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WEEK 3: Ecology of the Family
Key Point Summary
I.
Family Systems
A. Family systems theory views family as a whole, in terms of
structure and organizational patterns, and views it members in
terms of how they interact with one another.
B. Defining the family has important implications for taxes,
adoption and foster care practices, employee benefits, property
rights, inheritance and other legal concerns.
C. There are many definitions of the family. One common definition
is a family refers to any two or more individuals related by birth,
marriage, or adoption who reside together.
i. A cook is a cook if…
ii. A teacher is a teacher if…
iii. A mechanic is a mechanic if…
iv. A family is a family if…
v. Questions: Why do we define so many social roles by
what they do, yet we often define the family by it’s
structure or what it is? If a family is defined by its
functions and it loses many of its functions, what's does
that mean for the family?
D. Murdock’s classic definition requires both a male and female
parent and the resulting children. Many to today’s families do
not fit this definition.
E. Basic Family Structures
1. Nuclear family refers to a family consisting of a
husband, a wife, and their children.
2. Family of orientation refers to the family into which
one is born.
3. Family of procreation refers to the family that
develops when one marries and has children.
4. Extended family are relatives of the nuclear family
who are economically and emotionally dependent on
each other, but may or may not live nearby.
5. Matriarchal family refers to a family in which the
mother has formal authority and dominance.
6. Patriarchal family refers to a family in which the
father has formal authority and dominance.
7. Egalitarian family refers to a family in which both
sides of the extended family are regarded as equal.
8. Among today’s families one’s personal and formal
network help in to provide the support traditional
provided by extended kin or the immediate family.
F. Basic Family Functions
1. Reproduction: The family ensures that the society’s
population will be maintained; that is, a sufficient
number of children will be born and cared for to
replace the members who die.
a. Traditionally, families were also charge with
the regulation of sexual activity.
2. Socialization/education: The family ensures that
society’s values, beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, skills,
and techniques will be transmitted to the young.
Harmonizes individual goals with the goals of larger
society
3. Assignment of social roles: The family provides an
identity for its offspring, which involves behavior and
obligations.
4. Economic support: The family provides shelter,
nourishment, and protection and is charged with the
production and distribution of goods and services.
5. Nurturance/emotional support: The family provides
the child’s first experience in social interaction.
6. Emerging Functions:
a. Recreational activities: families play together
and arrange for entertainment.
b. Families coordinate the services of specialized
agencies, experts, technologies, or outside
institutions.
II.
Family Transitions
A. Throughout history, family structure has adapted to
accommodate economic, social, political, and technological
influences.
i. For example, as family moved from an agricultural, to an
industrial, to an information economy, the nature of work
has changed—which has altered the interactions and
socializing roles of families.
ii. While the family and its individuals are resilient, it is shortsighted to
suggest that all family structures are equally
successful in fulfilling the functions of the family.
iii. With adequate support and resources, parenting and
family processes in all family forms can be successful.
iv. However, not all family types have been equally successful
in acquiring -sufficient support and resources.
B. Structural Family Changes: family composition is influence by
biological factors, cultural or religious beliefs, psychological
factors and social factors.
1. Family ties
a. Although families are always in a process of
transition, certain events affect the
socialization of children more than others
(divorce, single parenting, step-parenting,
cohabitation).
b. Parental divorce is not a single event but
rather a series of stressful experiences. Often
the conflict remains after a divorce and the
children are negative impacted.
c. The growing prevalence of cohabitation has led
to an increase in number of children born to
unmarried parents
2. Divorce and the law
a. The nature of divorce is affected by societal
perspectives and laws. Divorce law is now “no
fault”, which has greatly diminished the stigma
of divorce.
b. For both parents and children there are
significant social, emotional, and economic
impacts.
3. Divorce and the family
a. Effects on family functions and the distribution
of labor. The custodial parent of had double
the responsibility.
b. Dynamics are influenced as family members
consider how to deal with the transition,
reestablish role obligations to one another and
performs family functions.
c. Socioeconomics are changed because of new
family consumption habits, change in
residence, and the increased cost of
maintaining two households.
d. Authority distribution is altered as residential
parent assumes day-to-day authority—often
with less consistency, control and affection.
e. Domestic responsibilities change the
distribution of domestic functions of the family.
Often there is not another adult to share
burdens and joys of child rearing, daily
decision making and to provide need
psychological support.
4. Effects of divorce on children
a. Who has the most at stake in the marriage or
family union—adults or children?
b. Child’s age influences the impact of a divorce
i. Preschool age child’s self-concept
affected by divorce
ii. School age children have difficulty
focusing their attention in school
iii. Adolescents often feel resentment
c. Child’s gender also influences the impact of a
divorce
i. Researchers suggest boys may have a
harder time with divorce.
ii. Girls tend to get more support as they
tend to express their emotions have a
broader network of support.
d. Child custody arrangements influence the
impact of divorce
i. Children involved in custody battles are
the most torn by divorce.
ii. While the divorce ends the marriage,
custody battles, or co-parenting efforts
often increase or at least perpetuate the
conflict.
e. Child’s emotional support influences the impact
of the divorce
i. Worse when children lived in an
embattled household
ii. Adult suffering and problems make it
more difficult to notice or provide
children with needed support.
f. Child’s marriage role models are removed
i. Unrealistic expectation or idealization of
absent parent may result.
ii. May lose confidence in potential for
successful marriage and ability to work
through difficulties and disagreements
successfully.
5. Single -parent custody
a. About 26% of children live with a single parent
in the U.S., typically the mother
6.
7.
8.
9.
b. Single parent mothers can experience
economic as well as emotional and physical
strain.
c. There is often role overload for single parents.
d. On average, single parents establish fewer
parenting controls and exhibit less warmth in
parent-child interactions.
Joint custody
a. Joint legal custody divides decision-making
authority.
b. Joint physical custody divides time spent with
both parents.
c. Binuclear family refers to a family pattern in
which children are part of two homes and two
family groups.
d. An analysis of studies showed children in joint
custody adjusted better than children in solecustody settings.
e. Some children may be harmed by the continual
separation and re-attachment.
Kin custody
a. An increasing number of children are being
raised by relatives (kin) other than parents,
the most common being grandparents raising
grandchildren.
b. Challenges faced by grandparents often leave
them physically, emotionally, and financially
drained.
Interethnic (Racial) and Interfaith (Religious)
Families
a. Parents must deal with cultural or other
differences and determine in which tradition
children will be socialized
b. The number of interethnic and interfaith
families has increased
Stepfamilies
a. Stepparents typically have no legal rights.
b. Psychosocial issues present specific problems
for stepfamilies.
c. One of the most common unrealistic
expectations is the belief in instant love.
d. Disengagement is the most common parenting
style used by stepparents.
10.
11.
12.
13.
e. Father-stepmother families experience more
problems than mother-stepfather families.
Why is it often easier to be a stepfather than a
step-mother?
f. At least half of children living stepfamilies are
likely to face the additional strain of the birth
of a half-sibling.
g. On average, step-parents have are less
involved in “active” parenting behaviors and
have less overall parental influence.
h. Roles in step-families are undefined and often
take years to gradually develops. Clear
communication, relationship maintenance
activities, and endurance and the keys to
success.
Families of unmarried parents
a. Traditional rights and obligations are not
necessarily expected nor implemented.
Families of Same-Sex Parents
a. Most common is two lesbian women living
together raising children of one or both from
their previous relationships with men.
b. Face similar issues as other non-traditional
family types.
c. Overriding issue is how the family manages the
stigmatizing attitude of society.
d. Research has found no higher incidence of
homosexuality among children raise by
homosexuals than among those raised by
heterosexuals nor higher incidences of sexual
abuse or children who are psychologically
troubled.
e. Research in this area is hotly debated and
outcomes are partly a function of what is
considered a successful outcome.
Families of adopted children
a. Fewer infant children are available for adoption
because single parenting has become more
accepted.
b. The AACAP recommends that adoptive
parent(s) tell the child about the adoption in a
way the child can understand based on age
and maturity.
Dual-Earner Families
a. Increasing studies as dual-earner families
increase
b. Women’s allocation of time to paid and unpaid
work generally is similar while paid work hours
remained longer for fathers.
c. Employed mothers provide different role
models than do mothers who remain at home.
d. Children of mothers outside the home have
less stereotyped views of gender roles
C. Functional Family Changes
1. Reproduction: Technological changes have resulted
in many new options that were unavailable during
earlier times.
2. Socialization/education: The responsibility for
educating children, and other socialization functions,
has been shifted from the home to the schools and
other community institutions.
3. Assignment of social roles: Roles and responsibilities
associated with being a wife/mother,
husband/father, and child have changed
significantly.
4. Authority patterns: The power and control
traditional held by the father has shift towards a
more egalitarian approach with negotiated roles.
5. Economic support: Today it is more likely that both
parents work outside of the home and work for
others in non-family businesses.
6. Nurturance/emotional support: Care for the sick or
afflicted has been shifted to medical personnel,
counselors, or experts outside the family.
III.
Macrosystem Influences on Families, Socialization, and Children
A. Socioeconomic status refers to rank or position within a society,
based on social and economic factors.
1. Ascribed status refers to social class, rank, or
position determined by family lineage, gender, birth
order, or skin color.
2. Achieved status refers to social class, rank, or
position determined by education, occupation,
income, and/or place of residence.
3. Traditional society is a society that relies on customs
handed down from past generations as ways to
behave.
4. Modern society is a society that looks to the present
for ways to behave and is thus responsive to change.
5. Social class, more than race or ethnicity contributes
to the difference in experiences and opportunities.
a. How do characteristics and opportunities
different for the following groups?
i. Upper class
ii. Middle class
iii. Lower class
iv. Underclass
6. Social Class Socialization Theories
a. Proposed SES can be defined by 1) material, or
financial, capital (economic resources), 2)
human capital (knowledge and skills) and 3)
social capital (connections to, and the status
and power of, individuals in one’s social
network).
b. The Social Selection Theoretical Model of
Socioeconomics hypothesizes the parents’
genes rather than SES ultimately influences
the life experience.
c. The Social Causation Theoretical Model of
Socioeconomics theorizes that social class
affects the socialization strategies of the
parents and, consequently, impacts the
development of children.
B. Cultural Orientation and Diversity
1. Gemeinschaft refers to relationships that are
communal, cooperative, close, intimate, and
informal.
2. Gesellschaft refers to relationships that are
associative, practical, objective, and formal.
3. Collectivism refers to an emphasis on interdependent
relations, social responsibilities, and the well-being of
the group.
4. Individualism refers to an emphasis on individual
fulfillment and choice.
5. Cultural norms and values influence socialization and
often center around patterns or perspectives for:
a. Relating to one another
b. Understanding time
c. Valuing “being” or “doing”
d. Connecting to nature.
e. Interpreting the innate disposition of humans
(evil or good)
C. Religious Orientation and Socialization Differences
1. Religion refers to a unified system of beliefs and
practices relative to sacred things and is one of the
major influences on human thought and behavior
throughout history.
2. Most religions provide:
a. A Divine ideology
b. Coping mechanisms
c. A concept of death
d. An identity that gives life meaning or purpose
IV.
V.
Chronosystem Influences on Families, Socialization, and Children
A. The chronosystem focuses on changes to the family over time,
or significant events or experience at a point in time. When
changes exceeds a families ability to cope it creates stress.
i. Stressors may be physical, sociocultural, or psychological.
ii. Question: How might have living through the Great
Depression influenced attitudes, behaviors, and values?
iii. Question: How does living in an information age with
smart phones, the Internet, and worldwide digital
communication impact attitudes, behaviors, and values?
B. Sociopolitical Changes: Socials and political trends and policies
influence the opportunities and demands for families in areas of
1) immigration policies, 2) foreign policies, and domestic policies
C. Economic Changes: Attitudes toward money, our standard of
living, and the earning opportunities of families—along with
health insurance cost and benefit packages all influence the
interactions and opportunities of families.
D. Technological Changes: New development may result in the loss
or creation of new jobs. It influences the way families
communicate or stay in touch. Social media is changing who we
turn to for support.
Meeting the Challenge of Change: Family Empowerment
A. Empowerment refers to enabling individuals to have control over
resources affecting them.
B. Functional families display the following characteristics:
i. Display love and acceptance
ii. Communicativeness
iii. Cohesiveness
iv. Communication of values and standards
v. Ability to cope effectively with problems
VI.
Gospel Perspectives: Family Work
A. Bahr and Loveless
i. Value of “family work” cannot and should not be measured
in economic ways. Why?
ii. God did not curse Adam and Eve…but rather _________
(see Genesis 3:16 – 19; Moses 5:1 – 3)
iii. With industrialization and modernization, the nature of
work changed. How? While technology has made work
more efficient and easier, it may also have made our work
lonelier?
iv. Family work links people. What about the nature of work
encourages this?
v. Is demeaning, menial, mindless, and ordinary work
humbling and thereby ennobling?
vi. Is there value in occasionally doing things the old
fashioned way? (e.g., canning fruit, sewing clothes,
cooking from scratch, washing dishes by hand, etc.)
vii. What can parents do incorporate the blessings of family
work into family life?
1. Till the soil.
2. Exemplify attitudes to children.
3. Refuse technology that interferes.
4. Invite or insist gently that children help
5. Avoid a business mentality.
B. David E. Sorensen
i. What is God’s work?
ii. We must labor for the benefit of our eternal souls
iii. What is our most important work?
iv. We have been commanded…. “six days shalt thou labour”
(Exodus 20: 9)
v. “Work is always a spiritual necessity even if for some, work
is not an economic necessity” –Neal A. Maxwell (Ensign,
May 98)
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