SOCI 210 Lecture 8: SOCI 210 - Lecture 8
Lecture 8 - Social Institutions 1 : Marriage & Family
+ Ch. 14
• Lecture outline:
• The third major focus of sociology: institutions
• What is marriage? Family?
• Transformations in marriage & families
• Sociological perspectives on marriage & family
• Functionalism
• Conflict theory
• Feminism
• Symbolic interactionalism
• FINAL:
• Non-cumulative
• Most likely on June 2nd
• Social Institutions
• Society needs to govern our behaviour
• Patterns of rule-governed behaviour
• Marriage & family - rules & regulation
• Marriage & family - historically closely linked together
• Govern our sexual behaviour
• Personal & private interactions
• Property inheritance
• Division of labour
• Sociology
• How this is structured, transforming, the cause, effects
• Marriage:
• Legally or ritually recognized as a social contraction
• Traditionally based on a sexual relationship
• Common law makes this definition difficult
• Historically - associated with the creation of a family, most basic functional
unit
• Religion - divine contract given by 'god'
• Types of marriages:
1.
Monogamy (norm, 1 spouse)
2.
Polygamy (more than 1 spouse)
3.
Polygyny (man has more than 1 spouse)
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4.
Polyandry (woman has more than 1 spouse)
• Same-sex marriage - legal
• Polygamy/bigamy - illegal
• State has to give all the spouses benefits
• Property would be divided into multiple ways
• This practice of having more than 1 wife is historic
• Polygamy
• Religious implications in history
• Deemed a crime in 1892
• Very popular in the USA
• More popular than presidential candidates
• "Consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy
• TV shows Sister wives
• Pro-polygamous websites
• Polyamory
• "Consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy"
• Not marriage but having more than 1 partner or relationship
• This is not a felony
• 21% prevalence in the USA
• Polygamy vs. polyamory
• Polyamory is usually short-term, can not claim state benefits like health
care
• The state does not recognize polyamory
• Common law (living together but not married) - recognized by law, can
get state benefits
• Marriage complications
• Can't be drunk at the ceremony
• Can't be sick?
• No age regulation for common law but there is for legal marriage (18-
19 years)
• Cougar phenomenon
• Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association (CPAA)
• Once a polyamorous union involves polygamous marriage, it becomes
a crime
• Transformations in marriage
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
