1. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Marriages and Families
2. Sociological Perspectives on the Family
2.1. Social Functions of the Family
2.1.1. One of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of children. In most societies the family is the major unit through which socialization occurs.
2.2. The Family and Conflict
2.3. Families and Social Interaction
3. Family Patterns in the United States Today Learning Objectives
3.1. Marriage
3.1.1. About 15% of all new marriages are interracial or interethnic.
3.2. The United States Compared With Other Western Nations
3.3. Families and Children in the United States
3.3.1. Depending on household income, the average child costs parents between $134,000 and $270,000 from birth until age 18.
4. Changes and Issues Affecting American Families
4.1. Cohabitation
4.1.1. Some people who are not currently married nonetheless cohabit, or live together with someone in a romantic relationship. About 8 million couples are currently cohabiting, and almost two-thirds of all women ages 19-44 have ever cohabited.
4.2. Divorce and Single-Parent Households
4.2.1. Reasons for Divorce
4.2.1.1. Disapproval of divorce has declined since the 1950s, and divorce is now considered a normal if unfortunate part of life.
4.2.2. Effects of Divorce and Single-Parent Households
4.2.2.1. One thing is clear: divorce plunges many women into poverty or near-poverty (Gadalla, 2008)
4.3. Children in Poverty
4.3.1. Poor children are at increased risk for behavioral, psychological, and health problems, not only during childhood and adolescence but also well into adulthood.
4.4. Working Mothers and Day Care
4.4.1. Western democracies in providing subsidies for day care
4.5. Marriage and Well-Being
4.5.1. Married people are generally happier than unmarried people and score higher on other measures of psychological well-being.
4.6. Same-Sex Marriages
4.6.1. Same-sex marriage is one of the most controversial issues concerning the family today. A 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling made same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States.
5. Family Violence
5.1. Violence Against Intimates
5.1.1. According to some estimates, about one-fifth of U.S. women have been assaulted by a spouse or partner at least once in their lives.
5.1.2. Some studies suggest that one-fifth of intimate relationships on campus involve at least some violence. Young people (aged 16–24) report the highest rates of domestic and dating violence in government surveys.
5.2. Child Abuse
5.2.1. Government data estimate that about 800,000 children are abused or neglected each year. Because most children do not report their abuse or neglect, the actual number is probably much higher.
6. Family: A group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or a mutual commitment and who care for one another.
7. The Family in Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives
7.1. Types of Families and Family Arrangements
7.1.1. nuclear family: A family composed of two parents and their children living in the same household.
7.1.2. Extended families: A family in which parents, children, and other relatives live in the same household.
7.1.3. Endogamy: Marriage within a social category or group, including race, ethnicity, social class, and religion.,
7.1.4. Exogamy: Marriage between social categories or groups.,
7.1.5. Patrilineal: Inheritance through the male line.
7.1.6. Matrilineal: lnheritance through the female line.
7.1.7. Patriarchal families: A family where the husband and father holds the main authority in the household.,
7.1.8. Matriarchal families:A family where the wife and mother holds the main authority in the household.,
7.1.9. Egalitarian families:A family where both spouses share authority equally.,