FSEM Midterm: Key Terms and Concepts

"Motherhood is not universal and is not a biological fact" (Gittins)

There is no evidence that maternal instinct exists. This concept can be considered misogynistic and outdated.

Chosen families/fictive kin

Godparents, etc. Significant relationships between people that are not legally recognized.

Living apart together (LAT's)

Married couples who do not live together. Around 3% of American married couples do not live together.

Enslavement and family (Coontz)

Enslaved Africans previously had complex family systems centered on kinship and ritual coparenting. These traditions were sustained, but also suppressed, by their status as enslaved people.

Industrialization and family life (Coontz)

During the Industrial Revolution, there was no such idea that childhood was sacred. Therefore, children would work in factories in dangerous conditions.

The Baby Boom and the "Golden Age of Family"

Approx. 1940s-1960s. People were having more children, which led to a rise in nuclear family idealism.

"The Indian Adoption Project"

1958-1967. Social workers were sent to reservations to write/fabricate reports of unfit parenting. Indian children were then taken from their homes and adopted by mostly White families.

Invisibility of marriage (Berardo)

Married couples feel it is important to appear as a unit, which leads them to at times conceal the parts of their lives they don't want others to see.

Children's rights to privacy vis-à-vis their parents

There are no laws in the US that grant children the right to privacy. There are, in fact, laws that give parents the right to invade their children's privacy.

"Social deficit" perspective of Black families (Hill)

AA families are affected by social hindirances and issues/injustices from centuries past.

"Strength and resilience" perspective of Black families (Hill)

Focuses on AA culture and pride. The family functions are a reflection of a strong Black culture.

Perception of marriage among single mothers on public assistance (Edin and Kefalas)

Low income unmarried women with children often dream of marriage but want to defer it until they are financially stable/independent.

"Love relationships" vs "arranged relationships"

US is dominated by the view that love relationships are more favorable. In cultures wherein arranged marriages are common, marriage is seen as an economic and transactional endeavor.

Innovation in queer dating (Lamont)

Emphasizes that queer couples are not, and will never be, just like straight couples, and that they don't want to be like them.

Assimilation in queer dating (Lamont)

States that queer (specifically same sex couples) can and are just like straight couples, so they should not be feared.

Exogamy

You should go outside of some of your identity groups to find a partner (ex, sibling/family identity).

Endogamy

You should stay within your identity group to find your partner (ex. religion).

Comparison level (CL)

Vertical comparison: How does this person compare to my past relationships? What determines your level of satisfaction.

Comparison level of alternatives (CLalt)

Horizontal comparison: Our sense of whether a person is more or less profitable than other options. Determines stability of a relationship.

Equity

Synonym for fairness, NOT equality. The most successful relationships are equitable ones.