News Analysis 3
ylang_2005
SOC220_Chapter7.pptxSocial Problems Community, Policy, and Social Action
Sixth Edition
Anna Leon-Guerrero
Chapter 7
Families
Family
What is a family?
A man and a woman and their children?
An extended family-including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins?
Single parent with children?
Same-sex couples?
3
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Family
Family—a construct of meaning and relationships both emotional and economic
A social unit based on blood, by choice, marriage, partnership, or adoption
Household—an economic and residential unit
4
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Myths of the Family
Image of the nuclear family—a father, a mother, and biological or adopted children living together—is exalted as the ideal family
Several changes in family composition occurred between 1970 and 2010
Families composed of married couples with children declined from 40.3% in 1970 to 19.6% in 2010
There has been an increase in the percentage of non-family households, individuals living alone or with nonrelatives
5
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Socially Constructed Beliefs on Family
We tend to believe that families of the past were better and happier than today
We believe that families should be safe havens, protecting their members from harm and danger
There is a persistent belief that nontraditional families, such as divorced, fatherless, or working-mother families, threaten and erode the integrity of the family as an institution
6
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Functionalist Perspective
The family is the most vital social institution
Family confers social status and class
Family helps define who we are and how we find our place in society
Family provides for the essential needs of the child: affection, socialization, and protection
Social problems emerge as the family adapts to a modern social society which has taken over many of the family’s original functions (religion, education, work)
7
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Functionalist Perspective
Family functions in concert with the other institutions, so changes in the economy, politics, or law, contribute to changes and problems in the family
Because of the family’s social and emotional functions, problems in the family (e.g. divorce or domestic violence) can also lead to problems in the society, such as crime, poverty, or delinquency
8
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Conflict and Feminist Perspectives
Conflict theorists—the family is a system of inequality where conflict is normal
Families are also subject to powerful economic and political interest groups who control social programs and policies
Conflict arises when the needs of particular family forms are promoted while others are ignored
9
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Conflict and Feminist Perspectives
Feminist perspective—inequality emerges from the patriarchal family system, where men control decision making in the family
Men maintain their position of power in the family through violence or the threat of violence against women
10
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Interactionist Perspective
Social interaction helps create and maintain our definition of a family
Within families, interactions through words, symbols, and meanings define our expectation of what the family should be like
Problems may also occur when partners’ expectations of family or marriage do not match their real life
11
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Divorce
Was rare until the 1970s
Rising divorce rates are attributed to:
No-fault divorce laws
Economic independence of women
Transition from extended to nuclear families
Increasing geographic and occupational mobility
Stigma has decreased
12
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Divorce
Under some circumstances, divorce can be beneficial to the well-being of children
Although men experience minimal economic declines after divorce, most women experience a substantial decline in household income and increased dependence on social welfare
13
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Intimate Partner Violence
In the U.S., one in three women and one in four men reported they had been raped or assaulted
Globally, 52% of women report physical abuse from a partner
Research has linked the following to family violence: low socioeconomic status, social and structural stress, and social isolation
Feminist researchers argue domestic violence is rooted in gender and represents men’s attempts to maintain dominance and control over women
14
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Child Abuse and Neglect
Physical abuse—non-accidental injury
Neglect—a failure to provide for a child’s basic needs
Physical
Educational
Emotional
Neglect often goes unnoticed
Immediate effects—isolation, fear, low academic achievement, delinquency—may lead to lifelong low self-esteem, depression, criminal behavior, and adult abusive behavior
15
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Elder Abuse and Neglect
Institutional elder abuse—forms of abuse that occur in residential facilities for older people
Domestic elder abuse—any form of maltreatment by someone with a special relationship with the elder
Includes physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, neglect/abandonment, or financial exploitation
Caregiving can positively affect physical and psychological well-being, but the added burden may strain the caregiver’s emotional and financial resources
16
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Teen Pregnancies
U.S. has the highest teen birthrate in the developed world
Teen mothers are likely to be poorer and less educated and are less likely to be married
Children often lag behind in early development, are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive stimulation, and are at greater risk of social behavioral problems and lower academic achievement
Newborn abandonment is a significant social problem
Provision of free or subsidized contraceptives is associated with relatively low birthrates worldwide
17
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
The Problems of Time and Money
Many people are under constant stress for time
About 30% of families with children have parents who work full-time
Economic realities make it difficult for working-class parents to balance work and family
Lower income families deal with the most basic problems on a daily basis: managing the safety, health, and education of their children while staying employed
Structural changes in the economy undermine the quality of life among working-class families
18
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Family Medical Leave Act of 1993
Provides employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year
Only applies to all public agencies and all private employers with 50 or more workers
Nearly two-thirds of eligible workers have not taken advantage of FMLA because they couldn’t afford the lost wages
19
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Responses to Domestic Violence
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Established community-based children’s advocacy centers to provide support for victims in the investigation, treatment, prosecution, and prevention of child abuse
Violence Against Women Office
Offers a series of program and policy technical papers for individuals, leaders, and communities to support their efforts to end violence against women
20
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Responses to Domestic Violence
National Center on Elder Abuse
Supports community “sentinel” programs, which train and educate professionals and volunteers to identify potential victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
21
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Responses to Teenage Pregnancy
Welfare Reform Act (1996) mandated the HHS to assure that at least 25% of communities had teen pregnancy prevention programs
There is little evidence to suggest that abstinence-only education delays sex
Comprehensive programs have increased condom and contraceptive use.
Safe-surrender or safe-haven laws have been passed in all states
22
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Expanding the Definition of Family
Almost half of young adults in the United States have lived in a cohabiting union at some point in their lives
Sixty-five percent of marriages began as cohabiting relationships as of 2002
Increase in unmarried childbearing
Grandparent households are more likely to be poor
23
Leon-Guerrero, Social Problems, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
