CAS PS 370 Study Guide - Spring 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety, Genogram
12 Oct 2018
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CAS PS 370
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Defining Family
How does US cesus defie faily? - Any group of people united by ties of
marriage, blood, or adoption, or any sexually expressive relationship, in which (1)
the adults cooperate financially for their mutual support, (2) the people are
committed to one another in an intimate interpersonal relationship, (3) the
members see their individual identities as importantly attached to the group, and (4)
the group has an identity of its own
How do psychologists & sociologists defie faily?
Form
o Structural definition = family is defined by objective criteria (e.g.
blood or legal ties)
EX: Nuclear family, extended family, gay and lesbian family,
single family, cohabitating family, family of origin, step family,
etc.
Function
o Task-oriented definitions = family is defined by the task members
perform
EX: providing financial, emotional support
Interaction
o Transactional definition = defined by interaction that fosters intimacy,
interdependence, commitment, feelings of family identity, emotional
ties, boundaries for family membership and an ongoing history and
future
How could the following groups fit the definition of family?
Mom, Son, Daughter? – Form or Function
Two adult cousins who share a house together? – Function
Pros/Cons of defining family by task performance or interaction vs. biology
Who do you think would be awarded custody of a child? His biological
mother, biological father or third party who cared for the child? Here are the
case facts: Mother is drug addict, fathers locatio is ukow, ad Thoas
was previously married to mother but has taken care of child, Ben.
o RESULT: Court put unprecedented scrutiny on blood ties, so Thomas
was deeed childs legal father. No adoption processes necessary.
Interaction took presence over structural definition of family
US Family Demographic Trends
Marriage and cohabitation
Single parenting
Family size
Remarriage and step families
Extended family and multigenerational living
Lifespan
Marriage/Birth Rates
Rated depend on # of people of marrying age
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Peak in 1945 after WWII, then declined rapidly in 1960. Since, the
rate has been in gradual decline due to: delay of first marriages until
older ages, increase of unmarried cohabitation, and a small decrease
in the tendency of divorced persons to marry
How desirable marriage is: economically, politically, socially, culturally
o American families and households have been shrinking. Factors
include changes in fertility, marriage, and divorce
Marriage Trends over last 60 years
Median age of marriage:
o Peak in 1890:
Men (26 yrs.) - Women (22 yrs.)
o Low in 1950:
Men (22.5) - Women (20.1)
o Steady rise through 2006:
Men (27) - Women (25)
Possible contributing causes to postponing marriage
More cohabitating couples
Increased acceptance of non-marital cohabitation
More opportunities for non-marital sexual expression
Why are fewer women marrying?
Fewer women marrying: unmarried adult women are marrying almost ½ the
rate they were in 1970
o waiting until they are older
o cohabiting rather than marrying
o some not remarrying after divorce
Related trends: more career opportunities, people are better off financially,
people live longer, smaller families, wider acceptance of remaining single
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Form: structural definition = family is defined by objective criteria (e. g. blood or legal ties) Ex: nuclear family, extended family, gay and lesbian family, single family, cohabitating family, family of origin, step family, etc. Function: task-oriented definitions = family is defined by the task members perform. Interaction: transactional definition = defined by interaction that fosters intimacy, interdependence, commitment, feelings of family identity, emotional ties, boundaries for family membership and an ongoing history and future. Pros/cons of defining family by task performance or interaction vs. biology. Interaction took presence over structural definition of family. Rated depend on # of people of marrying age: peak in 1945 after wwii, then declined rapidly in 1960. Since, the rate has been in gradual decline due to: delay of first marriages until older ages, increase of unmarried cohabitation, and a small decrease in the tendency of divorced persons to marry. How desirable marriage is: economically, politically, socially, culturally: american families and households have been shrinking.
