Chapter 14
Family Life Today
UNIT 4 NOTES
FAMILY DYNAMICS
Bell Activity
 It has been said that a nation is only as strong as its
families.
 Do you feel this is true?
 How can families contribute to the strength of a
nation?
The Changing Family
Family roles and functions have changed
throughout history in order to meet the changing
needs of family members.
 In early history, families hunted and gathered food in
order to survive.
 Family members filled roles that allowed the family to
live off the land and to be protected from predators.
 Permanent communities were not established because
family groups were continually moving to find food.
The Changing Family
 As agriculture evolved, families were able to set up permanent
homes and to acquire land.
 Each family was independent and able to meet their own
needs by assigning family members various tasks to perform
 With the industrial revolution new pressures were brought to
the family and society.
 Families moved from the rural areas to the urban areas.
 Families no longer worked only to survive and for their own
families.
 Family members took jobs that served larger groups, but provided
income to purchase food, clothing and shelter
 Families became consumers.
 Urban populations grew and rural populations declined.
 The Father was usually the main provider,
 With this role he was limited to shorter times at home from his job
 .
 The Mother, was usually the full time homemaker, and provided
care for the children
 MARRIAGES WERE BASED ON MEETING PEOPLE’S NEEDS AS
WELL AS ON LOVE.
The Changing Family
 Technology : continues to affect families
 More jobs available in many areas of technology
development
 Household care made easier with new and growing
technologies
 Women joining workforce in greater numbers
 Child care needs began to be met by child care providers
in homes, nursery schools, and child care centers
The Changing Families
 Social Security Act: before inception of the act, many
older adults were care for by their adult children and
grand children.
 Social Security Act and other sources of income help
older adults live independently.
Family Functions
Families perform several basic functions
 Economic support
 Emotional support
 Nurturance
 Education
 Protection
 Opportunities for Recreation
Physical Needs
 Families provide necessities of life:
 Food
 Clothing
 Shelter
 Furnishings health care
The way these necessities are provided vary from
culture to culture
Physical Needs continued
Tasks include:
 preparing meals
 Keeping the house clean
 Doing laundry
 Work out side the home to provide income
Emotional Needs
 Families provide a “safe haven” for their family
members
 Family member s learn how to “give and take” of
living together in a close relationship
 In a loving home each person is free and encouraged
to reach their potential
Nurturance
 Families provide the environment for developing
social skills of children
 This prepares them to function in the outside world
 Children learn about culture of the society they live
in and how to function effectively in their culture
Nurturance
 The family teaches its values to children and
provides guidance as they learn right from wrong.
 Children learn what is acceptable and unacceptable
behavior so that they may become productive
members of society
Education
From birth, children are taught the ways of their
culture by their families
 They are taught how to speak a language
 How to eat, bath, dress themselves
 How to get along with and other social skills
Education
 Families convey or model their beliefs concerning
religion
 Many families will attend some form of worship
service
 Children may receive a system of religious beliefs
and personal ethics that they will use their entire life
Procreation
 Reproduction
 Bring next generation into the world
 Male-female bond forms foundation for parenting
and family life across the cultures, forms of marriage
may be very different
 Our Culture values monogamy – (one husband one
wife)
Procreation
 Forms of marriage:
 In some cultures polygamy (many wives)is
acceptable
 In some cultures the ability for a women to
reproduce is highly valued
 In our culture a women is seen as valuable whether
she can have children or not.
 Whether or not to have children is controlled by the
husband and the wife as well as how many children
they will have
Procreation
 In some cultures women are valued primarily for the
number of children they can bring into the world.
 These women are viewed as possessions of their
husbands.
 Women are denied education and careers
tend to have a greater number of children.
Protection
 Adult member of the family are responsible for the care
of all its members
 They are responsible for protecting their family from
harm.
 They are also responsible for encouraging their children
to practice good health and safety habits
 Form wholesome friendships and avoid situations where
they are likely to become victims of crimes
Recreation
Recreational pursuits provide the family members
with:
 Time to enjoy each others company
 Relaxation
 Physical activity
 Opportunity to learn communication skills
 Learn good sportsmanship
Roles and Responsibilities
Family members have both given roles and chosen roles.
Each of these roles has roles includes certain
responsibilities, though the specific responsibilities will
vary among families.
Members of the families have certain roles.
 Given role: you acquire when you become a part of a
family
 Chosen role: role you choose such as a wife or husband
when you marry, or perhaps a mother or father.
Roles and Responsibilities
Roles are defined as responsibilities and how well you
fulfill these responsibilities determines how well the role
is carried out.
When all members fulfill their roles and responsibilities,
communicate clearly, and treat each other with affection
and respect, they contribute to a functional family
system.
When responsibilities are not fulfilled and interpersonal
relationships breakdown or deteriorate, the family
become dysfunctional.
Characteristics of Strong Families
 There are a number of characteristics that appear to be
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common among strong families.
Strong families:
Communicate and listen to each other
Support one another and respect individual uniqueness
Trust each other; spouses trust one another, parents
entrust their children with responsibilities, children trust
their parents
Have a sense of play and humor; they laugh with each
other and use humor to diffuse explosive situations
Characteristics of Strong Families
 Exhibit a sense of share responsibilities
 Recognize right and wrong and guide children in
choosing behavior that is acceptable to the Family
and society.
 Believe in family traditions, they respect the cultural
and ethnic traditions of other families
 Realize the importance of healthy interaction among
members, but respect privacy and foster
conversation and sharing
 Share a belief in the importance of a religious or
philosophical foundation.
Characteristics of Strong Families
 Believe in the contribution they can make to their
communities. They work together for a good balance
between emphasis on individual rights and
acceptance of responsibilities to the community.
Family Structure
 Nuclear Family: includes 2 parents and at least 1
child
 Single-Parent Family: 1 parent and at least 1
child
 Blended Families: a single parent marries
another person. Stepparent and stepchild come
into play
Family Structure
 Extended Families: includes relatives other than
a parent or a child who lives with them
 Guardians: take all financial and legal
responsibility for raising
 Adoption: a legal process where a child lives with
some one other than their biological parents
 Foster Children: a child who lives in a
temporary home until a permanent home is found
Family Life Cycle
 Beginning Stage: separation from
parents/adjustment to marriage
 Childbearing Stage: focus on having &
raising kids
 Parenting Stage: kids are school age/focus
on family & kids around school/activities
Family Life Cycle
 Launching Stage: Children leave home for
college, careers & marriage. Parents refocus
on their relationship
 Middle Years Stage: Preparing for
retirement. Parents become grandparents
 Aging Stage: Retirement/focus on
friendships, hobbies, interest and travel