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Contemporary family structure
Sociological theories about family
Relational exchange theory
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Through the sociological eye there are many different types of families. There is no formal definition of what a family is, but there are several different views that can give you an idea of what it may look like. Stereotypical families have become a commonality across American’s society. According to Lamanna, M., Riedmann,A.,and Stewart,S. (2015) a stereotypical family, is a representation of several different types of families that are present in today’s society. There are many variations of these families, from traditional families with two parents with children, to homosexual couples with children. Although there are differences in gender between these examples they are both considered a family. Aside from gender differences, many demographic …show more content…
The exchange theory is the economic part of the social relationship and says people prefer to limit costs and maximize rewards when it comes to social exchanges” (Lamanna, et all, 2015). Likewise my parents always carefully planned on how to spend their money. When paying bills they have had to consider which bill was a priority verse which bill could be paid late. Lamanna, et all (2015) states that “those of us with more resources such as education or good incomes, have a wider range of options to choose from.” People who have more education and income are able to do more than others who lack those features. In comparison to the authors my family does not have a wide range of options when it comes to decision making. To emphasize the importance of income I have seen it affect my family the most because it has set my brothers and I back on so many things. I was never able to continue my passion with sports because of the high cost to compete as well as for my brothers. My parents found some rewards throughout my childhood such as taking us to Florida every Christmas, and going to several football games together. They have had to also outweigh the costs of not being able to help pay for our college education and look at the rewards in which we were having money to pay
Census Bureau, the definition of family consists of two or more individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption living in the same home. The authors define family as a social group whose members are bound together with legal, emotional, or biological ties, or any combination of the three. The definition of the U.S. Census Bureau seems a little outdated and confined. This definition seems to more define nuclear families and not those who break the norms. Many relationships are long distance, same-sex, or practice cohabitation. This definition leaves out many contemporary families, similar to the ones just discussed. This is the exact reason that the authors prefer their definition over the U.S. Census Bureaus. The textbook definition is more open-minded to contemporary and nuclear families the same.
One definition is “a significant social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.” While such definition is a good starting point, some modern family structures are excluded by such definition. In her essay, “Family: Idea, Institution, and Controversy,” Betty Farrell apparently assumes that the traditional family has dramatically changed, and the dynamics of change—altered the definition of a “family.” A family is no longer a picture of a particular image of the mythic past, referring to the golden days of the “1950s.” It is no longer a father, mother and their biological children living together under one roof (and certainly not with the a breadwinner father and a stay-at-home mother). In today 's modern society, it is now common to see women raising their children by themselves without their husbands’ help; unmarried couples living together; and gay and lesbian couples—while far from being universally accepted—adopting and raising children to complete their families. Therefore, despite the children living in one-parent households, or they do not live with their “married-heterosexual-biological-parents” under the same roof—does not necessarily mean they are not families. Farrell states that “a family is defined not so much by a particular set of people as by the quality of relationships that bind them together.” In other words, Farrell believes that a “family” is more than just a collection
Family used to be a single unit, consisting of a husband, wife and children. This unit was widely thought as a group based on marriage and biological parenthood as sharing a common residence and united by ties of affection, obligations, care, support, and a sense of common identity. However, due to the change in values, laws, family structure and social trends, the definition of family has been defined as a married or cohabiting couple with or without children living under one roof, children may be dependent or independent. (Office for national statistics) (2006)
The definition of what consitutes a “family“ has definatly changed over time. Usually, what constitutes making up a family is relative to a specific culture, but as always, there are exceptions to the rule. Ever since the golden age of television had sprung upon American culture, it has tried to mimic the "ideal" American family through it's programming. Even as early as the 1950's, television producers made
Traditionally the most dominant family form in the United States has been the married couple family. The image of two parents with children living under one roof is the norm for a married couple family. In a married couple family one or both parents work and income levels are gener...
The American family can be defined in as many ways as there are families. For a single person, he or she may define his or her family as his or her pet. Others may define family as his or her friends, but for most people, family is traditionally defined as including his or her biological parents, siblings and immediate blood relations. The traditional American family, despite being depicted in television shows, such as Leave It To Beaver or buzzwords for marked political agendas, is a falsehood that truly never existed for the vast majority of Americans. The birth of the women’s liberation movement of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s is often held responsible for the breakdown of the “traditional” family consisting of the working father, stay-at-home
Not so long ago in United States family was defined as; a couple, a man and a woman with children. Times have changed. Today, people are moving away from this definition and now going for a modern description of what family refers to. From divorced parents, single par-ents, no children families, and gay parents they are all now included to this new definition. Ac-cording to the national census bureau “A family consists of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Like everything in life family is changing. The percentage of non-traditional family is growing more and more. As mention before homosexual families are big parts of this evolution. But many wonder; what is parenthood? How are homosexual families different from traditional families? And how different countries look at homosexual families?
Families have greatly evolved from the times a woman's only job was to have children so they can work on the farms. Once, women were considered a burden by their father giving a dowry to their husbands, letting the men to control the women, keeping them as a trophy wife or property. Today women are given equal treatment and can occupy any job and be the boss of many men. Families today are very have been dramatically altered over the years with the stereotypical mom and dad not being the only family dynamic. In today’s society, parents vary depending on their sexual orientation, the impact technology has played in families, and purpose a family has been altered.
What exactly is a family? Some would say it is a father, mother, and possibly children, but is this an outdated definition? With the world adapting and changing at such a high rate, it proves difficult to create definite boundaries for what constitutes a family. As events that are either detrimental or beneficial to society occur, family lives adapt to better suit the current state. The differences in culture, religion and traditions can offer possible explanations for why families are not the same, locally and globally. Sociological relationships change to fit the people involved in them, so it only makes sense that family groups would differ by location. This paper will discuss the ways that families in America have evolved over time. Also, I will explain what occurrences caused the need for such changes.
When asked to describe a family, what is the typical response? In a traditional perspective, a family consists of a father, mother, brother, and sister. However, if a random sample of families was taken today, a large amount of them would not resemble the traditional portrayal of a family. Families can contain single parents, multiple children, extended relatives and several other diverse components.
In the era after the Second World War, the way that life was viewed changed drastically. The men of the war were coming back to homes that were drastically different that what they had remembered before the war. In this post war country, a shift of family ideals set an example of what a family should look like and how they should act. With the invention and popularization television, messages could be sent out to mass audiences to inform or even push people into a stereotype. Such shows as The Donna Reed Show and The Danny Thomas Show set an example of how the perfect American Family should operate in the confines of their home as well as out in public. These expectations of people set a nearly unreachable goal that very few American families could reach. It also harmed social relations among family members. Along with social restraints it tacks on ethnic and racial confines of a perfect family. Therefore, the ideal of a perfect family can hurt anyone that strives for it.
The unit of a family is the most prominent essential for all of us. As social human beings, we seek social support in order to thrive, and that is where family comes into play. A family is where you receive love, support, encouragement, and many other social benefits. The total number of households in the United States increased from 63 million in 1970 to 113 million in 2008 (Weeks, 2012). The family has influenced multitudes of people in many ways. The traditional family in the United States consists two-married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring also know as the nuclear family. However, the term of a true family has ultimately changed over the last 50 years especially for African Americans.
When I think of “family” and “relationships” I don’t think of a certain type or way that they have to be. Because there is no real definition that a family or a relationship has to follow, as long as there’s happiness and love then nothing else matters. When I think about different types of families and relationships that are present in today’s society, I think about how well the show “Modern Family” depicts each of them. The show is made up of three different families that are together a family, but it focuses on each individual family’s struggles within the family and their relationships in society.
Family, a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. Although family is a concretely defined term, the idea of family varies from person to person. But, what makes a family? For those who are surrounded by loving blood relatives, for those who have never known the one to grant them life, for those who have left their blood behind for a more loving and nurturing environment, what can commonly define a family? Family is something defined by the individual. Family includes those who you have come to love, whether platonically or romantically, those you have suffered with, those you have come to respect, and most importantly those you have cared for and in turn have cared for you. To one that could mean people who
“A family can be defined as a set of people related by blood, marriage or in some other agreed upon relationship, or adoption, who share primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for member of society". (Schaefer, 2009, p. 288) This leads to a wide open range of interpretation on the exact definition of how a family is truly made up. Depending on your culture, religion, or geographical location a family may represent and be comprised of many different ideals and social norms. There are many theoretical perspectives that have their own interpretations on the subject of what a family is and how it is perceived. I will attempt to expound on three of these perspectives; Functionalism, Conflict, and Interactionalism.