Common Law Marriage
heterosexual couple who presents themselves as married will be regarded as legally married in states that recognize such marriages
Polygamy
more than two spouses
Plygyny
one husband and two or more wives
Polyandry
one wife has two or more husbands
Polyamory
multiple lovers/emotional relationships simultaneously
Pantagmy
group marriage
Family
group of two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption
Civil unions
pair bonded relationships given legal significance in terms of rights and privileges-typically homosexual
Domestic Partnerships
relationships in which cohabiting individuals are given official recognition by a city or corporation to receive partner benefits
Family of orientation
family of origin into which a person is bron
family of procreation
family a person beings by getting married and having children
nuclear family
family consisting of an individual, his or her spouse, and his or her children, or of an individual and his or her parents and siblings
traditional family
the two-parent nuclear family with the husband as breadwinner and wife as homemaker
modern family
dual-earner family, in which both spouses work outside the home
postmodern family
lesbian or gay couples and mothers who are single by choice
binuclear family
family in which members live in two separate households
extended family
nuclear family but also other relatives as well
marriage resilience perspective
changes in the institution of marriage are neither negative nor indicative that marriage is in a state of decline
theoretical framwork
set of interrelated principles designed to explain a particular phenomenon and to provide a point of view
social exchange framework
marital perspective in which spouses exchange resources and decisions are made on the basis of perceived profit and loss
utilitarianism
the doctrine holding that individuals rationally weight the rewards and costs associated with behavioral choices
family life course development
the stages and process of how families change over time
family life cycle
stages which identify various challenges faced by members of a family across time
structure function framework
emphasizes how marriage and family contribute to society
functionalists
theorists who view the family as an institution with values, norms, and activities meant to provide stability for the larger society
conflict framework
view that individuals in relationships compete for valuable resources
symbolic interaction framework
theoretical perspective that views marriage and families as symbolic worlds in which the various members give meaning to each others behavior
family systems framwork
theoretical perspective that views each member of the family as part of a system and the family as a unit that develops norms of interaction
feminist framework
that views marriage and the family as contexts for inequality and oppression
sequential ambivalence
the individual experiences one wish and then the other (ex. vacillate between wanting to stay in a less than fulfilling relationship and wanting to end it)
simultaneous ambivalence
the person experiences two conflicting wishes at the same time (DESIRE TO STAY WITH PARTNER AND BREAK UP AT SAME TIME)
Generation Y
children of the baby boomers, typicaly born between 1979 and 1984.AKA millennial or internet generation
Institutions
established and enduring patterns of social relationships
- ex. bias towards heterosexualism-wife, hiusband
- faith
What does social structure of society consist of
Institutions, social groups, statuses and roles
Social groups
Make up institutions, two or more people who share a common identity, interact, and form a social relationship (ex. roomate, partner, spouse)
mating gradient
tendency for husbands to marry wives who are younger and have less educaiton and less occupational success
primary groups
small, intimate, informal group
secondary group
large or small group characterized by impersonal and formal interaction
Status
a social position a person occupies within a social group
Role
the behaviors in which individuals in certain status positions are expected to engange
Culture
meanings and ways of living that characterize people in a society, made up of beliefs and values
Beliefs
definitions and explanations about what is thought to be true
Values
standards regarding what is good and bad, right and wrong, desirable and undesirable
individualism
philosophy in which decisions are made on the basis of what is best for the individual
familism
philosophy in which decisions are made in reference to what is best for the family as a collective unit
sociological imagination
the perspective of how powerful social structure and culture are in influencing personal decision making
Family of origin in relation to relationship choices
unfaithfulness of parents, follow roles parents set
unconscious motivations in relation to relationship choices
a person raised in lower class home may focus heavily on money and make decisions based economically
habits in relation to R.C.
people accustomed to and enjoy spending time alone may be reluctant to make commitments and live with others
Personality
introverted, passive, assertiveness will affect choices
relationships and life experiences
current and past experiences influence ones perceptions and choices
Steps in Research Process
- identify topic or focus of research
- Review the literature
- develop a hypothesis
- decide on method of data collection
- get IRB approval (instituional review board)
- collect and analyze data
- write up and publish results
Random sample
research sample in which each person in the population being studied has an equal chance of being included in the study
control group
group not exposed to independent variable you are studying
experimental group
group exposed to independent variable
