Functional - Answers purpose for which a thing exists (what it does)
Structural - Answers a form that a thing takes (what it actually is)
Family Functions - Answers -raising children responsibly
-providing economic & other practical support
-offering emotional security
Extended family - Answers the family structure that involves a whole kinship group in traditional
societies
Nuclear family - Answers husband, wife, children
Postmodern family - Answers families today exhibit a multiplicity of forms and that new or altered
family forms continue to emerge and develop
Family Change Perspective - Answers -change represents historically expected adjustments to changing
conditions in a society
-family is an adaptable institution
-longer life expectancy=longer relationships
-access to divorce= more options
-tolerance=acceptance
-flexibility can be functional in times of economic crisis
family decline - Answers -the relaxation of institutional control over relationships and families
-individualism and self indulgence has hurt relationships, led to high divorce rates, and undermines
responsible parenting
5 social factors that impact families - Answers ever-new biological & communication technologies,
economic conditions, historical periods, demographic characteristics, family policy
Ever-New Biological and Communication Technologies - Answers -assisted reproduction technologies
allow increased opportunity for creating families
-communication technologies allows greater opportunity for support and connection but also a source
of conflict
economic conditions - Answers -increasing economic inequality between families
, -the overall long term trend in US households income has been upward
historical periods - Answers -world events impact family values, attitudes, and arrangements ex. great
depression, WWII, terrorist threats of the 200s
demographic characteristics - Answers -age: people live longer= more years to invest in education & a
longer period for family interactions but also a growing populations that must be cared for
-religion: religious affiliation and practice is a significant influence on family life= a sense of community,
support, and values
-race: how people view varied social groups
-ethnicity: cultural distinctions, minority group: persons in non white race/ethnic categories who
experience disadvantage, exclusion, or discrimination, the US is becoming more racially and ethnically
diverse, habitus: ones experience and perception of the social world
family policy - Answers -all the procedures, regulations, attitudes and goals of programs and agencies
that affect families
-family impact lens: a perspective that advocates for thinking about public policies in terms of how they
affect whole family units
Sliding vs. deciding - Answers -recognize as many options or alternatives as possible
-recognize the social pressures that may influence personal choice
-consider the consequences of the alternatives rather than gravitating to the one that sounds the most
attractive
blinders of personal experience - Answers -central aim of scientific investigation is to find out what is
exactly going on
-science: a logical system that bases knowledge on systematic observation and on empirical evidence
(facts that we can verify with our senses)
family ecology perspective - Answers explores interactions between varying levels of the external
environment and the family ex. work schedules impact on a family
family life course development framework - Answers -family is the unit of analysis
-role sequencing: order in which major life course transition takes place
-normative order hypothesis: work marriage parenthood sequence is best for mental health & happiness
-delayed exists: children have not left the home in a timely fashion