Theories and Methods in Family

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Theories and Methods in Family
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The Barrier to Understanding

• The inherent barrier in attempting to understand
  family We all have extensive experience with
  families.
• Subjective versus Objective understanding of
  family.

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Subjective Understanding

• Our assumption that we have a similar meaning of
  family is taken for granted.
• Family, marriage, cohabitation and parenting do
  not always have the same meaning.
• The workable definition of family?

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What is Family?

• Formal Criteria
• Role Criteria
• Emotional-relational Criteria

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The Working Definition of Family

• Family a social group related by blood and/or
  marriage.
• What about cohabiting couples?

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Cohabitation added

• Marriage publicly announced, socially and
  legally sanctioned union.
• Informal social and formal contraction rights and
  responsibilities.
• Does this include everyone?

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Common Perspectives

• Family as the basic social institution
• This includes economy, education, religion,
  criminal justice system, etc.
• Organized systems of social roles.

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What is happening to the family???
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Common Perspectives

• Nothing worth worrying about perspective
• Family is sick and thriving perspective
• Family is in trouble perspective

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Three General Reasons

• 1. Family is too separate
• 2. Family has too little to do
• 3. Family has too much to do

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Some of the ideals on Family

• Family as a Haven
• Lasch family is a place of intimacy and refuge
• Family as Fulfillment
• Family is compensatory and a source of personal
  fulfillment.
• Family as Encumbrance
• Family is something oppressive, risky, archaic
  and inhibits individual development.

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Myths of the Family

• The Harmonious Family
• 2. Separate Worlds
• 3. Monolithic Family Form
• 4. Shared Family Experience

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Theoretical Perspectives

• Concepts, Propositions and Theories in a
  theoretical framework.
• What are concepts?
• What are variables?
• Independent Variables
• Dependent Variables

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Some Examples

• Formal Education Risk of Divorce
• Household Labour Marital Satisfaction
• Propositions and Theories

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The Most Important.

• Structural Functionalism
• Emile Durkheim and Social Integration
• Mechanical and Organic Solidarity
• Mechanical solidarity is preserved by traditions,
  customs and kinship.
• Organic solidarity is grounded in a consensus on
  norms, values and behaviours.
• His assumptions
• Assumes that family is based on consensus and he
  underestimates the value of modernity.

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More on Structural Functionalism

• In terms of family
• What are social structures?
• What is meant by function?
• Manifest and Latent Functions

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Examples of Structural Functionalist

• Deborah Dawsons study in changes in family
  structure.
• Parental structure consequences for children
• Rosemary Gartners study on child homicide
• Family Structure Child Homicide Rate

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More on Structural Functionalism

• The major point here is to identify and explain
• Salient parts of society
• Relationships between
• Functions they perform

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The Three Essential Functions

• William J. Goode and essential functions of the
  family
• Reproductive Function
• Status Placement
• Social Control

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The Major Problems

• Assuming consensus in social relationships.
• Tautology

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Conflict Theory

• The premise of power relationships within
  society.
• Family as a power centre
• Two mechanisms of power replication
• Feminist Theory
• Inequality in family?

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Systems Theory

• Developed out of biological and computer systems.
  
• The focus on groups actions, group structures,
  and group needs.
• Bounding
• Clocking

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Systems theory cont

• Feedback
• Homeostasis
• Some of the basic concepts

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Symbolic Interactionism and Social Exchange Theory

• Social Exchange Theory
• Maximize Rewards Minimize Costs
• Humans are motivated to maximize expected
  utility.
• The five other assumptions
• The Principle of Fair Exchange
• The Principle of Least Interest

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Social symbols crucial to the formation of
  society.
• The role of language in Family.
• Taking the role of others.
• Mature Social Self and Social Identity.

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SI Cont.

• Charles Cooley and the Looking-glass self.
• The family can be viewed in symbolic terms.

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Developmental (Life Course) Approach

• Created specifically by sociologists for the
  study of family
• Life Stages and individual transitions
• Timing
• Consists of Five principles

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Postmodernist Perspective

• Family is complex and understanding family has
  various components, but all intersect
• Nothing is taken for granted
• Finding meanings in roles and responsibilities
• Reflecting and re-examining