Sociology Topic Five - Sociology Topic Five Paths to Family...

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