HDFS Exam 2 Study Guide

Netherlands enacted the first civil marriage law

1590

England required legal marriage licenses

1754

Proportion of married Americans in 1960

72%

Proportion of married Americans in 2018

49%

Proportion of American adults declined from 67-53% in these years

1900-2019

top 3 reasons to marry

love, companionship, lifelong commitment

reasons for fewer heterosexual married couples

divorce, postponing marriage, increased cohabiting

year that same-sex marriage became legal in the netherlands

2000

year that same-sex marriage became legal in the U.S.

2015

polygamy

having more than one spouse

polygyny

1 husband and 2 or more wives

polyandry

1 wife and 2 or more husbands

polyamory

marriages in which one or both spouses retain the option to sexually love others in addition to their spouse

swinging

marriage arrangement in which couples exchange partners to engage in purely recreational sex

individualistic society

one’s own self-actualization and self-interests are a valid concern

collectivist societies

people identify and conform to the expectations of their extended kin

results of societies changing from collectivist to indivudalistic

authority of kin (who we are dating), individuals finding their own spouses, romantic love more associated with marriage

deinstitutionalization of marriage

time-honored family definitions and social norms count for far less than in the past

example of deinstitutionalization of marriage

childbearing outside of marriage carries less stigma

institutional marriage

family organized around economic production, kinship network, community connections, male authority

companionate marriage

women beginning to embrace self-actualization and expected husbands support

individualized marriage

optional, negotiable roles, expected rewards are love, open communication, and flexibility, exists with a diversity of different family forms

Linda Wait’s research results on spouses

spouses had greater wealth and assets, earned higher wages, had more frequent and better sex, better health, less likely to engage in risk taking, lower levels of substance abuse, and were more likely to engage in healthy behaviors

Linda Waite’s research results on children

children in married families were less likely to drop out of school, had better relationships with their parents, and were less likely to live in poverty

selection hypothesis

benefits associated with marriage are due to personal characteristics of those choosing to marry and not from being married

experience hypothesis

experience of being married itself causes benefits

healthy marriage initiative

program workshops on listening, communicating, problem-solving skills, and the value of marriage to create state marriage initiatives

criticisms of healthy marriage initiative

difficult goal to achieve marriage because of the “marriage gap” with few suitable partners, relieving poverty will require additional solutions

role-making

personalizing a role by modifying or adjusting expectations and obligations traditionally associated with it

total fertility rate (TFR)

number of births a typical woman will have in her lifetime

replacement fertility level

the level of fertility necessary for society to replace its population

quiverfull movement

families aim for 6+ children

caesarean section

surgical operation in which a physician makes an incision in the women’s abdomen and uterine wall and removes the infant

antinatalism

the U.S. is not doing what it could to support parents and their children

value of children perspective

children bring unique benefits to parents

costs of children

expensive, missed opportunities to pursue personal interests, lack of career advancement