Sociology Topic Five
: Paths to Family Formation (10/2) (10/4)
Changing Trends in Family Formation
•
Number of indicators: more than anything sexual activity, marriage, and child-bearing
have moved apart from one another – people can get married without having children and
one can have a child alone or with a partner and not be married
•
Process of forming a family is less uniform and far more complex than it has been
throughout most of American century, especially 50’s with breadwinner family formation
•
Today 9/10 adults in US will marry, to most youth today the individual is the most
involved in choosing their spouse – contemporary phenomenon, characteristic of
industrialized societies
Parental Influence
•
In general parents become involved in matching their children with spouses when the
decision is too important to be left to the child – monarchy
•
Throughout history the decisions involved in search for a spouse were practical decisions
•
By 1800s adults began to share with parents the decision of choosing a spouse
•
Youth of Anglo-Saxon origin historically went about searching for a spouse through
courtship
Courtship and Dating
•
Courtship
– publicly (community and parents very involved in watching over and
participating in the process) biblical process; had a chaperone – monitor behavior; well-
established way of acting, with rules and regulations that were closely followed
•
Followed carefully prescribed path from walking and talking to then in private places –
Pride and Prejudice; would meet potential suitors in a public space and could eventually
come to home
•
Young adults met through public settings and only once the man showed interest, he
would “call on” the woman at her home
•
Women’s parents were always present until they were engaged and allowed to have
moments alone with intimacy
•
Early 1900s – more pronounced social and economic changes – mass migration of young
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- Fall '08
- COHEN
- Sociology, premarital sex, sexual activity, family formation
-
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