Sociology 101Sociology 101

Chapter 11

Marriage & Family

Introduction

• Cultural factors play a major role in how marriage is defined and how it functions

• How we define the family has implications for policy– A standard definition is “a universal human

institution in a small kinship-structured group with the key function of nurturant socialization of the newborn

• 3 theories help us understand the family better

FunctionalismFunctionalism

Sexual RegulationSexual Regulation

FourFunctions

ofFamilies

FourFunctions

ofFamilies

SocializationSocialization

Economic SupportEconomic Support

Psychological & Emotional Support

Psychological & Emotional Support

Percentage of Married Women in theU.S. Labor Force, 1890-1992

Year

Pe

rce

nt

5

10

20

30

40

50

1900 1940 1950 1960 1970 19801910 1920 19301910 1990 1992

60

Conflict/Feminist Perspective

• Women dominated by men in the home– Men do less housework then women

• Women are expected to put in a “second shift”

• Men do about 10 hours per week, women about 20 hours– But women still do about 80% of the female dominated jobs

– Question: Why do women accept this unequal participation? Fader (1985) says:

• They often criticize their husband's work (he doesn't fold the laundry correctly)

• “Women expect men to read their mind”

• Many mothers won’t relinquish their role as the primary parent

Symbolic Interactionism

• Focus on how a person interprets their situation– Men do less housework when: (1) they are laid off,

and (2) they make less than their wife. Why….?• A man feels his masculinity is threatened. He views himself

as having failed in his role as primary provider

• Avoiding housework allows him to reclaim his masculinity and retain “dignity”

The Family: Weaker or Stronger Today?• Question: is the family weaker or stronger today

than in the past? Why?

• Stark points out how families were structured in traditional European families. – Female-headed households were common– Children viewed as “little adults” & often neglected

• Babies who died were discarded in garbage pits and gutters

• Often left home by age 10

– Strained relations between husband and wife

• Opinion polls in the 1950's showed that 20% reported their marriages as "unhappy." and another 20% reported only "medium happiness."

Marriage, Children, & Happiness• Married people are, on the average, happier & healthier• During the 60's researchers noted that mothers often

developed the "empty nest" syndrome• During the 70's however, they found that a U‑shaped

curve existed between a couple's marital happiness and the parental responsibilities– Couples reported happiness before children were

born, happiness plummets when children are born, and then happiness goes up when they leave.

Choosing a Mate• Question: What effect has modernization had on

marriage?– Marriages shifted from arranged and/or based on

economic alliances to individual choice based on love and romance

• Question: What are you looking for in a mate?

• Social factors play a huge role in who you choose:– Age (women, on average, marry a man 2 years older than

herself)

– Education

– Social class

– Race (94% choose someone of their own race)

– Religion

• Thus, we tend to marry people who are like us, a phenomenon social scientists call “homogamy”

• Question: Why is this?

• Because of spatial nearness (networks): we tend to meet & fall in love with people we meet at:– church

– work

– school

Facts About Divorce & Extramarital Affairs

• Most people who get divorced report that the marriage ceased to provide emotional satisfaction

• The divorce rate is higher today than ever before, but:– People are less likely to remain in marriages today than in

the past• Divorce laws are much less restrictive

• Women have gained more economic independence from men

• So who is at risk? What are some of the factors that contribute to divorce?

Factors Affecting DivorceFactors Affecting Divorce

Age at MarriageAge at Marriage

Parental DivorceParental Divorce

Premarital ChildbearingPremarital Childbearing

EducationEducation

Cohabitation Before Marriage

Cohabitation Before Marriage

Bad BehaviorBad Behavior

SixFactors

Affectingthe Likelihood

of Divorce

Gender and Extramarital Sex

MenMen

YesYes

NoNo

24%24%

76%76%

WomenWomen

14%14%

86%86%

TotalTotal

19%19%

81%81%

100%100% 100%100% 100%100%

Percentage of Men and Women Reporting Extramarital AffairsPercentage of Men and Women Reporting Extramarital Affairs

How to Build a Successful Marriage

• Happily married couples typically cite three reasons for an enduring and happy marriage– Their spouse is their best friend– They see marriage as a long term commitment and

thus attempt to avoid serious conflict– They try to spend as much time together as possible