Grey Divorce

Bowling Green State University's National Center for Family & Marriage Research has found that while the overall trend in America over the last 20 years has seen the divorce rate on the decline, the rate of dissolved marriages for those age 50 and above (i.e. the 'baby boomer' generation) has doubled in that same time. This phenomenon has become known as the 'grey divorce.' One family law attorney, Lisa Helfend Meyers, has written a piece about the differences that she has noticed between those who pursue grey divorces and younger people who also end their marriages. Meyers notes that child custody issues tend not to exist in these older divorces, because the couples' children tend to be at least in their teen years, and can make such decisions for themselves. Older divorcees are in a better financial position to get a divorce, because they generally have established themselves enough that they can afford not only to live alone, but can also pay for the divorce itself. Their better finances also make it more difficult to decide which partner is to receive which resources, however. Many aging baby boomers say that they have grown apart from and fallen out of love with their partners, but infidelity and the resulting pain associated with it is oftentimes even more devastating to an older relationship. The author claims that boomers are forgoing marriage in pursuit of personal happiness, and believes that this trend will continue for years to come. This form of marriage dissolution seems less harmful than the kind of divorce that plagues younger couples, because the children are affected less often and severely. It seems good for the family not only that divorce is on the decline, but also that the people who do pursue it do so for the best interests of the involved parties.

The future of communication

What is one of the biggest potential barriers to developing and maintaining any person’s social relationships with others? Most experts would agree that ineffective (or absent) communication plays a major role in preventing people from interacting well with their peers and anyone else they might encounter. Over the last few centuries, many changes have been made to modes of communication in the hopes of improving human’s interaction with one another. From establishing written word, sending smoke signals, telegraphs, carrier pigeons, telephones, newspapers, and email, among many other advances, history has shown that people persist in their search for faster and better ways of getting their messages across. As newer forms of communication have emerged, however, older ones—predictably—continue to fall by the wayside. Much to the chagrin of (neo-) luddites both alive and long deceased, such communicative technologies as the Pony Express and AIM Chat have fallen out of favor (and into oblivion), paving the way for fresher and sleeker products to crop up in their wake.

The 1980s were and interesting decade, full of leg warmers, hair mousse, and multiple Michael Jackson faces. The year 1983, in particular, was an especially important one; it was then that the first commercially available mobile phone was thrust into the market. The advent of the cellular
telephone has proven to be both a bane and a boon to perhaps billions of people the world over. Cell phone owners and non-users alike—from scientists down to second graders (and their parents)—have lauded these devices for their ability to connect people and to keep them in touch with one another, even when the person on either end of the radio link is thousands of miles away from the other. Though a major reason cell phones were created was to enhance people’s ability to communicate, one of their functions—distraction—has recently been coming under fire.
Certain child psychologists are now starting to fear that youth's ability to be entertained by gadgets at all times, from smart phones to PSPs, is having a negative affect on their ability to communicate. The researchers argue that today's youth no longer have to suffer through awkward pauses in conversation or struggle to strike up small-talk on the bus, since they can rely on new forms of technology to engage in instead. According to some, this fact is leading not only to children having worse communication skills, but also to a decline in face-to-face interactions overall. It might be an extreme view to think that in the future, even immediate family members will communicate primarily through third-party devices, but some doomsday analysts don't think that this reality is too far off.

America's Declining Birthrate

During a class discussion a while ago, the subject of birthrate (especially America's in comparison to other countries') was brought up. The book notes that on average,
American women have 2.1 children, which is more than the number that women in many other industrialized nations tend to have. The other day, I was reading an article that mentions America's birthrate being on the decline for the third year in a row, and currently standing at 1.9 children per woman. The author attributes this decrease in births to the struggling economy, which apparently has discouraged teens especially from having children at this point. Claire Gordon, who penned the article, points out the benefits and costs of these lower numbers of births to both the present and future economic situation in America. She also mentions that demographers have noted that a birthrate of 2.1 is the minimum "necessary for a generation to replace itself." Assuming this assertion is true, what does it mean for America's future? Gordon talks about Social Security and retirement, but also points out the potential good that this low birthrate could mean. She believes that women are just postponing getting pregnant, and will eventually populate the country with children and the money it takes to care for them. I just wonder what more of the short and long-term effects of this birthrate decline could be (and, even after the economy rights itself, will the birthrate really return to its previous, generation-sustaining level?).

"America's Declining Birthrate Could Be Good For The Economy"

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/11/21/americas-declining-birthrate-could-be-good-for-the-economy/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl7%7Csec3_lnk2%7C114589&a_dgi=aolshare_email

Chapter 14

Summary:

Chapter fourteen tackles the difficult issues of family abuse, violence, and other health problems. It starts off by detailing intimate partner abuse and violence (IPV), its different forms, and relevant statistics. IPV is the violence that occurs between two people who are in a personal relationship (e.g. spouses, boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.). In the United States, this type of victimization is a widespread (and most likely underreported) issue. Intimate partner violence has three different subcategories: emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is defined as making a partner engage in a sexual act when he or she does not give consent. Physical abuse is the intentional act of inflicting bodily harm on the other person, by doing things such as hitting, pushing, or choking. Emotional abuse occurs when one threatens his or her partner and/or insulting him or her; examples of this include name calling, pushing the partner into social isolation, and (Facebook?) stalking, among other things. The threat of sexual or physical violence can also be counted among forms of IPV. Though the incidence of IPV has decreased over the last several years, the cases of abuse against women still far outnumber those against men. Each year, over two million deaths and more than 600,000 injuries are the direct results of intimate partner violence. The chapter goes on to list a number of other statistics, like that women are more likely than their male counterparts to sustain serious physical injuries resulting from IPV, and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. A somewhat positive sign is that marital homicide is on the decline.

Benokraitis notes that while there is no typical abuser, those who do commit these acts of violence against their partners tend to share certain characteristics. Victimizers tend to have seen their own parent(al figure) abuse the other, be poor and/or unemployed, be of a younger age, cohabitate or be separated from their spouse, and abuse drugs and/or alcohol. Race appears to be a related factor, as multiracial and Native Americans report the highest incidences of abuse, while Asian Americans experience the lowest rates of IPV. Marital rape is another related problem, in which one spouse forces the other to engage in sexual intercourse, without that spouse's consent. It is the most prevalent form of rape in the country, and happens to about twenty-five percent of women nationwide, yet is considered a lesser offense than "stranger" rape. The author goes on to describe the "cycle of domestic violence." It is the basis behind the idea of battered-woman syndrome, which describes a woman who has endured so many years physical abuse at the hands of her partner that she feels incapable of leaving him. The cycle consists of three different phases, tension-building, acute battering incident, and calm (the "honeymoon phase"). Women, often those suffering from battered-woman syndrome, choose to stay in these harmful relationships for a number of reasons. Among the most common reasons are: need for child support, fear, negative self-concept and low self-esteem, blaming themselves, a belief that the abuser will change, economic hardship and homelessness, shame or guilt, and the home becomes a prison. In situational couple violence, both women and men perpetrate violent acts, but women are also capable of being the sole aggressors/actors.

Another for of familiar violence is child maltreatment. It includes emotional, physical and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. Neglect is the most common type, although they tend to co-occur; parents are most often responsible for the abuse. Infanticide is the most common form of death for those under one-year of age, and young parents with a history of mental illness are the most common perpetrators. Incest is a common type of sexual abuse, and is very likely underreported. There are a number of reasons why adults abuse children, including stress; partner abuse; substance abuse, poverty, divorce, or any combination of the aforementioned factors. Abuse affects children in many ways, inducing emotional, social, and physiological problems. Sibling abuse is another issue, and consists of degradation, torturing or killing a pet, destroying personal possessions, name calling and ridicule, and intimidation. About ten percent of murders in the United States are due to siblicide. Siblings can also commit sexual abuse against their other brothers or sisters, and can continue their abuse of children well into the teen years. This practice has negative consequences for the adolescents in the teen years and beyond.

Geriatric people can also fall victim to abuse. It includes: psychological abuse; social isolation; financial exploitation; physical abuse; negligence; deprivation of basic necessities; and not administering necessary medications. Most elder abuse victims are Caucasian, and suffer from physical abuse most often; those of other races tend to perpetrate financial exploitation and neglect more often. Ninety percent of abusers are related to the victims, with children and spouses topping the list. Those who commit elder abuse do so for several reasons, including: social isolation; dependency of the older person on the caregiver; living arrangements; personality; alcohol abuse; impairment of the caregiver or care recipient; or medical costs and financial stress.

Although less research has been conducted on people in same-sex relationships or different racial-ethnic groups, it is obvious that violence occurs in these communities. A number of theories have been proposed to help to explain family violence and abuse. They include: social learning, exchange, resource, patriarchy, and ecological systems theories; a combination of these theories can also be used to explain family abuse.

Benokraitis finishes up the chapter by detailing some of the other health issues that most affect the family. She writes about substance abuse (both of alcohol and illegal drugs), depression and suicide, eating disorders (binge eating, bulimia and anorexia nervosa, and overweight and obesity). The chapter concludes with suggestions on how to combat family abuse and violence. Benokraitis notes that raising awareness and family violence, preventing its occurrence, and intervening when it happens, are all ways of making family abuse less of an issue in society.

New info:

I thought it was interesting that White Americans commit the greatest amount of physical elder abuse, while minorities are more likely to exploit older people financially. I just thought it was funny considering the stereotypes of minorities being the ones to commit violent crimes while those of the majority group, especially in the media, are seen as going the more "white-collar," financial route in their commission of crime.

Question:

Given the recent controversies at Penn State and Syracuse, do you think the necessary awareness has been given to family violence? Do you think these cases will help to lessen the incidence of abuse, as the author suggests?

Chapter 17

Summary:

Chapter 17 deals with the family in later life, and the aging population in general. It notes that the populace is aging at a previously unseen rate, with life expectancy being significantly greater now than ever before. Because of this, parent-child relationships will be prolonged, and the old-age dependency ratio continues to grow, as well. The gender gap is more apparent as society's collective age increases; since women, on average, tend to outlive men, there are more elderly women than men in the population. Racial and ethnic diversity among the geriatric segment of society has increased over time, as well; their health status compared to whites' is behind, however. Age is largely seen as a social construct; this explains why depending on the context, the concept of "old" can vary greatly. While a great number of the current oldest-old people experience few physical and/or mental ailments as a result of their age, it is though that the baby-boomer generation will not be so fortunate. Physical and mental decline due to age progression are seen as normal things, however. On a different note, old age is associated with greater happiness. Besides health issues, old age also comes with some social stigmas. In American society, people fear becoming older because they dread the ailments and (perceived) reduced physical attractiveness. Geriatric folks can also be subjected to ageism, which is the discrimination against someone based on his/her age, particularly if they are older. In the work world, things are getting tougher for the aging, just like for most of the rest of America. People are having to wait longer and longer to retire, and older people have a harder time than their younger counterparts in finding jobs. At the time of retirement, women and racial/ethnic minorities are worse off than are males and people of the majority group. Single people have less money than do married couples at this time, too. Chapter 17 talks about the role of grandparents in family life. It says that they are often "the glue that holds the family together." It also goes on to mention the different styles of grandparenting: involved and influential; remote or detached; cultural transmitters; compassionate and supportive; and advisory and authoritative. Grandparents can also function as surrogate parents, by either being the custodial guardians, providing day-care to the children, and/or having the grandchildren live in the same home with them. There is a section on grandparents and divorce, which even delves into the topic of the visitation rights of grandparents. As people age, the importance of parent-child relationships diminishes, while that of sibling relationships often increases. The author talks about death, especially in relation to health care professionals and the family members. Many older people wind up in hospice care, though today, many more adult children are becoming the caregivers for their parents. There is the question of whether society provides too much care to the elderly, who, as a group, will not be among the living for much longer, anyway. The issue of who will pay for all of the aging baby-boomers is raised, too.

Ne information:

I found the issue of grandparents' visitation rights to be interesting. I always thought of the actual parents/legal guardians being the only ones to have any legitimate reason to be in a child's life.

Question:

Since grandparents are offered visitation rights in the case of divorce, do you think this courtesy should be extended to other members of the family as well? Perhaps aunt/uncle rights, or third cousin four-ties removed visitation rights?

Chapter 13

Summary:

Chapter 13 touches on issues associated with maintaining both a family and work life. Work is seen as a benefit in the economic and social arenas of society; due to the economic problems that have plagued the country in recent years, many Americans now find themselves in tough financial situations. Developments such as globalization (growth/spread of trade, communication, etc. worldwide), deindustrialization (decrease in manufacturing), and offshoring (outsourcing/sending jobs abroad to lower costs), have all aided in the average Americans economic decline. As time progresses, the country's most well-to-do residents continue to gain wealth as the middle-class diminishes and the poorest people get even less than before. Those on the lower end of the financial spectrum are hit with other work-related issues that harm them further, including non-standard work hours, low-wage jobs, part-time work, and un(der)employment. In terms of defining America's poor, it is good to look through a specific 'poverty lens.' Absolute poverty concerns one's inability to provide oneself with even the most basic of necessities, while relative poverty describes someone being unable to maintain a certain standard of living (e.g. not being able to "keep up with the Joneses"). Reversing an earlier trend, children, especially those being raised by single mothers, are impoverished at higher rates than the current geriatric generation. Women (despite their increased participation in the workforce) and racial minorities are also at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to economic resources. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the question of why people are poor: some blame the destitute for their own circumstances, while others recognize the societal factors that affect people's economic situations. One severe consequence of poverty is homelessness, which affects at least one percent of the American population. The chapter also goes on to tell about those couples who are fortunate to have at least one employed member. Benokraitis writes of the two-person single career, stay-at-home dads, dual-earner/career families, trailing spouses, and commuter marriages. The author touches on gender and racial inequality in the workplace, the gender pay gap, and sexual harassment. She also writes about issues regarding pregnancy, childcare, and the workplace, family/medical leave policies, and care for dependents.

Interesting info:

I was surprised to learn that young people are more likely to be impoverished than are their older counterparts. I'm used to hearing about grandmothers hoarding Friskies and Whiskas cat food because they can't afford to be on a "human diet" due to their fixed incomes. Depending on the source used to gather information, children may not be seen as the poorer ones; perhaps it has something to do with the elderly voting bloc.

Question:

Considering the question about poverty given in the book, which school of thought do you think is correct? Are people directly responsible for their own poverty, or is society also at fault?

Chapter 6

Summary:

This chapter is devoted to love and the issues surrounding that concept.

Love and Liking

The author notes the importance of love as a behavior and emotion in the human life. The role of the family is seen as most central in being a source of love and support. Self-love, in particular, has been as a vital resource for emotional and social development, and as a necessity for loving others. It is also an important factor in determining self-esteem. Friendship is discussed in terms of its usefulness in gaining social, physical, and psychological health benefits. Benokraitis cites some resources that found that people's overall number of (close) friends is on the decline, largely based on their reliance on technological gadgets. Keith Davis lists eight important properties of a friendship: trust; honesty; enjoyment; mutual support; understanding; respect; acceptance; and confiding. Love is said to contain all of these qualities plus three more: priority over other relationships, sexual desire, and caring to the point of self-sacrifice.

What is Love?

Haddaway asks this same question; many people have differing definitions of it. There are distinctions made between 'being in love' and 'loving' someone. Love is seen as demanding, multifaceted, and based on respect. A 'true love,' according to research, does not exist; rather, life circumstances bring people together. Parents, probably unintentionally, set limits on whom we can encounter to pursue a romantic relationship, and cultural taboos put forth restrictions even further. There is a comparison between love and lust, with the former being defined as a profound feeling that can allow ecstasy when fulfilled or suffering when it's not; the latter can be broken down into two parts: sexual arousal, the psychological aspect, and sexual desire, the emotional response.

Caring, Intimacy, and Commitment

Caring involves responding to one another's needs, and wanting to help him/her by showing emotional support and giving aid. People are said to exhibit intimacy when they: have a history together; hold a reciprocal commitment to continued involvement, share mutual emotional interest, have a distinct identity as a couple, and share hopes and dreams for a future together. There is physical, verbal, and affective intimacy, too. Commitment, the third 'C,' is a person's intent to stay in a relationship.

Love Theories

Chapter six details a number of theoretical perspectives on love and loving. It talks about Sternberg's triangular love theory, attachment theory, exchange theory, biochemistry, and Reiss's wheel theory. The reader is also introduced to Lee's styles of loving, which include: ludus, agape, mania, pragma, and storge.

Functions of love and loving

This section of the chapter goes into which function(s) love and loving serve in people's lives. Chief among these reasons are that love is enjoyable, improves our emotional and physical health, enhances the quality of our lives, and ensure human survival.

Experiencing Love

This sections seeks to debunk some commonly-held, but erroneous, beliefs about how people experience love. We learn that men, people between the ages of 30 and 49, and married people are those who are most likely to be in love, which proves opposite to most people's ideas on the subject. Family circumstances can affect the rates of a child of a particular gender and his/her romantic endeavors. Both women and men are said to value sex and love in their romantic relationships. They are also said to exhibit love differently, but have similar attitudes toward it. Heterosexual and homosexual love are said to be similar as well. Certain macro and micro level obstacles are said to affect one's chances at love. Such things as personality and family characteristics, mass society and demographic factors, 'me-first' individualism, and the double standard play a role in love relationships (or lack thereof).

When Love Goes Wrong

There are several instances where love can go from good to bad; narcissism is one of these reasons. Jealously is another of these problems; it comes about from such things as insecurity and possessiveness. Some people resort to such extremes as the cyber- and/or regular stalking of their (ex)partner. Luckily, jealousy is not a universal issue. Other controlling behaviors associated with love include emotional and physical abuse, guilt trips, and other perverse reasons. Some people experience unrequited love, where their advances are either rebuffed, or their desire to 'take things to the next level' is denied.

Romantic and long-term love

Romantic love is passionate, intense, emotional, and sometimes melodramatic. People find that their love is 'blind,' see working, studying, and doing anything but thinking about their beloved is near impossible, and are willing to sacrifice anything for love, among other things. Some people believe in 'love at first sight' or fate. Long-term love has some overlapping characteristics with romantic love, but differs in that it is altruistic, complicated, and has to grow and develop.

Global view of love

Romantic love is a nearly universal concept, as it exists in at least eighty-nine percent of societies. Many people are found to believe in passionate love, too. In places where kin ties take precedence over individual relationships, romance is seen as less important. In some societies, arranged marriages are the preferred way for establishing relationships; love is important in all societies, though.

New/Interesting thing:

I found it interesting that men are said to be in love more often than women. To me, at least after taking cues from the media, it seemed that women fell in love more.

Question:

Do you think the disproportionate ratio of women to men worldwide has anything to do with men being more likely to be in love than women?

Chapter 5

Summary:
Chapter 5 covers the concepts different concepts of sex and gender, and what implications they may have for a person throughout his or her life.
Gender/Sex Terms
Benokraitis starts this section by pointing out what is meant by the terms gender and sex. Sex is understood as a biological entity; it dictates one's chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy, among other things. Gender, on the other hand, is a cultural and social construct (like race); it consists of the learned behaviors and attitudes attributed to people of one or the other sex. The author goes on to define other other terms in this section. She notes that humans develop a gender identity which allows them to see themselves as masculine, feminine, or somewhere in between, and generally is chosen based on a person's biological sex. This identity is established early in life and tends not to change too drastically throughout life. Gender roles, in contrast, tell the expected attitudes, feelings, characteristics, and behaviors of males and females in a given society. Since they are learned, rather than being inherent characteristics, these gender roles can--and have--changed over time. People's roles are considered gendered, meaning the practice of treating and evaluating males and females differently based solely on their sex. Gender stereotypes still persist in society; they are assumptions made about how people will think, look, act, and feel according to their sex.
Nature vs. Nurture
There are people who argue fervently that either biology or nurture plays the biggest role in determining human behavior. Those on the nature side of the fence point to sex hormones, unsuccessful sex reassignment surgeries, and health differences between the sexes as evidence to support their claim. Varying hormones levels affect which diseases a person (based on his or her sex) is more likely to get. Other health differences between the sexes include different proficiencies in sense perception, and greater susceptibility to getting certain problems (e.g. depression for women, and skin cancer for men). As a final example from the 'nature' side, the book offers the story of a biological male whose sex was reassigned, but proved to be (tragically) unsuccessful. Those who believe that nurture is the greater indicator of behavior note international differences in male violence rates, global variations in gender roles, and sex reassignment surgeries that are successful. This part of the chapter concludes with these bits of information: 1) men and women do show some genetic differences based on their sex; 2) looking at cross-cultural research, one can see that the characteristics ascribed to men and women can differ greatly; and 3) (probably most important) nature and nurture interact to serve as the basis for human behavior.
Differences in gender roles
It has been shown that gender roles tend to change as our lives progress. Benokratis details five theories that attempt to show why these changes occur. Like some of the theories mentioned in previous chapters, they include: cognitive development theory; sociobiology; feminist theories; social learning theory; and symbolic interaction theories. The author goes on to write that we learn gender roles from multiple sources, chief among them parents, books, teachers, peers, and popular culture. Parents, who provide the first instances of socialization for a child, help with talking, providing life opportunities, and setting expectations. A child uses peers and play to improve their social skills further. Throughout the school years, teachers, guidance counselors, and course selection all play a part in affecting one's life. The media, such as newspapers, magazines, advertising, and electronic mediums can all leave a mark on people's development, too.
Traditional (gender) roles
in this section of chapter five, the author talks about traditional views and gender roles. historically, men played instrumental roles, wherein they proved themselves as protectors, providers, and procreators. Women took on expressive roles, where they served as 'kin-keepers' and provided emotional support, among other things. The positive side of these roles is that they provide continuity, stability, and predictability. One of the major issues with trying to maintain the traditional role is that it can put undue stress on either, or both, parties. In terms of gender roles in adulthood, many women have to work the second shift, meaning that after returning from their place of work outside of the home, they return to their residence to do domestic work. As many women often do more of the housework, they tend to be more stressed than their male counterparts. They also make more household decisions, such as doing household finances and TV watching. On a positive note, fathers today are making strides in spending more time with their children. In the workplace, too, there is room for more improvement in the gender equality category; unfortunately, sexual harassment and gender discrimination still persist. Men lag behind women in pursuing education and following religion, but in the U.S., they far outnumber women in politics. The author argues that men and women are more similar than different in their interactions, and that androgyny (or, blending both masculine and feminine characteristics into one person) may help to alleviate gender role issues. Benokraitis ends the chapter by describing the differences in gender roles globally. She lists countries and their varying degrees of equality for the sexes. It is split into five categories, from most to least equity: 1) top ten countries (e.g. Norway, Ireland); 2) high-rank (e.g. U.S., Australia); 3) middle-rank (e.g countries in Central and South America); 4) low-rank (e.g. Somalia and Palestine); and finally 5) bottom ten (e.g. Saudi Arabia and Chad).

Interesting info:
I was somewhat surprised to learn that males make up more than half of all American actors; there are, after all, more female adults in the country, and I always thought of the acting industry (at least within the last few decades) as more of a female-oriented field.

Question:
The book mentions that Norway is a country where women are the 'last hired, first fired' group, receive less pay than men, and are kept out of the top jobs. It later goes on to say that Norway tops the world in equality for women (according to the GGGI). What do you think of this; is it just showing the sad state of affairs that even the country with the most equity for the sexes still has elements of sexism, or is the job issue just one spot marring an otherwise equitable nation? Is it something else entirely, perhaps?

Chapter 4

Summary:

Chapter 4 touches on America's growing racial and ethnic diversity, and details various aspects of life for the country's minorities.

Immigrants

The author talks about the changing face of the U.S.' immigrant population. Compared to a little over one hundred years ago, the percentage of the population of foreign birth has decreased (from 15% in 1900 to 9% in 2006); the places of origin for emigrants since that time has changed as well. Whereas in the early days of the country's history the overwhelming majority of non-native citizens came from Europe, the immigrants of today are largely based in Latin America (and Asia). Americans' perceptions of immigration (both legal and otherwise) have varied over the years. Some people extol its virtues--e.g. the benefits of having foreign-born scientists, engineers, and IT people available to fill positions for which U.S. citizens are un(der)qualified--while others cry foul when discussing its (perceived) problems, like low-skilled workers taking more than their fair share of welfare, reducing the standard of living, and how they have oversaturated the nation's school systems.

Race, Ethnicity, Inequality

Benokraitis writes about both minority groups and the dominant group in the United States, and discusses race, ethnicity, and the discrimination one might encounter based on those characterizations. Race is seen as a social construct, and groups people together based on such arbitrary markers as skin color and other physical attributes. An ethnic group, on the other hand, is comprised of people who choose to identify with a particular nation or culture (e.g. religion, language, and customs). Those who share similar cultural and physical characterizations are said to be of the same racial-ethnic group. An affiliation with any of the aforementioned categories can be the basis for prejudice or discrimination. The author mentions the 'naming' issue for minorities; people use such terms as Hispanic/Latino; colored/black/negro/etc.; and American Indian/Native American interchangeably. The author describes some commonly misused terms related to minority/dominant culture: racism is the belief in a racial group's superiority; discrimination describes behaviors that people do to treat people unfairly, based on race, ethnicity, etc.; prejudice is the attitude that causes one to prejudge someone of another race/ethnicity, usually in a negative manner.

Minority Families

Chapter 4 tells of the differing structures of various minority groups in the U.S. For different peoples like Native Americans, African-Americans, and Latinos, the author delves into such topics as health and economics; gender roles; segregation; strengths; values; and family structures. Asian Americans, for their part, deal with the realities of being seen as the 'model minority.' Benokraitis makes mention of the growing trend of interethnic and interracial relationships, and the reasons behind its increasing visibility.

New/of interest info:

I found the section about Americans' changing ideas about immigration to be interesting. The book mentions that depending on the issues of the day, immigration's importance varies among the populace. It seems that whichever problem in the country is most salient at any given time, this is what becomes the issue that people feel is most troubling (even when in may, in fact, not be). The book gives the example of 53% of Americans supporting the deportation of illegal immigrants in 2006, but shortly after the economic turmoil in '07/'08, people put home foreclosures, the poor economy, and other issues at the fore of their collective mind.

Question:

How big of a role do businesses/the government play in (illegal) immigration; how much, if any, culpability should rest on each of them for their policies (e.g. NAFTA, hiring undocumented workers, etc.)?

Chapter 3: The Family in Historical Perspective

Summary:

Chapter three is an examination of the family throughout various historical contexts.
It acknowledges some of the similarities that families of yore have to those of today, but it mainly works to demystify some of the commonly held misconceptions about family life in the past and present. The author tackles such issues as varying family structure, gender roles, and parental relationships over time.

Colonial Times

As is generally assumed, the nuclear family was the favored structure of the day. One could find the occasional extended family member in some households, though. Infant mortality at this time was great; families tended to have more children than they do now, often upwards of six or seven (whether this was to 'replace' deceased kids, a result of the lack of contraceptives, or something else entirely is not mentioned). As a direct result of the large number of infant deaths, there were large age differences between the children in any given family (this is somewhat related to the autism movement of today; it has been said that the shorter the amount of time between pregnancies that a mother has, the greater her chances are of having a child afflicted with autism. To combat this, some parents have begun to wait three or more years after having a child to conceive another).

Puritans

Government intervention was present, and deemed necessary, in family life. The family served many and varied purposes: it was school, church, a place of vocational training, and many other functions. Like today, premarital intercourse and out-of-wedlock births existed. There were sanctions, however, against adultery, at least for the womenfolk. As for marital relationships, inequality was certainly a part of life. As a patriarchal society, the Colonies held women subordinate to men. in many instances, though, women were given higher esteem, such as when their husbands were faced with making important decisions like selling family land. People held traditional work roles: men as the breadwinners, and women as domestics. Children also did their part to help the family survive. Colonists were part of different social classes, from the upper/merchant class down to the laborers.

Other Cultures

Chapter three also touches on the lives of non-European early Americans. Benokraitis details different aspects of the lives of American Indians, as well as their Mexican and African American counterparts. The author gives accounts of their varied family structures; ideas on marriage, divorce, parenthood, children, and puberty; economic opportunities; and family roles.

1820-1930

After colonialism, the American family changed as a result of the mass influx of immigrants from all over Europe during Industrialization. Among the worker class, immigrants, mothers, and single women alike were forced to enter the workforce. As wealth disparities deepened, the 'middle class' formed. The 'cult of domesticity' also comes into existence at this time; domestic work was reserved for women of the higher classes (who could afford to stay at home with the family), while men of all classes and poorer women left the home to find work. Fathers' roles with their children changed at this time, too; they were able to exert less will on their children, so the youth were able to make more decisions for themselves, including getting married and leaving the home. With their new found freedom, many young adults began to flood the cities in search of work, which led to urbanization. Work was rough in the cities, and conditions were poor both in the home and at work. Because of sanitation and other issues, death was a major part of city life. Urban immigrants and minorities faced the added pressures of discrimination.

Great Depression

At the tail end of this era until nearly the mid 20th century, America experienced an extreme economic downturn: the Great Depression. Many once prosperous families now found themselves in poverty, and those who formerly experienced paucity were in even worse circumstances than before. Men who couldn't provide for their families could sometimes become abusive, and their children grew rebellious. After World War II, both men and women entered the workforce, and family life became more stable. Birth rates increased greatly, as well.

Present

Since the 20th century, birth rates have declined, and gender roles have started to change. Especially since the recent recession, there are more families with two working parents than ever before.

Interesting point

I thought it was interesting how cyclical birth rates have been over the last few centuries. It started off with families having quite a few children, then that number decreased somewhat after war and economic uncertainty. After WWII, birth rates shot up to the highest they've been, thanks to men returning from overseas, and their new 'prosperity' and desire for marriage. Foll lowing the economic downturns of the 1970s and present day, birth rates are once again on the decline.

Question

I am wondering why people still hold on to the idea of 'yesteryear' as being so much better than the present, considering the issues that occur at any point in history. I wonder if people, years from now, will say the same thing about today: "Even though unemployment was through the roof, the early 21st century was a good time."

Chapter 2

Summary:
This chapter details the importance of theories and research in general. It also deals with the varying perspectives on, and different ways of analyzing, the family. Benokraitis highlights eight of the most well-known theoretical approaches associated with the study of the family. The author examines theories such as the Ecological, Structural Functionalism, and Social Exchange perspectives, among others; she lists their respective level(s) of analysis, view of the family, and which familial question(s) they seek to answer. Equally important in this chapter is the discussion of various ways of conducting research. The second half of the chapter describes, then lists the relative strengths and weaknesses of, such methods as field and clinical research, surveys, and experiments. This section's ending pages touch on ethics as related to family research.

Info of interest:
I found the end part of chapter 2 pretty interesting. It mentions the role of ethics in research, and goes on to say that medical scientists are more likely than their social scientist counterparts to practice unethical behaviors. Apparently, this difference in ethical action can be attributed--at least in part-- to third parties [read: (unsavory?) corporations] who support research(ers) that will promote the party's cause. It seems that these companies are often concerned with medical issues (e.g. pharmaceuticals) over more social ones (e.g. poverty), since there is more money to be made in that industry. I think it's unfortunate that while medical scientists should have the public's best interest in mind, the "bottom line" seems to take top priority.

Question:
I wonder what the other theories are that were not covered in this chapter (will the be addressed in later chapters?), and why they are not as well-known. Is it that they are not as valid as the 12 main theories? Perhaps they are obsolete, or have been disproved? Or is it something else entirely?