Chapter 5, Family Problems

1
Chapter 5, Family Problems

• The Global Context Families of the World
• Sociological Theories of Family Problems
• Violence and Abuse in Intimate and Family
  Relationships
• Strategies for Action Preventing and Responding
  to Violence and Abuse in Intimate and Family
  Relationships

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Chapter 5, Family Problems

• Divorce
• Strategies for Action Responding to Problems of
  Divorce
• Nonmarital and Teenage Childbearing
• Strategies for Action Interventions in
  Nonmarital and Teenage Childbearing

3
Traditional Model of the Family

• 1940 - 2/3 of U.S. families fit model of working
  dad and stay at home mom.
• 1999 - 2/3 of U.S. families with children under
  18, were dual-earner marriages.
• 1999 - less than 1/3 of U.S. families with
  children under 18 had a working dad and a
  stay-at-home mom.

4
Single-parent Families

• One in 10 U.S. households consist of a single
  parent with children under 18.
• The percentage of U.S. children living with one
  parent increased from 20 in 1980 to 27 in 1999.

5
Divorce and Remarriage

• About half of marriages are expected to end in
  divorce.
• More than half of persons who divorce get
  remarried.
• 1/3 of children will live in a remarried or
  cohabiting household before they reach adulthood.

6
Tradition of Marriage

• Most people who cohabit marry, although not
  necessarily the person they cohabited with.
• Less than 4 of Americans over 65 have never
  married.

7
Structural-Functionalist Perspective

• Family performs functions that help society
• Replenishes population.
• Socializes children.
• Provides emotional and physical care for its
  members.

8
Conflict Perspective

• Focuses on how social class and power influence
  marriages and families.
• Racial and ethnic differences in families are
  related to the lower socioeconomic status of
  racial and ethnic minorities.

9
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Concerned with social meanings and definitions of
  divorce, single parenthood, and cohabitation.
• As meanings become less negative, behaviors
  become more common.
• When family members label each other, they may
  act according to label.

10
Violence and Abuse

• Globally, 1 in 3 women has been subjected to
  violence in an intimate relationship.
• 1 in 4 U.S. women report being victims of
  violence or stalking at some point in their
  lives.
• Assaults by women against their male partners
  tend to be acts of retaliation or self-defense.

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Effects of Domestic Violence

• Psychological - depression, suicidal thoughts,
  low self-esteem, alcohol/drug abuse.
• Results in repeated job absences and impairs the
  victims ability to concentrate.
• One of the primary cause of homelessness.

12
Child Abuse

• Most common type of child abuse is neglect.
• 27 of women and 16 of men in U.S. reported
  being victims of child sexual abuse.
• Children ages 0 to 3 have the highest rates of
  child abuse victimization.

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 Effects of Child Abuse

• Higher risk for aggressive behavior
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Low academic achievement

• Pain
• Disfigurement
• Scarring
• Physical disability
• Death

14
Social Factors Contributing to Divorce

• Changing family functions (today, function of
  marriage is intimacy and love).
• Economic autonomy of women.
• Increased work demands.
• Liberalized divorce laws.
• Cultural values.

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Effects of Divorce on Children

• If marital conflict is high, parental divorce may
  improve emotional well-being of children.
• Many negative effects are related to economic
  hardship associated with divorce.
• In most cases, children adapt to divorce, showing
  resiliency, not dysfunction.

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Factors Contribtuing to Family Violence and Abuse

• Acceptance of corporal punihsment.
• Gender role socialization.
• View of women and children as property.
• Social isolation.

• Inaccessible or community services
• History of abuse
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Poverty