Sociology & You

Chapter 11: The Family

Chapter Overviews

Family and Marriage Across Cultures In all societies, the family has been the most important of all social institutions. There are two basic types of families—nuclear and extended—and many different patterns of family structure. Various types and norms for marriage arrangements also exist.

Theoretical Perspectives and the Family Each of the three major theoretical perspectives focuses on the importance and role of the family in a different way. Functionalism emphasizes the benefits of the family for society. Families benefit society by socializing children; regulating sexual activity; transmitting social status; and serving socioemotional, reproductive, and economic functions. Conflict theorists focus on the way family members compete and cooperate. According to symbolic interactionism, a key to understanding behavior within the family lies in the interactions among family members and the meanings that members assign to these interactions.

Family and Marriage in the United States Families in the United States tend to follow certain patterns—they are generally nuclear, bilateral, democratic, neolocal, and monogamous. While romantic love is almost always stated as a condition for marriage in modern societies, other factors also influence people to marry. A variety of factors—both personal and societal—also influence why people divorce. Americans traditionally have denied the existence of family violence. However, many families at all class levels have been affected by some form of family violence.

Changes in Marriage and Family Many new patterns of marriage and family have emerged in the United States. Blended families, single-parent families, same-sex domestic partners, cohabitation, and families with boomerang children have all become more common. Recent marriage trends also include childless marriages, dual-employed marriages, and Americans choosing to remain single. Despite all of these new patterns and changes in American family life, the nuclear family remains the most popular choice among Americans.