Test Review

Types of Families:

Lone Parent Family:
a single parent with one or more children.

Nuclear Family:
Families composed of two parents and one or more children living together.

Intact Family (Stats Can term):
Families composed of two parents and their original biological or adopted children, living together.

Same-Sex Family:
Couples or parents in the family are the same sex (married or common-law).

Common-Law Family:
Couples or parents in the family live together but are not married (same or opposite sex).

Extended Family:
Families composed of parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other blood relations living together.

Modified Extended Family:
Relatives who do not share a residence but may live in the same neighborhood, visit regularly, call daily, and assist each other with childcare, economic, and emotional support.

Skip-Generation Family:
Families where the grandparent(s) and child(ren) live together without the parents present.

Blended or Step Family:
Families composed of parents who have divorced their first spouse, remarried someone else, and formed a new family with children from one or both first marriages and/or the remarriage.

Simple Step Family:
Families where the child(ren) originally belong to one or each parent who now has a new partner, but no children biologically or adopted by them as a couple.

Complex Step Family:
Families where there are children from previous relationships and the new couple has their own biological or adopted child(ren).

Marriage Patterns:

Monogamy:
Having one legal spouse at a time (current social custom and law).

Serial Monogamy:
Marry, divorce or become widowed, and remarry during a lifetime.

Polygamy:
General term for having more than one spouse.

Polygyny:
Having more than one wife.

Polyandry:
Having more than one husband.

Free-Choice Marriage:
Marriage is based on personal choice and love rather than family arrangement.

Arranged Marriage:
Marriage arranged to increase family resources, protect inheritances, enhance reputations, and ensure family solidarity. Often considered more stable than free-choice unions.

CRAAP Method:

Currency:
The timeline of information.

Relevance:
The importance of information for your needs. Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?

Authority:
The source of the information.

Accuracy:
The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content.

Purpose:
The reason the information exists.

Theoretical Perspectives:

Functionalism:
A theory that looks at how society is organized to perform its functions effectively. Families are institutions with specific roles for the good of society.

• Status: A specific position within a social group.

• Role: Expected behaviors associated with a status.

Systems Theory:
Views the family as a system where the behavior of one member affects all others.

• Subsystems: Marital, parental, and sibling.

• Feedback: How family members inform each other of how to act.

• Genogram: A family diagram showing relationships and medical history.

Symbolic Interactionism:
Describes how people interact based on interpretations of social organization.

• Roles: Behavior changes depending on the type of interaction and others' expectations.

Social Exchange Theory:
Suggests individuals choose actions based on perceived benefits and costs.

• Example: A woman leaving employment to care for children in exchange for financial support.

Life Course Approach (Family Life Cycle):
A developmental theory examining biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences on life stages.

• Erikson’s Stages: Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt, Identity vs. Role Confusion, etc.

Conflict Theory:
Society is defined by power inequalities, leading to conflict.

• Karl Marx: Economic power leads to social control.

• Friedrich Engels: Division of labor in marriage creates unequal power dynamics.

Feminist Theory:
Examines gender roles and inequalities in families.

• Liberal Feminism: Advocates for equal opportunities and challenges traditional gender roles.

• Marxist Feminism: Links women’s subordination to capitalism.

• Radical Feminism: Seeks to dismantle patriarchy.

• Difference Feminism: Promotes positive reinforcement for non-traditional roles.

Ecological Perspective:
Examines how different environmental systems influence behavior.

1. Micro System: Direct environment (family, friends, teachers).

2. Mesosystem: Relationships between micro systems.

3. Exosystem: Indirect influences (e.g., parent’s workplace).

4. Macro System: Cultural values and social policies.

5. Chronosystem: Changes over time (life transitions, historical events).

Functions of the Family

1. Socialization of Children

Purpose: Teach children the skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes of their society so they can work and relate to others appropriately as adults.
Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Individuals acquire skills, knowledge, and values for employability and citizenship.

• Educated individuals find careers, earn money, and support their own families. Institutions:

• Schools (elementary, secondary, post-secondary)

• Apprenticeships

• Peers, community groups (e.g., Scouts)

• Literature and popular media

2. Addition of New Members (Procreation or Adoption)

Purpose: Increase population through birth, adoption, or fertility assistance.
Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Population growth

• Stronger economy (increased demand for goods and services) Institutions:

• Adoption agencies

• Fertility clinics

• Midwives, public health nurses

• Surrogates

• Family law

3. Physical Maintenance and Care of Group Members

Purpose: Provide care for adults, children, and the elderly. Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Maintains public health

• Ensures individuals can contribute to society Institutions:

• Hospitals, clinics

• Grandparents

• Schools (e.g., breakfast clubs)

• Public health nurses

• Children’s aid society

4. Social Control of Members

Purpose: Maintain order and protect the family’s reputation. Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Encourages law-abiding behavior Institutions:

• Truant officers, school administrators, teachers

• Religious institutions (e.g., Sunday school, temples)

• Peer sanctions

• Police, courts

5. Production, Consumption, and Distribution of Goods and Services

Purpose: Support economic stability by earning wages and providing for family needs. Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Parents provide for families and contribute to the economy

• Families produce, purchase, and consume goods and services Institutions:

• Malls, grocery stores

• Social assistance programs

• Job search support, temp agencies

6. Love (Affective Nurturance)

Purpose: Meet emotional needs and foster family commitment. Benefits to Canadian Society:

• Promotes care and compassion for others

• Builds strong interpersonal relationships Institutions:

• Extended family (e.g., grandparents)

• Friends, chosen families

• Romantic partners, foster homes

Origins of the Family

1. Hordes

• Possibly the first human family groupings

• Loose groupings of males, females, and offspring

2. Hunter-Gatherers

• Major means of subsistence for 99% of human history

• Women gathered plants and nurtured children; men hunted and made tools

• Indigenous Peoples in Canada were hunter-gatherers for thousands of years

• Bands of 5–80 people related by blood or informal marriage

• No defined social hierarchy; stratified by gender and age

3. Agricultural Families

• Originated about 11,000 years ago in Southwest Asia’s Fertile Crescent

• Agriculture led to larger families for labor needs

• Monogamy became preferred, and patriarchal systems developed

• Women became viewed as property with few legal rights

• Arranged marriages ensured economic productivity through child labor

4. Pre-Industrial Families

• Population growth led to the development of villages and towns

• Family-run businesses included merchants and artisans

• Fathers led the household; children and domestic servants provided labor

• Romantic love was rare in marriage decisions

• Children worked from a young age based on gender roles

5. Urban Industrial Families

• Industrial Revolution shifted work to factories

• Wage-based labor emerged, and nuclear families became common

• Women’s role was homemaking; men provided financially

• Child labor declined with compulsory education and child labor laws

• Women’s workforce participation threatened men’s perceived provider role

6. Contemporary Families

• By the 1960s and 1970s, women increasingly worked outside the home

• Legal changes (e.g., Divorce Act, birth control access) altered family dynamics

• Types of contemporary families:

  • Transitional Families: Mothers temporarily leave work for childcare

  • Dual-Income Families: Both spouses work full-time

  • Childless Couples: Fewer children, longer life expectancy

  • Blended Families: Remarried partners with children

  • Same-Sex Families: Increasingly common

Research Sources

Primary Sources

• Participant Observation: Researcher observes individuals or groups, with or without their knowledge

• Focus Groups: Group discussions prompted by a researcher to gather diverse perspectives

• Case Studies: In-depth analysis of a specific event or expert individual

• Original Documents: First-hand records (e.g., diaries, letters, photos, official records)

Secondary Sources

• Journal Articles and Literature Reviews: Summaries and analyses of existing research

Types of Academic Journals: Peer-reviewed publications providing expert insights