Wk 8: Family

Question 1

The Social Construct
of the Family

Answer 1

The structures of society affect the innermost workings of the family.
o In the West, you are more likely to see unmarried cohabiting families due to an emphasis on professional goals and early independence.
o In some Eastern Countries (e.g., India & Singapore), stricter conservative values define families and family life.
o More economically developed countries tend to have smaller households.
o Filial piety is to respect one’s elders and lends to intergenerational families in parts of East Asia.
o More economically successful (and capitalistic!) countries often have children leave the home earlier.
Inequalities and norms of society, are likely to be reflected in the family.

Question 2

Filial piety

Answer 2

is to respect one’s elders and lends to intergenerational families in parts of East Asia.

Question 3

family

Answer 3

is two or more people who
are related by blood, marriage or
adoption

Question 4

Nuclear family

Answer 4

A family that consists of mum, dad and kid/s

Question 5

Marriage

Answer 5

is the union of two people
that is typically recognised by law or
cultural norms

Question 6

Marriage is a social construct

Answer 6

so the status of people who commit to each other for life is often related to social institutions and cultures.

Same-sex couples can legally marry in Australia,
but this change is relatively recent. Before this,
the legal status of same-sex couples had seen
adjustments in areas such as superannuation,
hospital/coronial rights, property settlement,
taxation, compensation payments, and
wills/estates (i.e., de facto relationships), but it
had not received official government social
approval.

Question 7

Why do governments resist same sex
marriage legalisation

Answer 7

The government’s stance on same-sex marriage varied over time and was influenced by cultural, social, political, and ideological
considerations.

Question 8

Traditional Beliefs:

Answer 8

Many governments are initially influenced by
religious tradition

Question 9

Political Factors:

Answer 9

Political leaders often considered the potential
backlash from certain population segments who opposed same-sex marriage. This could impact their electoral chances.

Question 10

Public Opinion:

Answer 10

Government policies are often influenced by public opinion. In the case of same-sex marriage, support for it grew over time, and governments responded to changing societal attitudes
and pressure from advocacy groups.

Question 11

International and Regional Context:

Answer 11

Governments may consider international and regional trends and norms regarding same-sex marriage. They may be influenced by
the actions and policies of other countries

Question 12

Partisan Politics:

Answer 12

The issue of same-sex marriage
sometimes became entangled in partisan politics, with political parties taking different positions based on their ideologies and voter bases

Question 13

Referendums and Public Votes:

Answer 13

In some countries, the issue of same-sex marriage was put to a public vote or referendum, and the government’s position was determined by the outcome of these votes.

Question 14

Monogamy:

Answer 14

Most of you probably grew up under a family
system of monogamy, which is the practice of being married to one person at a time.

Question 15

Polygamy:

Answer 15

Some societies allow polygamy, the practice of
having more than one spouse at a time -Polygamy itself comes in two forms: polygyny and polyandry

Question 16

Polygyny:

Answer 16

Polygyny is more common and involves a
man marrying two or more women. This ancient
practice is illegal in most developed countries, although
it still exists in many developing countries worldwide.

Question 17

Polyandry:

Answer 17

Polyandry allows a woman to take two or
more husbands. Anthropologists determined that
polyandry is practised to concentrate labour and
maintain a comfortable standard of living while limiting animosity (e.g. Himalyas)

Question 18

The Nuclear Family

Answer 18

Families have been nuclear for some time. Between 1564 and 1821, 90% of households consisted of the nuclear family.

Why? Late marriage and short life expectancy limited the practicality of the idealistic extended family.

What did the kids do?
They served as laborers (i.e., workers)
within the household’s ‘production system’.
Children were typically sent to other
households around the age of 7 to cultivate
their independence as laborers and equip
them to establish their own households. It’s
intriguing to contemplate Karl Marx’s
perspective on this matter!

Question 19

The Nuclear Family and
its Decline

Answer 19

We are marrying less
◦ We are marrying later in life
◦ We are cohabiting instead of marrying
◦ We are having fewer children
◦ We are having children at later ages
◦ We are forming same-sex marriages that
raise children.

Question 20

Trends of the Anglo-
Saxon Australian Family

Answer 20

In Australia, after the Second World War, there
were a larger number of married couples within
Australia when compared to previous generations.

A typical household is perhaps no longer headed
by a ‘male breadwinner’ and smaller households
suggest the increasing numbers of single-parent
families and elderly people living alone
With the larger numbers of de facto couples,
together with the more frequent occurrence of
single-parent families, more Australian births are
taking place outside marriage.

Question 21

Popenoe sees the family (not necessarily the nuclear family) as losing its ability to
perform two crucial functions:

Answer 21

I. Raising children
II. Affection and companionship

The decrease in the number of children being born is happening because the importance of having kids has decreased. Instead,
we now prioritise success in our jobs, leisure activities, spending money, and finding personal satisfaction. Nowadays, relationships are not limited by rules, traditions, or economic needs. They continue only as long as they bring
enough happiness for people to stay in them.

Question 22

Women’s Rights as a Risk to the Current Family
System

Answer 22

The increased involvement of women in
the workforce can be seen as a potential
threat to family relationships because it
reduces opportunities for family bonding
and lowers the need for women to form
or maintain relationships with men.

Question 23

No Fault Divorce

Answer 23

In 1975 no-fault divorce and the
Family Court systems were
introduced. Prior to 1975, you had to
prove your spouse was to blame (e.g.,
they committed adultery).

Prior to 1975, there was a moralistic
view towards divorce. Blame was
assigned to the party that could be
considered to have ‘sinned’ – after all,
marriage does have roots in religion

Question 24

Sociological reasons for divorce

Answer 24

1. Ease of obtaining a divorce (i.e., introduction of
   ‘no fault’ divorce in Australia in 1975)
2. Residential mobility of nuclear family (i.e.,
   moving and isolation from extended family
   supports)
3. Ongoing redefinition of family and gender (i.e.,
   changing gender roles can create tension)
4. Longevity (i.e., more stressors and hard to
   maintain relationship)
5. Social acceptance (i.e., today divorce is socially
   acceptable – no-longer unusual to be child of a
   so-called ‘broken home’)

Question 25

What did Prof. Patrick Parkinson
say in regards to family court and reform?

Answer 25

“It’s essential that you start with the
proposition that disproportionately we are
dealing with violence, abuse, mental illness
and drug and alcohol abuse.”

“If you understand that then you can
probably understand that the adversarial
system and decision-making by lawyers,
many of whom have commercial law
backgrounds, is not fit for purpose for
dealing with those sorts of issues.“

Question 26

The second shift:

Answer 26

where women engaged in paid employment often
shoulder an additional workload
involving housework and childcare,
largely due to the perceived reluctance
of men to increase their contribution to
household tasks

There is more equality but the increased equality is largely due to women decreasing the time
they spend on housework and shopping/services.

Question 27

Why is there a Gendered
Division of Labour? : Economic position:

Answer 27

The amount of housework is related to how
much men and women earn. Even when both parents work, men tend to earn more.
◦ If they are of equal income then men’s share of housework increases

Question 28

Why is there a Gendered
Division of Labour?: Gender display:

Answer 28

Housework is linked to a display of gender
identity roles. We do gender as socialised per our cultures. It is considered normal for women to perform housework and childcare while men perform occupations that earn more than
women.

◦ Evidence & Explanation: Once women contribute more than 50 percent of the household income, their housework increases. It is deviant for men to
be economically dependent on their female partner thus to reduce this deviance women increase their domestic labor

Question 29

Evidence for both Rationales in
Household Labour: Same-Sex Couples

Answer 29

Within female same-sex couples, 57% of partners said they did the same amount of domestic labour. For male same-sex couples, it was 56%.

In opposite-sex couples, 54% of women said they did more domestic labour than their
partner.

In opposite-sex couples, under 40% said they did the same amount of unpaid domestic
labour.

In opposite-sex couples, just over 7% said that men did more unpaid domestic labour.

It may be the case that same-sex couples are less-restricted by gender roles.

There is also usually less income differential.
Once again, the family, your family, is a social construct!

Question 30

Conflict Theory

Answer 30

Marital conflict often centres on the
division of household labour, and our
three most scarce resources: leisure,
energy, and free time. Historically, men
would have controlled these resources,
but with changes in the form of family,
this is now not always true.

Modern times have created many dual-
career households. But with both
partners working, who is taking care of
the house

The issue at hand isn’t a breakdown of marriage; rather, it’s a socio-economic challenge. Nowadays, both parents often must work outside the home to make ends meet, a shift from many families in the past. This change can lead
to conflicts within households.

Australia requires policy adjustments from the government and workplaces concerning paid and unpaid labor.
We need to question the traditional roles and expectations placed on individuals, allowing mothers to pursue careers and fathers to be active parents without feeling guilty.

Alternatively, we could aim to foster an environment where parents can simply be individuals alongside their roles as
caregivers.

Question 31

Conflict Theory via
Marxism

Answer 31

We can understand the family through its links to
economic relations (Marxism) and the struggle between groups (conflict theory)
Let’s acknowledge that the nuclear family is:
I. A historically changing institution
II. Closely related to the form taken by economic relations
III. Based on an unequal and exploitative relationship between women and men.

The Family and its role in Capitalism
There tends to be income inequality between men,
women and children.
 By virtue of this inequality, men have power over their families.
 Power = Authority.
 Obedience to the father = Socialisation to be obedient of the state and one’s employer.
 Dependence = Conservativism rather than adherents of radical change.

Therefore, the family has a crucial role in maintaining capitalist societies.

Question 32

Yet, the Family Contradicts
Capitalism

Answer 32

Our capitalist society has a core of values
that focus on self-gain and market-based
competition.

Family life is not centred on rational self-gain
or economic exchange.

Family life centres upon love, altruism and
care.
◦ Is the unpaid domestic labour of women
connected to the above or is it inequality?

Some argue that this is an irrational
feature of family life that distinguishes it
from society.

Question 33

Functionalism

Answer 33

Key questions asked by functionalists:
1. What are the functions of the
family?
2. What are the functional relationships
between the family and other parts
of the social system?
3. What are the functions performed by
an institution or part of society for
the individual?

The family serves as a mechanism for maintaining order. The traditional functions of the family include:
I. Reproduction and socialisation of children. The species can’t go on and the group can’t exist without replacing members and
training them.
II. Affection, companionship and recreation. Families provide a social structure that gives us support.
III. Sexual regulation. A lack of sexual regulation can result in conflicts within society, both between members as well as in determining the lineage of a child.
IV. Economic cooperation. It is cheaper to live with someone else than to live alone.
V. Care for the sick and aged. Throughout history, people have had these needs and used the family to solve them.

Question 34

Socialisation & Stabilisation
– Talcott Parsons

Answer 34

Primary Socialisation: The development of a child’s personality that occurs within the family. Secondary socialisation occurs in settings
beyond the family.
◦ The culture of society is internalised.
◦ The structure of personality is determined.

Stabilisation of Adult Personalities: For adults, the family is a haven from the stress of everyday working life and provides emotional security and
support. Child-rearing is an outlet for the safe expression of childlike aspects of personalities.
There is an increasing transfer of these functions to social institutions (e.g., welfare organisations and political parties)

The family has not declined but has adapted to a changing environment.
The family creates members of society with functional personalities.

Question 35

Primary Socialisation

Answer 35

The development of a child’s personality that
occurs within the family.

Family Influence: Children are influenced by family
members who impart essential values, norms, and behaviors to the child during their early formative years.

Norms and Values: Children learn the basic norms and values of their culture, such as acceptable behaviors, beliefs, and societal expectations.
Language Acquisition: Children acquire their first
language and communication skills primarily within the family, which is crucial for their ability to interact and understand the broader society.

Emotional Development: Emotional bonds, attachment styles, and emotional regulation skills are developed within the family context, significantly influencing a child’ s emotional well-being and social interactions later in life

Identity Formation: Gender identity, cultural identity, and self-concept, as these are often influenced by family dynamics and values.

Social Roles and Behaviors: Children observe and model various social roles and behaviors from their family members, which serve as templates
for how they will interact with others and participate in society.

Cultural Transmission: Cultural knowledge and practices are passed down from generation to generation, ensuring the continuity of a society’s
cultural heritage.

Impact on Social Integration: The quality of primary socialisation experiences can significantly impact an individual’s ability to integrate into
broader society, as it shapes their understanding of social norms and their capacity to navigate social interactions successfully.

Foundation for Secondary Socialisation: Primary socialisation sets the foundation upon which secondary socialisation, occurring in institutions like schools, peer groups, and workplaces, builds upon. The lessons and values learned in the family continue to influence an individual’s social
development throughout life.

Question 36

Secondary socialisation

Answer 36

occurs in settings beyond the family

Question 37

Stabilisation of Adult Personalities

Answer 37

For adults, the family is a haven from
the stress of everyday working life and provides emotional security and support. Child-rearing is an outlet for the safe expression of childlike
aspects of personalities

Question 38

Symbolic
Interactionism

Answer 38

Symbolic interactionists look at the family on a micro level, by studying the relationships between individual family members.

The expectations of different roles played out by men and women help determine the success of a marriage. Traditionally, men played the role of ‘breadwinner’, while women played the
role of the ‘homemaker’.

Since these roles are in a state of constant change, the way in which couples adjust to these changes defines the structure of the family. Changes in ideologies show that the institution of
the family is simply changing to ‘fit the times’, not declining.

Question 39

Courtship &
Mate Selection

Answer 39

Finding someone to marry can be a daunting
prospect, but in Australia there are only a few
rules: potential mates cannot already be
married, must be of legal age, must not be
closely related, and, until recently, be of a
different sex.

Despite this relative freedom in choosing marital
partners, many people practice homogamy, or
marriage between people with the same
characteristics.

Some cultures and groups strive to enforce
marrying within a group, which is a practice
known as endogamy (as opposed to exogamy,
the practice of marrying someone from a
different group).

Question 40

endogamy

Answer 40

Some cultures and groups strive to enforce
marrying within a group

Question 41

exogamy

Answer 41

the practice of marrying someone from a
different group

Question 42

Stimulus-value role theory
of mate selection

Answer 42

1. Stimulus stage
2. value stage
3. role stage

Question 43

Stimulus Stage

Answer 43

In this stage two people are attracted to each other by some kind of stimulus. This could be something like looks, cool shoes or a nice car. These are superficial characteristics, which are noticed before two people get to know one another. If a couple stays attracted, they move to
the second stage

Question 44

Value stage

Answer 44

In this stage the compatibility of the relationship is tested regarding a variety of mutually held beliefs/values (religion, politics, familial expectations, attitudes about money). If a couple talks and manages to find common ground in some of these areas, then they may
choose to move on to stage three

Question 45

Role stage

Answer 45

After realising that they share a mutual attraction and a similar set of beliefs, people decide to act out the roles of a couple. This includes dating and sexual behaviour, possibly leading to a long-term
relationship.

Question 46

Social Exchange
Theory

Answer 46

Exchange theory essentially states that people seek to maximise rewards and minimise costs (e.g. avoid relationships that are ‘too much work’). Relationships are started and maintained as long as they are rewarding for us. This doesn’t mean it is always ‘fun’, but only that some type of reward—emotional, social or financial—outweighs the cost. When we cease to benefit from the relationship, we end it.