History of Families

1. History of Families Introduction to Family Studies Lecture 2

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3. History of Families in the U.S. How have families changed over time? Families have become more private spheres How have the functions performed by families changed? Social institutions have developed that perform the functions previously carried out by families In sum, modern families perform fewer functions than families of the past

4. History of Families in the U.S. • Are families in decline or adapting to long term trends? • Myths about the past lead to emphasis on decline • The author of your text, Andrew Cherlin, argues the breadwinner/homemaker family of the 1950s faded quickly

5. History of Families in the U.S. • Images of the “good old days” are largely myths (Coontz, 2000) • Taking a historic, long term approach leads to adaptation conclusion • Don’t make comparisons to the 1950s!

6. History of Families in the U.S. Myths about families in the past: • Myth 1: Three generation families were common • In fact because mortality rates were high and life expectancy shorter (people died young) – few parents could expect to live with their grandchildren • Extended families -- that have become folklore-- were rare • FALSE

7. History of Families in the U.S. Myths about families in the past: • Myth 2: Most families were breadwinner-homemaker form • Most families men and women worked equally hard • Men may have farmed but women produced finished goods –i.e. spun wool, churned butter • All family members including children helped produce food and household goods to meet the needs of the family • -FALSE

8. History of Families in the U.S. • Tamara Hareven argues: • As social historians, we need to take a long view of family change • We must look at changes over the past 100 to 200 years • We cannot just look at change in the past 40 years, beginning with the 1950s ? Are the changes in the family part of a long-term trend or are they just temporary developments?

9. History of Families in the U.S. • In colonial America families were also businesses, schools, health and social welfare institutions • Who was living in households during this colonial era? • Borders • Apprentices • Lodgers • Servants

10. History of Families in the U.S. • What major demographic, economic, and cultural changes influenced families? • Industrialization • Urbanization • Separation of work from home • Families surrendered functions to other institutions – schools, hospitals, nursing homes • Change in economy -- from small-family-based-agriculture to large industrial capital • Immigration increases – 30 million immigrants move to U.S. from 1830 to early 1930

11. History of Families in the U.S. • Declining Birthrate • Fewer people per room • Rise of Individualism • People are free from public scrutiny as family becomes a more private retreat • Cult of True Womanhood – women are supposed to be “guardians of the homes,” they are morally superior and virtuous compared with the harsh world of men/work • Children become economically worthless, emotionally priceless • Emergence of Adolescence as a separate stage of life

12. History of Families in the U.S. • Architectural changes – invention of the corridor

13. History of Families in the U.S. • In sum, important changes taking place in the 1700s through the early 1900s result in: • Changes in racial and ethnic composition of the population • Increasing economic dependence of women on men • Childhood/adolescence becomes distinct stage of life • Families have fewer functions • Families are more private

14. What makes a family? • Let’s coonsider the following questions: 1) What is a family? • Hint: Think about all the new types of families and all the ways family members may be related 2) What are some NEW types of families that we’ve seen since the 1950s in the U.S. 3) What social changes have occurred over the past 40-50 years and how these have affected families today?

15. What makes a family? • Do members have to be related by blood? • Do members have to be married? • Do they have to share the same household?

16. Which picture is a family?

17. DefiningFamilies • A few definitions of the many: • “two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together in a household.” ----U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2002 • Households = families • A set of persons related to each other by blood, marriage or adoption and whose basic societal function is replacement.” --Winch, 1971 • Who is missing here?

18. Defining Families • A proposed inclusive working definition: A family is a relationship by blood, marriage, or affection in which 1) the members may cooperate economically 2) may care for children 3) and may consider their individual identities to be intimately connected to the larger group” Seccombe and Warner, p. 6

19. Summary • Families continuously change over time • Families have become more private • Many myths about families in the past based on too few cases • We always want to look as far back as we can when considering a family trend • The term families encompasses all types of families