
What Is a Stepfamily? 404 Dying, Death, and Bereavement 433
Types of Stepfamilies 404 Experiencing Death and Dying 433
Some Demographic Characteristics of Stepfamilies 406 Hospice Care 434
Same-Sex Stepfamilies 406 The Right to Die with Dignity 435
How Stepfamilies and Nuclear Families Differ 407 Coping with Death 436
Living in a Stepfamily 410 Later-Life Divorce, Widowhood, and
Parenting in Stepfamilies 410 Repartnering 438
Stepparent–Stepchild Relationships 411 Marriage and Divorce 438
How Stepfamilies Affect Children 413 Widowhood 439
Some Characteristics of Successful Stepfamilies 414 Repartnering and Forging New Relationships 440
Conclusion 415 Family Caregiving in Later Life 441
Review Questions 415 Who Are the Recipients and Caregivers? 441
Caregiving Styles 442
14 Families in Later Life 416 Caregiving Satisfactions and Strains 443
Data Digest 417 Competition for Scarce Resources 444
Our Aging Society 417 Some Financial Costs of an Aging Society 444
When Is “Old”? 418 Are There Any Solutions? 445
Life Expectancy 418 Conclusion 446
xi
Preface
Comprehensiveness, and able to family members and the constraints that often limit
their choices. It also examines the diversity of U.S. families,
Readability using cross-cultural and multicultural material to encourage
students to think about the many critical issues that con-
This new edition incorporates information from almost front twenty-first century families.
1,400 new books, scholarly articles, and reports. Providing
students with the most up-to-date material and emerging
issues on family behavior enhances their “pool of knowl-
More Changes
edge” (as one of our undergraduate sociology professors Changes that affect today’s families’ structure and functions
used to say) and helps them make better decisions in their inform every chapter. In addition, several chapters focus on
everyday lives. some major transformations in American society. Chapter 3,
Marriages & Families offers students a comprehensive for example, examines the growing cultural diversity of
introduction to many issues facing families in the twenty- the United States, focusing on African American, American
first century. Although written from a sociological perspec- Indian, Latino, Asian American, Middle Eastern, and inter-
tive, the book incorporates material from other disciplines: racial marriages and families. And Chapter 14 discusses how
history, economics, social work, psychology, human devel- the rapid graying of America has affected adult children,
opment, family science, law, biology, medicine, and anthro- grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren; family mem-
pology. The material also encompasses women’s studies bers’ roles as caregivers; family relations in general; and the
and gay and lesbian studies, as well as both quantitative distribution of resources between the young and the old.
and qualitative studies. Nationally representative and lon-
gitudinal data are supplemented by insights from clinical, More Choices
case, and observational studies. On the individual level, family members have many more
Readability continues to be one of this text’s most choices today than ever before. People feel freer to postpone
attractive features. A major reason for this book’s success marriage, to cohabit, or to raise children as single parents.
is that it discusses theories and recent studies in ways As a result, household forms vary greatly, ranging from
that students find interesting. As one of our students once commuter marriages to those in which several generations
said, “This is the first textbook I’ve had where I don’t live under the same roof.
count how many more pages I have to read while I’m still In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex mar-
on the first page.” riage. This federal recognition of gay marriage has affirmed
In addition, faculty reviewers consistently describe people’s legal right to wed whomever they want and to enjoy
the writing as “very clear” and “excellent.” According more health, retirement, and other benefits than ever before,
to one reviewer, for example, “The interesting anecdotes regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
and quotes help to maintain the student’s interest while Technological advances—such as the Internet, smart-
also providing realistic examples of the topic under phones, and texting—have decreased our privacy, but
discussion.”
xiii
xiv Preface
they’ve also brought many family members together. • Offers new material on adult children living at home, a
People can contact one another quickly and relatively inex- map and description of where racial and ethnic groups
pensively as well as gather information about their gene- live, the Women’s March of 2017, and single mothers
alogy from many sources. In addition, some people find a by choice
mate through online dating services.
Chapter 2: Studying the Family
More Constraints • Updates material on ecological and feminist theory,
Family members’ choices are more varied today than in “celebrity bogus science,” measuring race/ethnicity,
the past, but we also face greater macro-level constraints. online surveys, and scientific dishonesty
Government policies and legal institutions have a major im- • Introduces the concept and examples of meta-analysis in
pact on most families through tax laws, access to health care, family studies
and even in defining what a family is. Because laws, public
policies, and religious groups affect our everyday lives, we Chapter 3: Historical and Contemporary
have framed many discussions of individual choices within Family Diversity
the larger picture of the institutional constraints that limit
• Includes new material on World War I and the transfor-
our choices.
mative 1960s
• Offers a systematic discussion of contemporary racial-
Cross-Cultural and Multicultural ethnic families in terms of family structure, relations,
Diversity in the United States and well-being
Contemporary American marriages and families vary
greatly in structure, dynamics, and cultural heritage. Thus, Chapter 4: The Economy and Family Life
discussions of gender roles, social class, race, ethnicity, age,
• Updates the material on racial gaps in wealth and vari-
and sexual orientation are integrated throughout this book.
ations in poverty status
To strengthen students’ understanding of the variety and
diversity among today’s families, we have also included • Offers new data on the gender wage gap, economic
a series of features that focus on families from many cul- pressure and work-family balance, and families with
tures as well as U.S. racial and ethnic groups. This material full-time working parents
will encourage students to think about the many forms that
Chapter 5: Socialization and Gender Roles
families take and the different ways that family members
interact. • Includes new material on transgender people, and a
new section on gender and sports
• Updates the discussion of sibling and peer influences,
What’s New in the Ninth gender roles, and gender in same-sex families
Faculty who have used previous editions of Marriages & Chapter 6: Love and Loving Relationships
Families will notice that we have merged Chapters 3 and 4
and 11 and 12. Streamlining the material consolidates inter- • Updates the material on attachment styles, attitudes
related topics that had previously been addressed in sep- about romance, expressions of love in marriage, and the
arate chapters, ensures a flow of ideas, and decreases the relationship between jealousy and relationship quality
number of chapters to accommodate semester teaching • Offers new sections on the phases of love and healthy
schedules. We have revised each chapter, thoroughly up- romance
dating national data and providing the results of ground- • Introduces the concept of romantic competence
breaking research that address the diversity of marriages
and families. Here’s a list, by chapter, of some of the new Chapter 7: Sexuality and Sexual Expression
material.
throughout Life
Chapter 1: The Changing Family • Updates the discussion of casual sex, teen pregnancy
• Updates demographic changes regarding cohabitation, prevention programs, sex among teens and older people
family structure and living arrangements, remarriage, • Provides new sections on sexual self-efficacy, variations
nonmarital childbearing, the marriage movement, sin- in labelling sexual activity, and why sexually transmit-
gles, and never-married couples ted infection (STI) rates are rising
Preface xv
Chapter 8: Choosing Others: Dating and Chapter 12: Domestic Violence and Other
Mate Selection Family Health Issues
• Provides recent data on the use of social media and • Offers new data on intimate partner violence, child
texting in dating relationships, and what young people maltreatment, sibling sexual abuse, substance abuse,
look for in dating partners obesity, and suicide
• Has new discussions of family influences on mate • Introduces a new section on the impact of intimate
selection, how immigration affects cultural values in partner violence women
dating and mate selection, and dating violence • Updates the discussions of intimate partner violence in
same-sex relationships, and prevention and interven-
Chapter 9: Singlehood and Cohabitation tion programs that focus on family health issues
• Updates the discussion of cohabitation, same-sex
cohabiting couples, structural factors that affect cohabi- Chapter 13: Separation, Divorce, Remarriage,
tation and postponing marriage, and cohabitation and and Stepfamilies
later marital quality • Updates demographic data on divorce, remarriage,
• Presents new sections on singles’ social ties and why stepfamilies, and the financial effects of divorce
some people might never marry • Updates discussions of divorce acceptance in society,
opposite-sex and same-sex divorce rates, shared par-
Chapter 10: Marriage and Communication enting after divorce, and parenting in stepfamilies
in Intimate Relationships
Chapter 14: Families in Later Life
• Updates the discussion of gender and racial differences
in marital satisfaction, current debates regarding marital • Updates material on end-of-life care, unpaid eldercare,
housework and sex, and marital satisfaction and success later life dating and cohabitation, assisted dying, and
the rising competition for scarce resources between the
• Offers new data on adulthood markers, premarital ed-
young and the old
ucation programs, and the effects of same-sex marriage
legalization • Includes new sections on marital status, living arrange-
ments, and the gray divorce revolution
• Presents new sections on marriage types, and intereth-
nic and interracial marriages • Introduces the concept of living apart together, an in-
creasingly common living arrangement among older
U.S. couples
Chapter 11: Parenting: More Choices
and Constraints
• Updates the material on what it costs to raise a child
and the effects of unintended pregnancies
Features in the Ninth
• Offers a new section on couples’ transition to parenthood Edition
• Integrates Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of We have kept several popular features such as the Data
human development with parenting Digest and the “author’s files” quotations based on stu-
• Offers new data on and updates the discussion of adop- dents’ comments and class discussions, and expanded oth-
tion by same-sex couples and parents’ expectations, ers such as the Stop and Think and Making Connections
behaviors, and practices questions.
xvi Preface
Data Digest
“All those numbers” from the Census Bureau, em- Data Digest
pirical studies, and demographic trends often over-
• The “traditional” family (in which the husband is the breadwinner and the
whelm students. Because this has been a popular wife is a full-time homemaker) declined from 40 percent of all U.S. house-
feature, we’ve updated U.S. statistics throughout holds in 1970 to 14 percent in 2014.
and include information about other countries. The • In 2016, 20 percent of Americans ages 25 and older had never been married,
up from 9 percent in 1960.
Data Digest that introduces each chapter provides
• The U.S. median age at first marriage is the highest ever recorded: 29.5 for
students with a thought-provoking overview of cur- men and 27.4 for women.
rent statistics and trends to make “all those num- • On average, first marriages that end in divorce last about eight years.
bers” more interesting and digestible. • The percentage of children under age 18 living with two married parents fell
from 77 percent in 1980 to 65 percent in 2016.
The first question from students is usually “Will
• Among women ages 19 to 44, 65 percent have cohabited, up from 33 percent
this material be on the exam?” Not in our classes. in 1987.
We see the Data Digest as piquing student curios- SOURCES: Kreider and Ellis, 2011; Wang and Parker, 2014; Livingston, 2015; Census Bureau News, 2016;
ity about a chapter rather than memorizing a lot of “Families and living arrangements,” 2016; Vanorman and Scommegna, 2016.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives Each chapter begins with learning objec-
tives that indicate what students should
After you read and study this chapter you will be able to: know after reading the material. The learn-
2.1 Describe three ways that theory and research can help people make ing objectives are reinforced with specific
better decisions about their families. questions at the end of each chapter that
2.2 Describe eight major family theoretical perspectives, identify whether unite the topics, help students gauge their
each is macro- and/or micro-level, and summarize the strengths and comprehension, and signal what topics
limitations of each perspective they might have to reread.
2.3 Describe six data collection methods that researchers use to study
families, and identify each of the method’s strengths and limitations.
2.4 Describe the ethical standards that researchers must follow, and explain
the political, religious, and community constraints that researchers
encounter.
Preface xvii
STOP AND THINK These critical thinking questions, originally at the end of features
throughout the text, now appear in each major section of a chapter. The purpose of these
items is to encourage students to analyze and reflect about current topics, both personally
and compared with other cultures, and to develop their views of family life and society
using theory and research.
SINCE YOU ASKED Each chapter also has questions that introduce an important
Since you asked … idea or concept or preview a controversial issue about families and marriages. Many
of these questions are similar to those that our students have raised in class or online
• Do you text to avoid phone
discussions.
calls from family members,
especially parents?
Thought-Provoking Features
Reflecting and reinforcing the book’s primary themes, three groups of features focus on the changes, choices, and con-
straints that confront today’s families. A fourth group of features illustrates racial-ethnic families in the United States and
cross-cultural variations in other countries. Another two series of features help students assess their own knowledge and
gain insights about family life.
• Social Explorer. Data-rich interactive maps and figures INSTRUCTOR’S RESOURCE MANUAL WITH TEST
powered by the latest Census information enable stu- BANK Each chapter in the manual includes the following
dents to explore demographic data visually to under- resources: chapter learning objectives, chapter overview,
stand how national and local trends affect them. Doing lecture suggestions and classroom discussions, activities,
so improves students’ statistical literacy. and multimedia resources. Designed to make your lectures
more effective and to save preparation time, this extensive
New features that appear only in the Revel version of the
resource gathers together the most effective activities and
text include:
strategies for teaching your Marriage and Family course.
• Current Events Bulletins. At the start of each chapter,
recent newsworthy developments related to the Also included in this manual is a test bank with hun-
chapter’s content are presented in a mini-narrative to dreds of multiple-choice, true/false, short-answer, and essay
engage students’ interest in the subject matter. The ma- questions. In addition, each chapter of the test bank includes
terial is updated each semester as events unfold, creat- a ready-made, 10-item quiz with an answer key for immedi-
ing a timely context for the chapter. ate use in class.
• Videos. Each chapter includes videos that explore research The Instructor’s Resource Manual with Test Bank is
on a topic or present brief documentary-style content to available to adopters at www.pearsonhighered.com.
make the subject more immediate and vital. MYTEST This computerized software allows instructors
to create their own personalized exams, to edit any or all
• Videos explore research topics such as polygamy,
of the existing test questions, and to add new questions.
family size, and defining love.
Other special features include a random generation of test
• Pearson Originals are part of a short-form documen- questions, creation of alternate versions of the same test,
tary series that brings the real world to your classroom scrambling question sequence, and a test preview before
by using real people and their stories to humanize and printing. For easy access, this software is available at www.
contextualize complex social and political issues— pearsonhighered.com.
enabling students to think critically as informed and
empowered citizens who can inspire social change.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS You have the option
BUILT-IN ASSESSMENT The Revel version of the text in every chapter of choosing from Lecture and/or Line Art
integrates assessment into the body of each chapter as well presentations. The Lecture PowerPoint slides follow the chapter
Preface xxi
outline and feature images from the textbook integrated with the Colleagues always play a critical role in revisions. For
text. The Line Art PowerPoint presentations feature all the art, this edition, we received thoughtful input and commentar-
organized by chapter, available in a PowerPoint-ready format. ies from the following reviewers:
They are available to adopters at www.pearsonhighered.com.
Von Bakanic, College of Charleston
LIVE SLIDES Dynamic lecture slides include every data Chuck A. Baker, Delaware County Community College
visualization and interactive map within your Revel course, Thomas Estrella, Lourdes College
giving you a direct path to all the Social Explorers. Bill Ganza, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Pamela K. Harris, Motlow State Community College
Acknowledgments Susan Adams Kilman, University of Arkansas at Little
Rock
We appreciate the energy, creativity, and dedication of the
Uma Krishnan, California State University at Northridge
many people responsible for the development and produc-
tion of Marriages & Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints. Nijole Benokraitis thanks her family for their ongoing sup-
Marion Castellucci, our development editor, provided in- port and encouragement. Her husband and son always
valuable support, guidance, and feedback from beginning speed to the rescue when she gets frazzled by publishing’s
to end. She helped us combine chapters (a formidable task), increasingly demanding technology. Her daughter, a physi-
researched photos, orchestrated myriad tasks for online mate- cal therapist, plays a vital role in keeping her mom’s mind
rial, and suggested a number of changes that made this edi- and body moving.
tion even more readable and student friendly (e.g., “Is this Cheryl Buehler would like to thank Kiyara (Kiki) Leis
really what you meant to say here?”). Besides overseeing the and Lindsey Gedaly for their assistance with the manu-
book’s overall revision, Marita Sermolins Bley, managing edi- script. She also thanks all of her family, especially Holly and
tor at Ohlinger Publishing Services, guided us in planning the Tara, for their support, encouragement, and understanding.
new Revel edition, Pearson’s digital text. Program manager Most of all, she is deeply grateful to her partner Rick Tunkel
Erin Bosco skillfully coordinated the text’s production, and for taking care of their family during this time that she has
copyeditor Catherine Black helped us improve content accu- been otherwise occupied.
racy and consistency. Thank you, one and all!
About the Authors
Nijole V. Benokraitis is Cheryl Buehler is profes-
professor emerita of socio- sor of human develop-
logy at the University of ment and family studies
Baltimore. She received (HDFS) at the University
a B.A. in sociology and of North Carolina
English from Emmanuel Greensboro. She earned
College in Boston, a master’s a B.S. in home economics
degree in sociology from education from Iowa State
the University of Illinois at University, and an M.S.
Urbana-Champaign, and a and Ph.D. in family social
Ph.D. in sociology from the science at the University
University of Texas at Austin. of Minnesota. Professor
A strong proponent of Buehler teaches under-
applied sociology, Professor graduate and graduate
Benokraitis enlisted her stu- courses on family relationships within diverse contexts,
dents in community service family theories, and research methods.
activities such as tutoring Dr. Buehler has published over 100 papers on di-
low-income high school students and volunteering research vorce, marital relationships, parenting, family function-
services to nonprofit organizations. She has authored, co- ing, and adolescent development in academic journals
authored, edited, or co-edited almost a dozen books, includ- such as Journal of Marriage and the Family, Journal of Family
ing SOC (now in its sixth edition); Affirmative Action and Equal Issues, Journal of Family Psychology, Journal of Family Theory
Opportunity: Action, Inaction, Reaction; Contemporary Ethnic and Review, Child Development, Developmental Psychology,
Families in the United States: Characteristics, Variations, and and Journal of Youth and Adolescence. She has also served
Dynamics; Feuds about Families: Conservative, Centrist, Liberal, and as associate editor of several academic journals, includ-
Feminist Perspectives; Modern Sexism: Blatant, Subtle, and Covert ing the Journal of Marriage and Family, Family Relations,
Discrimination; Subtle Sexism: Current Practices and Prospects and Journal of Family Theory and Review. Dr. Buehler was
for Change; and eight editions of Seeing Ourselves: Classic, recently the director of graduate studies in HDFS and the
Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. She has interim department chair. Her current research interests
also published numerous articles and book chapters on topics include teens’ psychophysiological response patterns in
such as institutional racism, discrimination against women in stressful circumstances and predictors of infants’ weight
government and higher education, and family policy. problems.
See www.allmysoc.com to find out more about Professor Buehler is an active family member in sev-
Dr. Benokraitis’s background, selected publications, and eral family systems, including a central one that includes
contact information. She and her husband have two adult her husband of many years and their two dogs. Dr. Buehler
children and one grandchild. can be contacted at [email protected].
xxiii
Chapter 1
The Changing Family
Learning Objectives
After you read and study this chapter you will be able to:
1.1 Explain how traditional and contemporary definitions of family differ.
1.4 Describe five myths about families and distinguish between functional
and dysfunctional myths.
1.5 Compare the three perspectives on why families are changing.
1.6 Explain how U.S. families have been changing in terms of demographic
characteristics and racial-ethnic diversity.
1.7 Explain how macro-level constraints affect families’ micro-level choices.
Data Digest
• The “traditional” family (in which the husband is the breadwinner and the
wife is a full-time homemaker) declined from 40 percent of all U.S. house-
holds in 1970 to 14 percent in 2014.
• In 2016, 20 percent of Americans ages 25 and older had never been married,
up from 9 percent in 1960.
• The U.S. median age at first marriage is the highest ever recorded: 29.5 for
men and 27.4 for women.
• On average, first marriages that end in divorce last about eight years.
• The percentage of children under age 18 living with two married parents fell
from 77 percent in 1980 to 65 percent in 2016.
• Among women ages 19 to 44, 65 percent have cohabited, up from 33 percent
in 1987.
SOURCES: Kreider and Ellis, 2011a; Wang and Parker, 2014; Livingston, 2015; Census Bureau News, 2016;
“Families and living arrangements,” 2016; Vanorman and Scommegna, 2016.
Compared with a few generations ago, a family tree today is beginning to look more
like a tangled forest. For example, Rob, a 61-year-old magazine editor, has six chil-
dren ranging in ages from 12 to 33: two children with a woman who was his longtime
unmarried partner, two children born to a lesbian couple with his donated sperm,
and two stepdaughters with his current wife (Holson, 2011: A1). Rob’s family tree will
become even more “tangled” if he remarries, or if any of his children marry, divorce,
remarry, and have biological or adopted children.
As this example shows, contemporary family arrangements are changing. You’ll
see in this chapter and others that individual choices have altered some family struc-
tures, but many of these changes are due to larger societal transformations. Before
continuing, test your knowledge about U.S. families by taking the “Ask Yourself” quiz.
Ask Yourself
How Much Do You Know about ❑ ❑ 5. People get married because they love each other.
Contemporary American Families? ❑ ❑ 6. Divorce rates have increased during the past few
decades.
True False
❑ ❑ 7. Having children increases marital satisfaction.
❑ ❑ 1. Teenage nonmarital births have increased over the
❑ ❑ 8. Married couples have healthier babies than unmarried
past 20 years.
couples.
❑ ❑ 2. Cohabitation (living together) increases the chance of
❑ ❑ 9. Generally, children are better off in two-parent step-
having a happy and lasting marriage.
families than in single-parent families.
❑ ❑ 3. Singles have better sex lives than married people.
❑ ❑ 10. Family relationships that span several generations are
❑ ❑ 4. The more educated a woman is, the less likely she is less common now than in the past.
to marry.
(The answers to these questions are on page 27.)
What Is a Family?
1.1 Explain how traditional and contemporary definitions of family differ.
It may not seem necessary to define a familiar term like family, but its meaning differs
from one group of people to another and may change over time. The definitions also
have important political and economic consequences, often determining family mem-
bers’ rights and obligations.
The Changing Family 3
Under Social Security laws, for example, only a worker’s spouse, dependent par-
ents, and children can claim benefits. Many employers’ health care benefits cover a Since you asked …
spouse and legal children but not adult partners, either heterosexual or gay, who are un-
• Does it really matter how we
married but have long-term committed relationships, or children born out of wedlock. define family? Why?
A child isn’t legally a member of an adopting family until social service agencies and the
courts have approved the adoption. And some of the most contentious arguments about
what is a family involve disputes about who inherits property when a relative dies.
Thus, definitions of family affect people’s lives by expanding or limiting their options.
STOP AND THINK: Are couples who don’t have children a family? Why or why not?
donor, a sperm donor, a woman who carries the baby during a pregnancy, and the
couple intending to raise the child. If that’s not confusing enough, the biological father
or mother might be dead by the time the child is conceived because sperm and eggs
can be frozen and stored.
Peter Hopper Stone/Getty Images
Modern Family, a popular television show, includes a nuclear family, a remarried aging family patriarch
with his Colombian trophy wife, her son and their biological child, and a gay couple and their adopted
Vietnamese daughter. Do you think that this show represents contemporary American families?
4 Chapter 1
fictive kin A definition of the family could also include fictive kin, nonrelatives who are ac-
A family in which nonrelatives are cepted as part of the family because they have strong bonds with biological family
accepted as part of a family. members and provide important services and care. These emotional ties may be stron-
ger and more lasting than those established by blood or marriage (Dilworth-Anderson
et al., 1993). James, an African American in his forties and one of our former students,
still fondly recalls Mike, a boarder in his home, who is a good example of fictive kinship:
Mike was an older gentleman who lived with us from my childhood to my teenage years.
He was like a grandfather to me. He taught me how to ride a bike, took me fishing, and
always told me stories. He was very close to me and my family until he died. When the
family gets together, we still talk about old Mike because he was just like family and we
still miss him dearly. (Author’s files)
A recent variation of fictive kin includes single mothers—many of whom are un-
married college-educated women—who turn to one another for companionship and
child care help. They take turns watching one another’s kids (on short summer vaca-
tions), help during crises (such as a death in the family), and call each other when they
need advice about anything from a child who is talking late to suggestions on present-
ing a paper at a professional conference (Bazelon, 2009).
Making Connections
• Ask three of your friends to define family. Are their definitions the same as
yours?
• According to one of my students, “I don’t view my biological family as ‘my
family’ because my parents were abusive and didn’t love me.” Should we be
able to choose whomever we want as family members because of emotional
rather than biological ties?
• In a recent survey (Powell et al., 2010), 30 percent of the respondents consid-
ered pets, but not gay couples, as family. Do you agree? Or not?
Family Functions
Families vary considerably in the United States and globally but must accomplish at
least five important functions to ensure a society’s survival (Parsons and Bales, 1955).
As you read this section, think about how your own family fulfills these functions.
norm SEXUAL ACTIVITY Every society has norms, or culturally defined rules for be-
A culturally defined rule for havior, regarding who may engage in sexual relations, with whom, and under what
behavior. circumstances. The United States has laws against sexual activity with minors, but
some societies around the world permit marriage with girls as young as age 8.
Throughout history, one of the oldest rules regulating sexual behavior is the
incest taboo incest taboo—cultural norms and laws that forbid sexual intercourse between close
Cultural norms and laws that for- blood relatives, such as brother and sister, father and daughter, uncle and niece, or
bid sexual intercourse between grandparent and grandchild. Sexual relations between close relatives can increase
close blood relatives. the incidence of inherited genetic diseases and abnormalities by about 3 percent
The Changing Family 5
(Bennett et al., 2002). Incest taboos are based primarily on social constructs, however,
that probably arose to preserve the family in several ways (Ellis, 1963):
Most social scientists believe that incest taboos are universal, but there have been
exceptions. The rulers of the Incan empire, Hawaii, ancient Persia, and the Ptolemaic
dynasty in Egypt practiced incest, which was forbidden to commoners. Some an-
thropologists speculate that wealthy Egyptian families practiced sibling marriage to Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of ancient
Egypt, is said to have been the issue of
prevent losing or fragmenting their land. If a sister married her brother, the property at least 11 generations of incest. She, in
would remain in the family in the event of divorce or death (Parker, 1996). turn, married her younger brother.
ECONOMIC SECURITY The family is also an important economic unit that provides
financial security and stability. Families supply food, shelter, clothing, and other mate-
rial resources that ensure the family’s physical survival. Especially during the Great
Recession between late 2007 to mid-2009, many families relied on their kin for loans to
pay off credit debts or rent; help in caring for children while searching for a job after
being laid off; and a place to live, as with parents or grandparents, after a home fore-
closure (see Chapters 4 and 14).
As you’ll see shortly, the labor force participation of mothers with children under
6 years old more than doubled after 1970. The traditional family, in which Mom stays
home to raise the kids, is a luxury that most families today simply can’t afford. Because
of depressed wages and salaries and job insecurity, many mothers must work outside
the home whether or not they want to (see Chapters 4 and 5).
The fourth volume, printed in the year 1799, (three years after Dr.
Rittenhouse’s death,) contains—
If, indeed, the “monkish learning” of the fifteenth century was now
taught among us; if “composing syllogisms,” and “measuring the feet
of Greek and Latin poetry,” were now the sole objects of scholastic
instruction in this country; then might our learned Professor have
anathematized, with good reason, the system of teaching in our
Universities and Colleges. But it is well known, that the Aristotelian
Philosophy, and what is denominated the Learning of the Schools,
has been gradually declining in the European seminaries of learning,
in the course of the last two centuries;[337] and more particularly so, in
the great schools of Britain and Ireland: that the system of academic
instruction, deduced from the visionary theories of the philosophers
of antiquity, is there, as well as here, nearly, if not entirely exploded.
It is true, the Greek and Latin tongues are yet taught with great
assiduity and success, in the British Isles; as they have hitherto
been, among ourselves:[338] and it is confidently hoped, that those
languages will long continue to be cultivated with unabated zeal, in
this country; whatever may be their fate on the European continent,
where it is said they are rapidly declining, along with other branches
of useful learning, and accompanied by an evident decay of many
social refinements. Those languages are, in fact, valuable auxiliaries
in the attainment of many branches of useful science, and have ever
been considered the best substratum of polite learning and literary
taste.
But, until the arrival of that important epocha, when thirteen North-
American colonies of Great Britain solemnly announced to the world
their separation from the parent-state, Rittenhouse thought and
acted, in relation to political affairs, pretty much as his countrymen
did. “Previous to the American revolution,” as Ramsay the historian
has remarked, “the inhabitants of the British colonies were
universally loyal:” and another American writer[362] of respectability
has correspondently observed, that the proceedings of the first
congress were “cool, deliberate and loyal, though marked with
unanimity and firmness.” Indeed many months elapsed, after the
appeal to arms was actually made, before the strong attachment to
the mother-country, which the American colonists had always
manifested, generally subsided. But, after the middle of the year
1775, “the prejudices in favour of a connexion with England and of
the English constitution,” (to use the words of Chief-Justice Marshall,
[363]
“gradually, but rapidly wore off; and were succeeded by
republican principles, and wishes for independence.”
“It is often said, that ‘the sovereign power and all other power is
seated in the people.’ This idea is unhappily expressed. It should be
—‘all power is derived from the people.’ They possess it only on the
days of their elections. After this, it is the property of their Rulers; nor
can they exercise or resume it, unless it is abused. It is of
importance to circulate this idea, as it tends to order and good
government.” And again: