Lecture Twelve: Sociology of the Family

What is a Family?

Alternatives to traditional families

The Sociologist's definition

Cross-cultural differences in families

Nuclear versus extended

Marriage patterns

Residential Patterns

Ancestry

Differences in Families Across Class

The Decline of the Family

Transitions in the families

Divorce

Remarriage -- 4 or 5 divorcees remarry.

When the kids leave home

Sociological Theory and the Family

Functionalist

Social Inequality (Conflict) perspective

Who benefits more from Marriage, the man or the woman?