Week #12 Flashcards
Define family
Canadian cencus
- a married couple and the children,
- a couple living common law and the children
- a lone parent of any marital status with at least one child living in the same dwelling.
- All members of a particular census family live in the same dwelling. -
- A couple may be of opposite or same sex.
- Children may be children by birth, marriage or adoption regardless of their age or marital status as long as they live in the dwelling and do not have their own spouse or child living in the dwelling.
- Grandchildren living with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present also constitute a census family.
In what ways are families socially constructed
- they situated within an historical and social context
- “Nuclear family” is a white, middle-class construct
- Focus on composition vs. function
- two or more people who are bound together by ties of mutual consent, birth, and/or adoption.
- maintenance of life on a daily and generational basis.
What is the crisis argument?
Popenoe, is the family in crisis?
1960-1990 – family in state of decline
- Family is the most fundamental unit of society
- Children cannot become successful adults without proper socialization within families
- Advocates a return to “traditional families”
- Families don’t provide functions as effectively now
E.g., procreation, socialization, economic support - Families have lost social power and control over members
- Move toward individualism; erosion of “family values”
Trends:
- Fertility decline
- Marital role erosion
- Increasing divorce rates and alternative families
- Increases in singlehood and non-family living
What are marriage and divorse rates
Marriage
- 1961: 92% of census families were married couples
- 2011: 67% married, 17% common law, 16.3% lone parent
Divorce rate
- mid-1980s: rate peaked at 41%
- 2006: 38%
Proportion of persons living outside census families increased
- 1961: 8.6%
- 2011: 17%
Same-sex couple families
- .8% of census families; tripled from 2006-2011
Criticisms of Crisis argument
- Limited conceptualization of family
- Ignores fact that “the family” is a primary site of oppression and violence against women, children, elderly
- Family as sight of conflict and inequality
Explain economic gender inequality within the family
- As a consequence of work and family patterns:
- Most wives are economically dependent upon their husbands because they either do not work for pay or because they earn significantly less than their spouse.
- Focus on inequities in the division of household labour and child care.
Explain violence and gender inequality within the family
- Women, children, and the elderly are most at risk
what is intimate partner violence (ipv)
- intentional, controlling, and systematic behaviour in intimate relationships
- Causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm
- Most common form of violence against women
what is central to IPV?
power and control
How does IPV relate to health?
Serious public health issue
- 29% of ever-married women 18+ have experienced some type of IPV at some point in their lives.
- Costs Canadians estimated $400 million plus annually
what are reporting ratios of ipv?
- Similar proportions of men and women report experiencing some form of IPV
- Doesn’t take into account who instigated and self-defence
- Violence inflicted on women is more severe
- -> Wives are 2-7 times more likely to have been beaten, choked, physically injured, or sexually assaulted
- -> 4 times as many wives as husbands are killed each year in Canada
how does age and ses influence IPV?
IPV—more likely if:
Involvement with young men in common law unions
Living in poor family
Partner not a high school grad
**Women who are involved with men who have relatively little power on the basis of age or class are more likely to experience IPV.
what is prevelance of child abuse?
- No data available on prevalence – rely on police and welfare reports
- Underestimates abuse
- Includes most severe abuse
- About 45% of child maltreatment investigations are substantiated.
- 22% suspicious but not substantiated.
- 33% cleared.
- Most substantiated cases involve neglect (40%).
- **About 1% of children abused to point of intervention by welfare agency
Of substantiated cases, what kind of child abuse takes place?
- Neglect (40%)
- Physical abuse (31%)
- Emotional abuse (19%)
- Sexual abuse (10%)
Explain gender and child abuse
Girls and boys equally likely
Boys—more likely than girls to experience physical abuse
Girls more likely than boys to experience sexual abuse
Older boys and girls more likely than younger
-Higher reports of abuse and neglect found in families at a greater risk of poverty
