Social Problems: Social Problems Family Related Problems Copyright by Michael J. O’Connor 2007 All Rights Reserved


What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? : What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? What is a family? The Industrial Revolution Preindustrial families Transformation of family


What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? con’t: What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? con’t 1. Men leaving home to work in factories 2. Children became economic liabilities 3. Demand for education of children 4. Lower birth rate 5. Settlement patterns change 6. Loss of traditional family functions


What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? con’t: What Is Happening to the Family in Modern Societies? con’t 7. Changing role of women 8. Greater equality 9. Divorce 10. People living longer 11. Women enter workforce Other changes Very sensitive to economic changes


The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations : The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations Types Monogamy traditional nuclear family extended families extended families


The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t: The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t Functionalist Perspective Contributions of family Industrial Revolution’s impact Social disorganization Weakening of family unit


The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t: The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t Conflict Perspective Class conflict Social inequality Patriarchy Perpetuation of social and economic inequality


The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t: The Family in Society: Types and Theoretical Explanations con’t Interactionist Perspective Social definitions and how we respond to those definitions “Fuzzy” definitions lead to instability Process of socialization


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem : Divorce as a Primary Social Problem Is divorce a social problem in our society? Mills concepts of personal problem verses public issue Who gets divorced?


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem con’t: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem con’t Effects of Divorce “Does divorce make the family unable to perform its functions, such as socializing children and providing emotional support? Does divorce threaten society with severe stress and disorganization?” (Sullivan 2006:65).


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Effects of Divorce con’t: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Effects of Divorce con’t Single parent impacting children Relationship to violent crimes School dropouts Out of wedlock births Behavioral and psychological problems Loss of income Loss of ties to father Loss of residential stability Poverty Well-dependency Child-rearing


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Effects of Divorce con’t: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Effects of Divorce con’t Should parents remain together for the sake of the children? Two conclusions Emergence of a Divorce Culture Evolutionary period Revolutionary period 3 overlapping changes in society


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Divorce Culture con’t: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Divorce Culture con’t Obligation to marriage changed from ethical to one of self-interest A matter of individual choice with no stakeholders Issue “In an age of diverse family structures, the heart of the matter is what kinds of contemporary family arrangements have the greatest capacity to promote children’s well-being, and how we can ensure that more children have the advantages of growing up in such families” (Whitehead 1996:9).


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Divorce Culture con’t: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Divorce Culture con’t Debate Lessen harmful impact to children A philosophical framework Legal aspects


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Explaining Divorce: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Explaining Divorce Functionalism Divorce is a result of strain within the institution of family Conflict Perspective Stresses that marriage and family reflect the basic social inequality of men and women “Divorce reveals the basic conflict that is inherent in family life” (Henslin 2006:369) “divorce rates are not a sign that the family is weakening but, rather, that women are making headway in their historical struggle with men” (Henslin 2006:369) Example of exploitation


Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Explaining Divorce: Divorce as a Primary Social Problem: Explaining Divorce Interactionism Change in what people want out of marriage Two studies Definition of love Changing definitions of roles of men and women


Violence in Families: Violence in Families Violence indicates family problems Runways and Pushouts Families with highest rates of violence (characteristics) Low socioeconomic status Unemployment Above average number of children in family No religious affiliation Under the age of 30


Violence in Families con’t: Violence in Families con’t Intimate Partner Violence Most common between spouses Explaining the violence Acceptance of violence in society Poverty Sexual inequality Alcohol consumption Socialization


Violence in Families con’t: Violence in Families con’t Child Abuse “the lower the parents’ social and economic status, the more they tended to abuse their children” (Coleman and Kerbo 2006:43) Defining child abuse Abuse Physical Emotional Sexual Neglect


Violence in Families con’t: Violence in Families con’t Explaining child abuse structural factors such as lower socioeconomic class, large family size, or single parenting the mental illness of parents a parent’s history of abuse as a child transitory situational factors, including such ‘triggers’ as alcohol, drug use, or unemployment a particularly difficult, demanding, or problematic child (Bartollas 2006:243) Elder Abuse


Constructing Family Problems:Media Images : Constructing Family Problems: Media Images Mass media does play a role in influence societal values and norms Impact of technomedia Personal information technologies


Future Prospects: Future Prospects Is the family dieing out? Pluralistic Families


References: References Bartollas, Clemens. 1997. Juvenile Delinquency. 4th ed. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ———. 2006. Juvenile Delinquency. 7th ed. Pearson Allyn and Bacon. Coleman, James William, and Harold R. Kerbo. 2003. Social Problems: A Brief Introduction. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall. ———. 2006. Social Problems. 9th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Henslin, James M. 2003. Social Problems. 6th ed. Allyn and Bacon. ———. 2006. Social Problems. 7th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Leon-Guerrero, Anna. 2005. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. Pine Forge Press. Sullivan, Thomas J. 2006. Introduction to Social Problems. 7th ed. Pearson Allyn and Bacon. Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2005. Society In Focus. 5th ed. Allyn and Bacon. Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe. 1996. The Divorce Culture: Rethinking Our Commitment to Marriage and Family. New York: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.