Family Studies & Theories

Flashcards covering key concepts, study methods, myths about families, historical changes, and sociological theories related to families from the lecture notes.

Sample Surveys

A study method where identical questions are asked of many different people.

Longitudinal Surveys

A study method where the same people are surveyed over a long period of time.

In-depth Interviews

A study method focused on understanding how people make sense of their reality.

Participant Observations

A study method involving observing people in their everyday life.

Time Use Studies

A study method that analyzes how people spend their time.

Monolithic

The idea that everything is the same; a myth about families suggesting diversity is absent.

Family as a "haven"

A myth that families are always a refuge from the outside world, which emerged during industrialization.

"Ideal" or "Normal" family

A myth suggesting there is one perfect family form, which represents less than 10% of actual families and ignores diversity.

Stone Age studies

Used to examine diversity in older families, often by looking at burial patterns.

Split family

A family setup where both partners live separately, with one (e.g., man) going to work and sending money back to the family.

Impact of Industrialization on families

Shifted roles from an agricultural economy to capitalist industrialization, leading to changes like people working in factories and new belief systems about gender roles.

Post-WWII male breadwinner family model

A family structure that became prominent after World War II, supported by government-funded educational, employment, and housing policies.

Separate Spheres

A new emerging belief system, particularly during industrialization, about distinct roles and domains for women and men (e.g., women in the home, men in public work).

Useful childhood vs. Protected childhood

A change in how children were viewed; 'useful childhood' implies children contributing to family labor, while 'protected childhood' implies children being shielded and nurtured.

Assimilation efforts

Attempts to integrate immigrant families into the dominant culture, often occurring due to societal blame rather than recognition of economic hardships faced by immigrants.

Social theory

A way to apply logic to a pattern of facts and structure how we think about a subject.

Structural Functionalism

A social theory that views society as a collective expression of shared norms and values, with order at the core of social life, examining the function of different societal aspects.

Conflict Perspective

A social theory that views society as organized in unequal ways, focusing on groups in struggle and the role families play in reproducing patterns of power, privilege, and hierarchy.

Feminist Theory

A social theory primarily focused on studying inequality between men and women, aiming to reduce gender inequality in families, and often incorporating race and class analyses.

Exchange Theory

A social theory that analyzes exchanges in relationships, such as power dynamics and the division of housework, suggesting that more equal income can lead to a more equal division of labor.

Labor Systems

Historical arrangements like colonization, enslavement, and sharecropping that significantly impacted family life, often forcing families to demonstrate resilience amidst oppressive forces.