The Family in History

• 4 historical trends: 1) most people live longer 2) people have fewer children 3) family members perform fewer functional tasks at home 4) families become more diverse
• Nuclear family: married, monogamous couple living with their own children and no extended family members
• Monogamy: marriage of one person to another person
• Polygamy: marriage with several spouses. Less common now, but used to be prevalent
• Several themes from Europe to the US: 1) religious regulation 2) separation between the rich and poor 3) marriage was a political and economic institutions 4) patriarchy: system of men's control over property and father's control over family members
• American Indian Influence- strong respect for elders, reliance on extended family members. tradition of matrilineal decent: family system where wealth and power transmitted from mothers to daughters. Monogamous marriage and gendered division of labor in common with Europeans.
• Colonial american influence- marriage brought as a necessity, not love. Viewed as a stabilizing influence on men, important to maintenance of civility and social structure. Husband's authority over wives, power to local community leaders. Women bound to marriage by coverture: legal doctrine where wives were incorporated into husband's citizenship.
• Families were large. Children expected to contribute to economy and survival of the family. Parents spent no time with their children.
• Extended families: family household in which relatives beyond parents and children live together
• Stem family: household formed by one grown child remaining in family home with their parents.
• African Americans- slavery disrupted cultural groups, difficult to determine how much enslaved family life came from African heritage. Marriage not officially recognized, hard to keep families together. Excluded from modern family practices until after slavery.
• Spread of democracy and capitalism produced new ideas, laws, and growth of market economy. Changes strengthened and eroded concept of father's absolute authority.
• patriarchal ideal of man as economic provider of family became a powerful symbol. women started embracing individualism and personal freedom.
• compromise made- women considered free, concept of male authority replaced by the idea of men as "protectors" of women. Women nurtured and cared for husbands.
• Now, emotional aspects took priority while choosing a spouse. Courtship emerged as a compromise. Young people had some choice, but remained under parental control.
• Number of children per family dropped. children's individuality emerged, now a blank slate of innocence.
• Industrial revolution reinforced division of gender roles. Separate spheres: women worked at home, husbands worked for pay.
• State and authority over marriage increased as it began to enforce a national "monogamous morality". state's rules included monogamy, moral standard for women to be faithful, and husbands support wife and children economically
• Widows and orphans has no means of monetary support. Inadequate care due to lack of resources and ineffective or non-existent government regulation
• African Americans exhibits more gender equality than white families based on greater economic role of women. More fragile marriages from poverty and hardship. Stronger extended family networks.
• Asian Americans- immigrants were almost all men. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 cut off new immigration. Chinese men were forbidden from marrying whites so they remained unmarried and childless.
• Mexican Americans- 1st major group not immigrants, but Mexicans who became Americans when the US won Mexican-American war in 1848. Mostly poor farmers. Latino life included long periods of separation, requiring strong family bonds, and extended care relationships.
• In the Modern family, breadwinner and homemaker household started looking feasible. Companionship family: ideal type characterized by the mutual affection, equality, and comradeship.
• Core idea was companionate marriage: view of marriage as a companionship, friendship, and romance
• Courtship replaced by dating: mate selection process by which young adults spend time with a variety of partners before long-term commitment. Authority of parents replaced by authority of young men
• baby boom- period of high birth rates from 1946-1964. baby boom parents experienced severe economic depression and an all-consuming war followed by prosperity
• New family diversity (1960s-now). challenged 1950's ideal because of the rise of women's employment.
• Companionate marriage 2 weaknesses. 1) never truly an equal marriage because women always made less than men 2) affection was all that held a marriage together
• Living independently without a spouse or relative has become more common for young men and women
• independence- rise of women's employment and incorporation of single mothers into major welfare programs. each arena has its own independent roles. State- independence marked by role of citizen and rights. Market- independence is expressed by role of the worker. Family- independence represented by marriage choice
• Independence a double edged sword. State- taxation, regulation/restriction choices. Market- freedom to contract labor allows employers to hire/fire. Family- interdependence introduced sense of instability that has become a way of life
• Parent-child relationships become more individually intensive. Period of parenting is longer. Trend toward grandparents being direct caregivers of children. "sandwich generation"- middle class, middle aged adults who are overburdened with caring for elderly parents and adolescent children