The Family System

Chapter 13Chapter 13

Families as the Mediators of Society and Culture

Family Structures

• NuclearNuclear• ExtendedExtended• Single-ParentSingle-Parent• NonTraditionalNonTraditional• Reconstituted (Blended)Reconstituted (Blended)

Changes in Family Structure

(U.S. Census Bureau, 1995)• Nuclear Families began numerical decline in Nuclear Families began numerical decline in

1970’s1970’s• Growth rate of single-parent families was Growth rate of single-parent families was

4%/year. Has leveled off.4%/year. Has leveled off.• 1970 - Avg. family size =3.141970 - Avg. family size =3.14• 1994 - Avg. family size =2.671994 - Avg. family size =2.67

– 25.1 million married-couple with children25.1 million married-couple with children– 11.4 million single parents (9.9 million are 11.4 million single parents (9.9 million are

mothers mothers – Slight resurgence of large families Slight resurgence of large families

The Universal Functions of Parenting

• SurvivalSurvival• EconomicEconomic• Self-ActualizationSelf-Actualization

The Family as a System of Systems

• Embedded in Society & CultureEmbedded in Society & Culture• Various SubsystemsVarious Subsystems

– Mother-FatherMother-Father– Mother - ChildMother - Child– Child -FatherChild -Father– Child - ChildChild - Child

Functional and Dysfunctional Families

The Functions of Family Members

• MomMom• DadDad• SiblingsSiblings

Levels of Systems: How Society Influences ChildDevelopment:

• Level IV- Society & Culture Level IV- Society & Culture – Institutions & MediaInstitutions & Media

• Level III - Child/Parent InteractionsLevel III - Child/Parent Interactions• Level II - Child Personality & Level II - Child Personality &

Cognitive CharacteristicsCognitive Characteristics• Level I - Reinforcement & Level I - Reinforcement &

Punishment -Punishment -– Genetic Make-up & Interactional historyGenetic Make-up & Interactional history

What Happens When the Role is Absent or

Changed?• Maternal EmploymentMaternal Employment• Effects of Maternal Employment on the MotherEffects of Maternal Employment on the Mother• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the FatherFather• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the Marital RelationshipMarital Relationship• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the ChildChild

– Does the Mother’s Work Role Change Her Role at Does the Mother’s Work Role Change Her Role at Home?Home?

• Paternal Job LossPaternal Job Loss– 1. Effects on the Father1. Effects on the Father– Effects on the Father’s PersonalityEffects on the Father’s Personality– 2. Effects on the Child2. Effects on the Child– Socioemotional EffectsSocioemotional Effects– Child Aspirations and ExpectationsChild Aspirations and Expectations– Physical HealthPhysical Health

• Maternal Job LossMaternal Job Loss

Maternal Employment

• Effects of Maternal Employment on the Effects of Maternal Employment on the MotherMother

• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the FatherFather

• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the Marital RelationshipMarital Relationship

• The Effects of Maternal Employment on the The Effects of Maternal Employment on the ChildChild

– Does the Mother’s Work Role Change Her Does the Mother’s Work Role Change Her Role at Home?Role at Home?

Paternal Job Loss

• 1. Effects on the Father1. Effects on the Father– Effects on the Father’s PersonalityEffects on the Father’s Personality

• 2. Effects on the Child2. Effects on the Child– Socioemotional EffectsSocioemotional Effects– Child Aspirations and ExpectationsChild Aspirations and Expectations– Physical HealthPhysical Health

• Maternal Job LossMaternal Job Loss

The Effects of Divorce - Moderating Factors

• Child CharacteristicsChild Characteristics• Family CharacteristicsFamily Characteristics• Extrafamilial FactorsExtrafamilial Factors

Child Mediating Factors

• Amount of Stress Amount of Stress • Temperatment & PersonalityTemperatment & Personality• Developmental StatusDevelopmental Status• GenderGender

Family Mediating Characteristics

• Amount of Parental ConflictAmount of Parental Conflict• Economic ConditionsEconomic Conditions• Reaction of Mother to EmploymentReaction of Mother to Employment• RemarriageRemarriage• Child MonitoringChild Monitoring• Presence of Caregiving Presence of Caregiving

GrandparentsGrandparents

Extrafamilial Mediating Factors

• PeersPeers• School StructureSchool Structure

Effects of Divorce On Children

Patterns of Family Discipline

• Differing Contingencies in Parental Differing Contingencies in Parental StylesStyles– Setting EventsSetting Events– Differences in Antecedents and Differences in Antecedents and

ConsequencesConsequences– Parents Differ in The Behaviors They Parents Differ in The Behaviors They

ShapeShape

Parental Discipline Styles(D. Baumrind)

• AuthoritarianAuthoritarian– Low warmth - High ControlLow warmth - High Control

• PermissivePermissive– Low Control - (Ususally) High WarmthLow Control - (Ususally) High Warmth

• AuthoritativeAuthoritative– Moderate Warmth - Moderate ControlModerate Warmth - Moderate Control

Effects of Discipline Style on Children

• AuthoritarianAuthoritarian– girls - average social & cognitivegirls - average social & cognitive– boys - average social - boys - average social - lowlow cognitive cognitive

• PermissivePermissive– girls - girls - lowlow social & cognitive social & cognitive– boys - boys - lowlow social & social & very lowvery low cognitive cognitive

• AuthoritativeAuthoritative– girls - girls - very high very high social & cognitivesocial & cognitive– boys - boys - highhigh social & cognitive social & cognitive

Children In the Context of Poverty

• The Extent of the ProblemThe Extent of the Problem