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Understanding the Concept of 'The Family': Institution, Norms, and Social Constructs - Pro, Study notes of Introduction to Sociology

This lecture from soc 3420 explores the concept of 'the family' as an institution, set of norms, and social construct. It discusses the essential social unit's role in primary socialization, universal nature, issues in defining, and the importance of understanding various definitions. The lecture also covers the relationship between family and kinship, the power dynamics of family definitions, and the advantages and disadvantages of family relationships.

Typology: Study notes

2010/2011

Uploaded on 05/10/2011

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What is “The Family”?
Lecture 1
SOC 3420
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Download Understanding the Concept of 'The Family': Institution, Norms, and Social Constructs - Pro and more Study notes Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity!

What is “The Family”?

Lecture 1

SOC 3420

What is Family?

  • (^) An institution
  • (^) Set of institutionalized arrangements
    • (^) Norms of: reproduction, care, support
      • (^) Guides behaviors and activities
      • (^) Without formal structure or governing principles

Universal

  • (^) Yes, but meanings vary greatly.
  • (^) Vary: who included, expectations, living arrangements, functions, ideology
  • (^) Despite variance continuous part of human experience

Issues in Defining

  • (^) Personal experience:
    • (^) Family values
    • (^) Individual meanings
  • (^) “Good ole days”

US Census Definition

  • (^) “A group of two or more people, related by birth, marriage or adoption and residing together.” - (^) W/o meeting these definitions relegated to status of “household”, merely occupying a dwelling together. - (^) Family is always a hhld, but a hhld is not always a family.

Family vs. Kinship

  • (^) Kinship: “Ties between individuals

bound by descent or marriage.”

  • (^) Concerned with mating (regulation and organization), classification of relatives, rights, etc.
  • (^) Acknowledges social constructs.
    • (^) Biological or social (fictive), extends beyond restrictive definitions

Why are definitions important?

  • (^) “Family” is both inclusive and exclusive
    • (^) Who gets to be designated as family?
    • (^) Who is left out?
    • (^) This distinction is not a mundane difference.
      • (^) Power/Definers
      • (^) Benefits:
        • (^) Tangible
        • (^) Non-tangible

Family

  • (^) Often used as reference to nuclear or SNAF:
    • (^) Dominant culture’s interpretation of family
      • (^) Politicians, media, moral leaders
        • (^) Ideological code » (^) Used as yard stick to measure all families, including some and othering those that remain. » (^) One parent families, racial-ethnic families, never married, same-sex couples » (^) Social control: how to look and behave » (^) Reproduce dominant family forms

Family v. Non-family

  • (^) Expect bonds between cousins to be stronger than two co-workers.
  • (^) Culturally enacted.
    • (^) Expect stronger familial bonds so “see” bonds, experienced as natural, unnoticed.
  • (^) When considering time/intensity of relationships it may not make sense to premise family over friends/non-family networks.

Time/Intensity/Longevity/Proximity Consider the above in the following relations: Coworkers Neighbor BFF Cousin Spouse Even though time and intensity may be stronger with coworkers and BFF, cousin and spouse are often privileged. Longevity expected in family relations, despite intensity/time. -Not always hold true: Disown, Divorce. Ex. Hansen. Neighbor relations were “thin and brittle”, dependent upon proximity.

Disadvantages

  • (^) Social pressure/constraint
  • (^) Not so sweet benefit package
    • (^) Schedule, pay

Public/private

  • (^) Privately Experienced
  • (^) Set of individuals, but also a social unit
    • (^) Simultaneously a Public Institution
    • (^) Appear distinct from social, but impossible to separate
    • (^) All is social
      • (^) Experience/view family through cultural norms and expectations
      • (^) Influenced by history, culture, economics, politics, religion and media

Theories

  • (^) Interactionist
    • (^) Constructionist
  • (^) Functionalist
  • (^) Conflict/Feminist

Structural/Functionalism

  • (^) The family is an institution
    • (^) Functions to maintain own needs, as well as needs of society - (^) Control and regulation of reproduction - (^) Socialization - (^) Culturally dependent: individualism, achievement
    • (^) Pitfalls: nuclear family, gender inequality, conflict