Sociology of the Family

Sociology of the Family

Theory Part 2

Overview

• Focus on the theoretical perspectives of family dynamics: Conflict Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism.

• Examination of the history of family structures in the United States from colonial times to the early 20th century.

Schedule

• Discussion Topics:

  • Theories of the family: Conflict, Exchange, and Symbolic Interactionism.

  • Historical overview of the family structure:

  • Colonial period (early 1600s-1820)

  • Emerging modern family (1820-1900)

  • African American family life

  • Early experiences of Chinese and Latino/a Americans

  • Upcoming class (10/8): Focus on the Modern Family (1900-1960s), particularly the 1950s.

Conflict Theory

Intellectual Roots

• Prominent theorists: Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Frederick Engels (1820-1895).

• Key focus: Consequences of transitioning into a capitalist society including:

  • Commodity production

  • Private ownership

  • Wage labor

• Central idea:

  • Struggle between those who own the means of production and those who do not, leading to exploitation.

  • Emergence of ideas that legitimize the existing social order.

  • Workers are expected to develop class consciousness and unite against their oppressors.

Assumptions

• Conflicts are driven by scarce resources.

• Core proposition:

  • The outcome of conflicts tends to favor the group with the most resources.

  • In family contexts, this can manifest as competing interests among family members regarding:

  • Decision-making

  • Division of labor

• Application to gender relations through feminist theory, highlighting conflict related to gender inequality.

Social Exchange Theory

Core Propositions

• Development of exchange relations within structures of mutual dependence among actors.

• Actors aim to maximize favorable outcomes and minimize unfavorable outcomes.

• Relevant applications include:

  • Division of domestic labor

  • Dating

  • Marriage

  • Divorce

Symbolic Interactionism

Intellectual Roots

• Key figures: Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929) and George Herbert Mead (1863-1931).

• Cooley's concept of the "looking glass self":

  • This theory explains how individuals develop self-perceptions based on how others perceive them and the social roles they enact.

Definition

• Symbolic Interactionism focuses on human interactions and the meanings that these interactions hold, exploring how individuals fulfill social roles based on others' expectations.

History of the Family in the U.S.

Colonial Period (early 1600s-1820)

• Family structures during this period were primarily focused on the family as a unit of production:

  • Economy was primarily agrarian (family mode).

  • Families served multiple functions:

  • Educational (school)

  • Vocational (apprenticeships)

  • Social (church)

  • Corrective (houses of correction)

  • Welfare (hospitals, orphanages, poorhouses).

  • No clear boundaries between family and societal roles.

Emerging Modern Family (1820-1900)

• Transition to a labor-market mode of production:

  • Shift in family functions leading toward a more private family structure.

  • Social control mechanisms evolved where laws rather than community forced conformity.

  • Emphasis on "monogamous morality" with unique roles for men and women:

  • Women expected to be faithful caregivers, men as economic providers.

  • Example: Civil War widows were only supported if they remained unmarried.

  • Comstock Act of 1873 regulated morality and restricted access to contraceptive information.

Household Composition

• Transition from larger extended family households to smaller nuclear families:

  • Average household size reduced, fewer non-family members involved.

  • Infertility rates dropped, maternal mortality decreased owing to societal and medical advancements.

Relationship Dynamics

• Shift was noted towards romantic considerations in marriage as opposed to purely economic ones.

• Development of distinct gender roles:

  • "Doctrine of Separate Spheres" led to polarized roles where:

  • Women's labor was seen as an act of love (domestic caretaking).

  • Men had emotional attachments obscured, being seen as the economic providers (public sphere) without affection.

Ideology of Separate Spheres

• Explains the dichotomy between home and work, exaggerating differences in roles:

  • Women's roles to uphold family values: spiritual purity, submissiveness, and domestic caregiving.

  • Concurrently, the ideal man was seen as rugged, self-sufficient, shaped by capitalist principles.

• Quotes from historical sources illustrate these views:

  • New England Minister (1827): Contrasted busy world and enchanting home providing love and sympathy.

  • Civil War letters emphasize emotional dependency on wives and their moral influence.

African American Families (1619-mid-1800s)

• Describes experiences under slavery, family units often fractured:

  • Despite the cruelty of slavery, most adults married and sought to maintain family ties.

  • Post-Civil War, marriages were legalized and were viewed as critical in rebuilding communities.

  • Complex family patterns developed out of necessity due to oppressive conditions of slavery.

Work Among African American Women

• Work roles often gender-typed:

  • Responsibilities included communal childcare and domestic responsibilities besides fieldwork.

  • Greater gender equality compared to white families due to mutual need for survival.