What is marriage between individuals who have different social characteristics?

Presentation on theme: "The American Family. Marriage Homogamy – marrying individuals who have social characteristics similar to their own  Based on age, socioeconomic status,"— Presentation transcript:

1 The American Family

2 Marriage Homogamy – marrying individuals who have social characteristics similar to their own  Based on age, socioeconomic status, religion, race Heterogamy – marriage between individuals who have different social characteristics  Due to rising ability of contact between people of different social arenas

3 Family Violence Perhaps the most disruptive aspect of the family  Exist amongst all social classes and ethnic groups 1998 – nearly 1/3 of people had experienced some form of family violence  ¾ of people had hit their children more than once Other Statistics:  1 million crimes of violence were committed against people by intimate partners  11 percent of all murders were result of intimate partner violence  3.2 million cases of neglect/physical abuse against children were reported  1,400 Children died from child abuse Ray Rice

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5 Divorce - D-I-V-O-R-C-ED-I-V-O-R-C-E In the United States, 1 out of 2 marriages eventually ends in divorce  19.8 million Americans over the age of 19 who are divorced  Marriage in teens increases likeliness of divorce  Couples with college education are less likely to divorce  Minorities are more likely to be divorced than white A lot of the divorce rate is contributed to the increase in dual-earner families – families where both husband and wife have jobs  Why does this increase divorce? Society is far more tolerant of divroce

6 Delays Delayed Marriage  1890 – Women (22) and Men (26)  2000 – Women (25) and Men (27)  Why?  Finish education is number one reason Delayed Childbearing  1960s – 15 months before first child  1970s – 27 months  2000s – 36 months  Delayed birth has led to the sandwich generation – 30 year olds who have both children to raise and aging parents who need care

7 Childlessness 1. couples keep putting off until they are “ready” to have a child 2. Infertility 3. Voluntary Childlessness – the conscious choice never to have children  Typically have high levels of education and income  Career success outweighs family  Value freedom, financial security

8 One-Parent Families and Remarriage Stress of One-Parent Families 1. Responsibility Overload 2. Task Overload 3. Emotional Overload 4. Lack of Money 43% of marriages have at least one member who is remarried and 75% of those who get divorced remarry  Step family struggle - Brady BunchBrady Bunch Yours, Mine, Ours

9 Key Vocabulary Homogamy Heterogamy Family Violence Divorce Dual-earner families Delayed Marriage Delayed Childbearing Sandwich Generation Voluntary Childlessness

Presentation on theme: "The American Family. Courtship and Marriage Homogamy: marrying individuals with similar social characteristics as your own. °Age, socioeconomic status,"— Presentation transcript:

1 The American Family

2 Courtship and Marriage Homogamy: marrying individuals with similar social characteristics as your own. °Age, socioeconomic status, religion, race, etc. °Only 2.4 of marriages are between individuals who are black and white. Heterogamy: marriage between individuals who have different social characteristics. °The more people have contact with people who are different than them, the rate increases.

3 Factors for heterogamy Higher college enrollments. More geographic mobility. Increased participation of women in the workforce. In 2007, 7.0% of all marriages are interracial.

4 Family Distruption Family destruction Family life cycle

5 Family Violence 1995 survey: °1/3 had experienced family violence in their marriage. °3 /4 had reported hitting their children, usually more than once. °Wives were as likely to commit violence, but it was less violent, and less damaging to the spouse and childern.

6 Family Violence 1985 Studies show that the most threatening place for every child in America is the home. °Victims: 1.Children, mostly under the age of 12. 2.Women.

7 Divorce In the US: 1 out of every 2 marriages end in divorce. The US has the highest divorce rate in the world.

8 Who divorces? The highest rates of divorce are: °Couples who marry during their teen years. °Couples who never go to college. °African American women (Latina women are more likely to stay married than white women).

9 Consequences of Divorce Economic: after divorce, women’s income fell by 30%. Emotional: men have higher rates of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse,, depression, and anxiety. ° Children of divorced parents have more emotional problems and are lower achievers. ° 40% of these children are still struggling to adjust 10 years after the divorce.

10 Reasons for High Divorce Rate The laws governing the divorce process have become less complicated, and the cost of obtaining a divorce has decreased. The increase in the number of dual-income families and the growth of day care have decreased the economic dependence of women. Society in general has become more tolerant of divorce. Many people expect more of marriage and are less ready to accept marital problems.

11 Trends in American Family Life Delayed marriage. Delayed childbearing. Childlessness. Dual-earner marriages. One-parent families. Remarriage.

12 Delayed Marriage In 1980, the median age at first marriage was 22 for women and 26.1 for men. In 2000, 25.1 for women and 26.8 for men. Currently, in 2007, 26.0 for women and 27.7 for men. More people are not choosing marriage and an estimated 15% of today’s youth will never marry.

13 Reasons for Delayed Marriage Desire to finish education and start careers. More couples live together before marriage: (cohabitation). Cohabitation now precedes more than ½ of all first marriages.

14 Reasons for Delayed Birth In the 1960s, the average length of time between marriage and childbirth was 15 months. Now it’s not uncommon or women to have their first child after age 30.

15 Sandwich Generation People caught between raising young children and caring for aging parents.

16 Reasons for Childlessness Some couples wait too long, then they can’t reproduce. Infertility. Voluntary childlessness: conscious choice not to have children. Careers come first.

17 Dual Earner Marriages Today, about 61% of married women work outside of the home at least part-time. In 1/3 of the dual-earner homes, the wife earns more than the husband. Daughters of working mothers often have a better self- image, and are more independent, and are higher achievers than daughters of non-working mothers.

18 One-Parent Families One-parent families are formed through separation, divorce, death of a spouse, births to unwed mothers, or adoption by unmarried individuals. One-parent families account for 25% of the families in the U.S. Women head 8 out of every 10 of these families.

19 One-Parent Family Problems Responsibility overload – make every decision. Task overload – make all the money, do all the childcare, no leisure time. Emotional overload. Lack of money. School drop-out rates, teen pregnancy rates, and arrest rates are all higher for children of single-parents.

20 Remarriage In 43% of the marriages today, one or both partners have been previously married. 75% of those who get divorced will remarry. It takes four years for children to accept a stepparent like a biological parent.

What is marriage between individuals who have similar social characteristics?

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