...Marriage & Family Changes: American Society DeVry University April 11th, 2014 Spring 2014, Session II Changes to Marriage & Family: American Society The American society has had very dramatic changes in the ways that certain aspects of our modern culture are shifting the traditional American family. These changes bring a new different perspective to the rise in divorce rates. Cohabiting relationships rather than traditional marriages has brought a new way of viewing relationships. Blended families of both gay and heterosexual design surface new issues. And children being born out of wedlock and its normalcy in today’s society. High Rise in Divorces The American society has been demonstrating signs and symptoms of change with the rise of technology. Marriage has long been recognized as a fundamental social institution but with the rise of modern economies and the associated individualism, many functions once confined to marriage now take place outside of it (Musick & Bumpas, 2012). Divorces has several factors that contribute to the high incidence in our modern times. Many parents use the media as surrogate parents, allowing the internet and social media to be the child’s main support, instead of dedicating personal quality time to their children. In change, these children have grown up in the last decade young marriages tend to dedicate more time to their social platforms rather than spending one on one time with their spouses. Social media also affects...
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...Functionalists see the family as an immensely important sub-system of society. Murdock acclaimed that one of the four essential functions that the family performs in order to meet the needs of society and its members is to 'stabilise satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner'. As this prevents the ‘social disruption’ caused by promiscuity. However, Marxists would argue that this role serves more as an economic function, as it allows property ownership and wealth to be directly passed onto the legitimate heirs of the father. The second function that Murdock believed that the family performed was to 'reproduce the next generation' as without this function, society would not continue. The third purpose of the family is to socialise the young into society's shared norms and values. And lastly, the fourth function of the family is to meet its member’s economic needs and provide basic amenities such as shelter, clean water and food. According to Parson, there are two basic types of society, one of which is the traditional pre-industrial society, which he felt was more tailored to the extended family. In an extended family a vast number of people would be needed to successfully undertake tasks such as weaving and farming, in order for the family to make a profit and govern themselves. The other type of social group is the modern industrial society, which is more suited for the nuclear family, based on the theory of functional fit. Parson's Functional fit theory suggests...
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...functionalist believes that the family structure is like a sub system to society. He says that the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society and it's members. These functions are: successful socialisation of the young into society's shared norms and values, the members of the families economic needs are met regularly e.g food and shelter, stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner and finally the reproduction of the next generation without which society would struggle to continue. However, there are many criticisms of Murdock's theory. Other sociologists have argued that his 'rose tinted' harmonious consensus view that the family meets the needs of both wider society and all members of the family is foolish and nieve. Feminists argue that the family was only created to serve the needs of men and oppress the women whilst marxists argue that although the structure of the family meets the needs of capitalism, it doesn't meet the needs of the family itself or society as a whole. Another functionalist known as Parsons, proposes the 'functional fit' theory. This theory states that the functions the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found and that the functions the family is required to perform will effect its 'shape'. Parsons distinguishes between two kinds of family structure: The nuclear family consisting of just parents and dependant children and the extended family of three generations living together...
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... Name: Essay Title: Assess the view that, in today’s society, the family is losing its functions (24 marks) | Underline or highlight the key concepts, terms and instructions, by identifying these key elements it will allow you to focus on answering the question. It is important to use relevant sociological terminology within the context of you essay. List the key sociological terms that will be appropriate for this essay. Industrial family, pre-industrial family, unit of production, unit of consumption, nuclear family, lone parent family, social policies, state intervention, symmetrical family, privatised, joint and segregated conjugal roles, commercialisation of housework | IntroductionSignpost to the question and clearly explain the key concepts /terms of the question | Functionalists such as Murdock and Parsons say that the family is losing its functions; they, and other functionalists, see the family as a particularly important, basic building block within society. Murdock argues that the family only performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society, whereas Parsons states that the functions that a family performs depends upon the kind of society in which it is found. | Paragraph 1PointThe point must be appropriate in answering the question. | The traditional pre-industrial family is seen to be the extended family, where there are three generations of the family all living together, it was seen as a multi-functional unit, in that it...
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...functionalist view of the role of the family in society (33 marks). Murdock, a functionalist, describes the family as a universal institution based on the nuclear family model. The functionalist view of the role of the family in society is that it maintains social order. The family is a tool for socialisation and a key social institution in sustaining the value that society works by consensus. Murdock identified four main functions of the family: sexual, reproductive, economic and educational. These four functions cover the role of the family in society. The sexual and reproductive functions are what keep society populated. If they became dysfunctional then society would not have the people inhabiting it. The economic function is the parent’s responsibility to take care of their family financially, usually through the division of labour where the man will take on the instrumental role of financial provider for the family while the woman will adopt the expressive role and take care of the home and family members. Marxists would contest this viewpoint arguing that the division of labour is capitalist dogma used to control the labour force and stop them from developing consciousness. The final function identified by Murdock was the educational functional, this is function where the family learns how to be socialised. It is this function that maintains the value consensus which allows society to remain functional. This is a key role of the family to functionalists if this function...
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...Postmodernism: Study 1 Postmodernists Beck and Beck-Gernsheim argue that the contemporary UK is characterised by diversity, variation and instability and see diversity as having a positive impact on society. For example women no longer aspire exclusively to romantic love, marriage and children. Premarital sex, serial monogamy, cohabitation, economic independence, single sex relationships and childlessness are now acceptable alternative lifestyles. Men’s roles too are no longer clear cut in postmodern society resulting in a ‘crises of masculinity’ and this has led to men redefining both their sexuality and family commitments. Therefore Beck and Beck-Gernsheim argue that such choice and diversity has led to a renegotiation of family relationships as people attempt to find a middle ground between individualisation and commitment to another person and/or children. Postmodernism: Study 2 In support of Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, Beck argues that society today is a ‘risk society’, as there is more choice & diversity than ever before. The emphasis is on individual needs and people have the freedom to leave relationships if their needs are not met, meaning that diversity is having a positive impact on some indivduals. Giddens argues that romantic love has been replaced by ‘confluent love’ this type of love arises in what Gidden’s calls a ‘pure relationship’ where the couple will stay together out of choice. The relationship is negotiated and is based on openness and mutual satisfaction...
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...Assessed Essay In what ways can the representation of the family in Nada be read as a microcosm of Spanish society in the immediate post-Civil War era? Carmén Laforet's first novel, “Nada” is set in the war torn city of 1940's Barcelona, and depicts the aspiration of a young woman arriving to the city. This protagonist, Andrea, has her dreams quickly shattered as she witnesses, from the shadows, the chaos and mental and physical torment within the house. The novel is loosely based on Laforet's own experiences, her circumstances are very similar to that of Andrea; in the novel Andrea expects to find joy and love within her grandparents house in Barcelona, as she lived there as a child, however her hopes of this are quickly shattered,“cuando yo era la única nieta pasé alli las temporadas más excitantes de mi vida infantíl...¿todo esto podíá estar tan lejano?” (p22) Even though, taken literally, the narrator is reminiscing over earlier, happier times spent in the house, it echoes memories of Spain in general before the Civil War. Laforet herself was born in Barcelona and both Andrea and Laforet moved away as children and returned during the early 1940's in their late teens to study at the University of Barcelona. From this, Laforet experienced the struggles of post-war Spanish society first hand and evidence of this pervades the novel, drawing a picture of the times, which are not only represented in the city, but almost metaphorically in the household in which the majority...
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...Between Traditional and Modern Society From the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century till the present day, the shift between tradition and modernity has developed incredibly. The relationship between traditional and modern society, also known as ‘Mass society,’ is distinguished between the past and present, along with continuity and change. The establishment of different inventions and customs from traditional society have been handed down from generations to generations, which help shape modern society. However, one may wonder, what are the main features from traditional society that have made a dramatic impact for life today? Also, is one more sympathetic to one society, than the other? Traditional and modern families have several differences in terms of family honour, gender roles in the labour force and marriage, along with the role of government on legitimate killings and the food markets. Furthermore, technology from the industrial revolution, such as, the automobile, coal mines, and steam engines also played a great role. Thus, through the many different concepts, the role of family, government and technology, one can see that modern society is better developed and more individualistic than traditional society. FAMILY In traditional society, the honour of one’s family is based on the behaviour of the family as a whole. An individual who does something wrong, can affect not only their own honour, but also the honour of the entire family. This results in a downfall...
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...means they see it as something created and defined by society itself. They believe we can see the position that children occupy in society is not fixed but differs between different time, places and cultures by comparing the western idea of childhood today with the childhood in the past and in other societies. It is accepted in our society today that childhood is a special time of life and that children are different from adults. They are seen as physically and psychologically immature and not yet able to run their own lives. Jane Pilcher (1995) notes the most importance feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness. Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage and children in society occupy a different status from adults. However this view of childhood as a separate age status, children and adults being different, is not found in all societies. Stephan Wagg (1992) says “Childhood is socially constructed. It is, in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all. So, childhood isn’t ‘natural’ and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity”. This means that, while all human beings go through the same stages on physical development, different cultures construct or define this process differently. Ruth Benedict (1934) argues that children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their modern western...
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...clothing, and shelter. Poverty is primarily caused by hunger, illness, and thirst and affects the entire society by generating many problems and making people to live substandard lives. It is normally classified in absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to a state of not being able to obtain basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing that are very important in sustaining life. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is a state of not being able to obtain resources in relation to a certain mean resource and normally applies to people who are not able to meet societal social needs. According to Townsend (1979), a family is considered to be in relative poverty if it is not able to afford the required diet, get involved in societal activities, and use basic health and educational facilities. Problems connected to poverty bring political, economic, and social disorder in the society. There are two theories that apply to poverty; conflict theory and structural theory. Conflict theory explains that poverty leads to class conflict in a society (Giddens & Simon, 2006). This comes as a result of the oppression of the poor by the rich. It says that conflict must remain in order to create a positive change in the society and that the wide gap between the rich and the poor is very significant. Structural function theory explains that poverty has a purpose in the society since it motivates people to work hard (Andersen & Taylor, 2006). This ensures that all jobs are attended...
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...it's important to identify the causes of discrimination. Ignorance, fear and stereotyping Discrimination is often based on ignorance, fear and stereotypical viewpoints. For example, religious and/or sectarian discrimination is often fuelled by people living and working in separate communities and therefore not having ample opportunity to interact with people from the other group. Discrimination in Northern Ireland has not been helped by the fact that most children either go to protestant or catholic schools and many grow up in neighborhoods that are largely divided along the same lines. The erecting of walls (either real or psychological) between communities is a perfect breeding ground for discrimination. It is the responsibility of society to reject a "them and us" mentality wherever it is encountered and to ensure that young people get the opportunity to mix with people who have different backgrounds or characteristics. Irresponsible behavior by politicians, the media and other influential groups Most people get their views on a wide range of social and political topics from consuming media (TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, etc.) and listening to the views of politicians, religious leaders and other people who have some form of...
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...Gerhard Lenski saw the society as a product of the development of technology.According to him, it is the technology which shapes one’s society. Lenski’s socioculturalevolution consists of five societies, mainly, the hunting and gathering society, the horticulturaland pastoral society, the agricultural society, the industrial society, and lastly the post-industrialsociety. These societies evolved through the creation of new technology that enables us human toincrease production and to sustain a larger amount of population.The movie, Apocalypto, features the first four type of society in Lenski’s socioculturalevolution. Jaguar Paw’s tribe in my opinion is a hunter-gatherer society but it is having itstransition to the horticultural-pastoral society. Jaguar Paw’s tribe belongs to the hunter-gatherer society since they hunt for their food as seen in the very beginning of the movie wherein theycaught a wild boar in the middle of the forest. The tribe of Jaguar Paw also has a shaman who isin the person of the dad of Jaguar Paw, Flint Sky. Their tribe was also family-centered since itwas like they treated each other like brothers and sisters. They are concerned with each other likea family does with each other. In the movie, the dad of Jaguar Paw once told him that heshouldn’t show his fear to the neighbourhood since it will greatly affect the whole tribe. If we areto compare it to the present, usually, people won’t take into consideration the feelings of others.It is like people mind...
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...11/29/15 John Kalafatic Mr. Chapman The Impact of Technology on Society The Internet is the decisive technology of the Information Age, and with the introduction of wireless communication in the early twenty-first century, it is possible that humankind is now almost entirely connected, albeit with great levels of inequality in bandwidth, efficiency, and price. People, companies, and institutions feel the depth of this technological change, but the speed f the transformation has triggered all manner of good and bad perceptions that, when examined closely through research turn out not to be accurate. For instance, media often report that excessive use of the Internet increases the risk of isolation, alienation, and withdrawal from society, but available evidence shows that the Internet neither isolates people nor reduces their sociability; it actually increases sociability, civic engagement, and the intensity of family and friendship relationships, in all cultures. Our current “network society” is a product of the digital revolution and some major social changes. ne of these is the rise of the “Me-centered society,” marked by an increased focus on individual growth and a decline in community understood in terms of space, work, family etc. However, individuation does not mean isolation, or the end of community. Rather, social relationships are being reconstructed on the basis of individual interests, values, and projects. Communities are formed with individuals common...
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...Base/mode of production HM Economic base/infrastructure: forces of production: raw material, social creations necessary for the society to engage in economic production, technology, natural resources related skills and knowledge. Relations of production: owndership of the forces of prod, some owned communally, others were private ownership and compel others groups to work for it superstructure HM all aspects of society not included in the base, religion, philosphy, politics, the fam, law, art CHANGE IN ECON BASE CHANGE IN SUPERSTRUCTURE Simple Societies Not dependent on any other society; little political organization, division by gender Compound Societies Greater division of labor, stratification, composite groups formed Doubly compound All doubly compound societies are settled, non-nomadic, political organization more elaborate, caste system, towns and roads Trebly compound societies Extensive territorial scope of society; Great civilizations, productive, distributive capcity, regular exchange with other societies Historical Materialsm was also a reaction to important contemporary societal and intellectual developments: Lenski: Technology used to adapt to environment; Outcomes: Surplus production, Population growth, Stratification, occupational specialization Harris: Cultural Materialsm (best for preindustrial) Theory Mechanism: Population growth & technological processing deplete the environment, cause decline in living standards...
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...The peoples of the dominant human societies lost their sense of attachment to the living earth, and societies became divided between the rulers and the ruled, exploiters and exploited. The brutal competition for power created a relentless play-or-die, rule-or-be-ruled dynamic of violence and oppression and served to elevate the most ruthless to the highest positions of power. Since the fateful turn, the major portion of the resources available to human societies has been diverted from meeting the needs of life to supporting the military forces, prisons, palaces, temples, and patronage for retainers and propagandists on which the system of domination in turn depends. Great civilizations built by ambitious rulers fell to successive waves of corruption and conquest. The primary institutional form of Empire has morphed from the city-state to the nation-state to the global corporation, but the underlying pattern of domination remains. It is axiomatic: for a few to be on top, many must be on the bottom. The powerful control and institutionalize the processes by which it will be decided who enjoys the privilege and who pays the price, a choice that commonly results in arbitrarily excluding from power whole groups of persons based on race and gender. Herein lies a crucial insight. If we look for the source of the social pathologies increasingly evident in our culture, we find they have a common origin in the dominator relations of Empire that have survived largely intact in spite...
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