Lec 5. Chapter 3.  Dynamics and Diversity of Families

1.Historical Perspective: Colonial Era

1. Patrilineal vs. Matrilineal: rights/property from dad vs.mom;mat-Zuni, Hopi

2        Marriage: Indian girls age 12-15; boys 15-20; some arranged, some choice;

most monogamous;some allow extramarital(when wives pregnant/ breastfeeding).

3. Eng Colonial Family:Patriarchal—subord. fems;sex restraint, fam-cent produc

a.      arranged mar:parents may seek mate child knows--romantic love not

a factor,comes after wed;duty to love spouse;to fail seen as char defect

b.      bundling:New England custom:wood bundling board separates couple

in bed; not encourage restraint—1/3 marriages 18th cent bride pregnant

c.       patriarchal:colonial husband control land and marital choice children

d.      fem. childbearing: constant cycle bearing until 40 yrs; avg. 6 children

e.      Christian doctrine child born /conceived in sin:  evil by nature

f.        Adolescence not exist:  until 20th century; at age 6-7 childhood ends;

child small adult,participate adult world;often apprentice/servant by 10

4  Black Family:  slave culture discourages casual sex; most slaves 2-parent fams

            a. slavery not destroy family:  stable, 2-parent family survive to 20th cent

II.Nineteenth/20th Centuries: industrialization shatters old family, creates housewife

1.      Affectionate marriage:love as basis shows victory of individ pref over group

2.      fertility decline:most dramatic in history;1800-1900,from 7 to 3.5 child/wom.

3.      rise companionate mar1920-1960:shift self-sacrifi,familism to individualism

a.      familism: individual self-interest subordinated to family well-being

b.      individualism: families sacrificed for personal happiness/fullfillment

A. 4features:  1.m/f share decision/tasks, 2.mar give romance, sex fulfillment,

3.wife no more guard virtue,sex restraint,4.child free explore wld,express feel

4.      Trends:divorce rate increase 3%/decade since civil war(except 50s);>100 yrs

decline birth rates, smaller fam size (except 1950s--more child than before or after);

economy (keep lifestyle) dictates dual-earner household by mid-1970s.

5.      Median age at marriage: begin rise 1960s, men 23 to @27 (1998),fem 20-25

6.      Popenoe (1993) says worrisome sign:  of family decline—divorce, shack up

III  Factors Promoting Changes:  fam no longer prod unit, but consume (purchase)

1.      mar women w/ preschool-age child: most employed, give >marital power

2.      increased longevity:colonial times marry 25 yrs, to 40-50 yrs since live long

3.      invention male breadwinner/female housewife:didn’t exist in colonial famil

a.       feminist move chal: trad assum best housewives; Feminine Mystique

IV.  Social Class Variations in Family Life

1.      Egalitarian:more so for mid-class,freq 2-career marriages (need for income)

a.       Working class:become more like MC;sharing roles/childcare tasks

                                                                           i.      Necessity, not ideology, causes: man being only parent home

B.    exaggeration:  of what done greater for MC: understatement by WC

2.      Stability:lower class marriages least stable; feminization poverty (men gone)

3.      Values:MC parents emphasize autonomy,self-disciplineWC stress compliance

4  Extended family:WC & upper class closer ties;MC emphasize conjugal family

a.       rationale for WC:  pooling resources, less geographic mobility

b.      upper class: value fam name/ancestry;govern mate choice, inheritance

5 fictive kin ties:kinship status extend to friends/neighbor;willing help each other