SOCI 371 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Family Values, Patricia Hill Collins, Church Attendance
19 Jun 2018
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01/16/2018
Scientific methods for studying families: qualitative and quantitative. Family studies have historically
been studied using quantitative methods.
Correlation- there may or may not be a causal relationship between two things but they vary together. Ex.
the relationship between family income and the educational level of the kids in that family.
Causation- a relationship where one variable causes the other to change or not.
Spurious Correlation- a relationship that seems to appear between to variables but it is actually cause by
some external or intervening variable. Ex. areas with more storks often have more babies- this is actually
caused by the fact that in rural areas there are more storks and in a agrarian economy you need more
hands to work and so you have more kids. Ex. 2- when people eat more ice cream there are more street
crimes- ‘intervening variable’- the fact that it is summer, there are more people on the streets and more
instances of street crime.
Causal logic- must be independent and dependant variable. Independant is not subject to change, causes
the change in the dependant variable. Changes in x causes changes to y.
Ex. affordability of housing determines level of homelessness.
Ex. parents church attendance determines children’s church attendance.
For a logic to be causal, changes in x must be the direct cause of changes in y.
Correlation is when x and y both change together, but one does not cause the other.
In instances of correlation, we do not know the reason for the changing variables. In causation, the cause
of the change is known.
Most divorces occur in families where women stay home. This refutes the correlation that women in the
work force and divorce rates increase together.
Backward causation- y is causing x (dependant variable causing the independent variable) ex correlation
between cohabitation and higher domestic violence. If there is domestic violence you are less likely to
marry in a cohabiting relationship. This data is used by conservative media to promote marriage and
discourage premarital cohabitation.
Intersectionality and Understanding Inequality in Families
Intersectionality- emerged as a reaction from second wave feminist theory- mostly women of colour,
started out from black feminist movement. Having a singular lens to look at family and gender
relationship because it leaves out other axises of oppression. Came out of the Combahee River Collective-
black lesbian feminists in Boston. The original women's movement was very much a white women
movement. It did not account for more layers of oppressions. 1980-1984 Kimberley Crenshaw took on a
lot of cases about racial bias, many cases from black women who had been violated because of their
gender and what she saw was that something was missing, this was not just a case of gender bias this was
also a case of racism. Kimberley Crenshaw came up with the idea of intersectionality(legal term)
Patricia Hill Collins brought this theory to sociology in the late 80s early 90s= wrote book called Black
Feminist Thought this takes the theory of intersectionality from the legal world to the academic world,
intended to create more social justice. This book is a citation classic, the theories are becoming more
prominent as we go on and become more critical.
Collins- Intersectionality- “an analysis claiming that systems of race, social classes, gender, sexualtiy,
nation and age interlock and form mutually constructing features of social organizations and social
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Document Summary
Scientific methods for studying families: qualitative and quantitative. Family studies have historically been studied using quantitative methods. Correlation- there may or may not be a causal relationship between two things but they vary together. Ex. the relationship between family income and the educational level of the kids in that family. Causation- a relationship where one variable causes the other to change or not. Spurious correlation- a relationship that seems to appear between to variables but it is actually cause by some external or intervening variable. 2- when people eat more ice cream there are more street crimes- intervening variable"- the fact that it is summer, there are more people on the streets and more instances of street crime. Causal logic- must be independent and dependant variable. Independant is not subject to change, causes the change in the dependant variable. Ex. affordability of housing determines level of homelessness. Ex. parents church attendance determines children"s church attendance.
