A Brief Study on Family and Marriage

Objective – Explain basic sociological concepts of the family, marriage, and intimate relationships. (Pg. 365)

God created marriage as a union between man and woman. A woman, while still having a mind of her own and control over her own life, is under the authority of her husband. This frightens some women, who fear oppression at the hands of their husbands. While it is true that some men abuse the system that God set up for man and woman, not all men act as such. The Bible states monogamy is what God laid down as a foundational law of marriage,

Marriage, a tradition that has been practiced throughout history, unifies two people in a personal relationship. Marriage has been a topic of controversy for ages. Whether it be in ancient Greece, in the Elizabethan Era, or in modern times, there are differences and similarities in marriages and relationships between these three time periods. As shown in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, marriages in ancient Greece were very strict. Marrying someone during the Elizabethan Era meant that a person would have almost no say in their marriage. In modern times, however, people are allowed to pick out their suitor, but even in this time and age, there are some limitations of who a person can marry. These limitations, based on

What important changes in family patterns do you see today? Today I see family patterns change in many perspectives ways. Families are more independent. They form their own opinions in their decision making. Do you see positive changes, negative changes, or both? I would have to say that I see both positive and negative changes in families. The positive that I see is that many husbands are more involved with their children and even some are now stay home dads taking care of the children while women go to work, the negative that I see is that there are many people filing for divorce and children being raised by single parents. What do they mean for families, in your opinion? My opinion is that most people are

xxxv. Husbands and fathers provided economic support and protection and represented the families to the outside world

When I interviewed Abigail Snaza, I gained more surprising results. When I asked her about who should be in charge in a relationship, without any hesitation, she spat out, “the woman.” She has a very independent demeanor, yet her prior questions had not suggested that was the answer she would give. She stated, “I think the man should be the head of the house and the protector of the rest of the family” (A. Snaza, personal communication, November 19, 2015). This statement alone would lead me to believe that she was more for traditional roles within marriage. However, she validated her statement of the woman being in charge with stating, “I think guys just have too much going on and women are more family focused and have the best interest at

Avril Lavigne revealed her split with Chad Kroeger ending their two years of marriage on her Instagram account on Wednesday. The Canadian-French singer shared the sad news along with their wedding photo which made it more dramatic.

Mary has a partner she has known for seven years. Of recent, Mary shared with a friend that she was being abused by her partner. When asked how, she mentioned that he occasionally gets angry and is physically abusive and ‘smacks’ her across the face. On more than one occasion, he has insisted on sex and forced himself upon her. Beyond this, Mary says he has worked on her psyche with his threats. They have completed mandatory sessions and now seek counseling.

The concept of a traditional American family has been profoundly changed over the last 100 years. Fewer marriages are forming, divorce rates are higher than ever, and childlessness is much more common. The decline of marriage and family life seems to be the inevitable product of progressive ideas and modern socio-political conditions. Feminist and contemporary liberal critics of marriage and family life appeal to individual rights, liberty, consent, equality, and love as they seek to dismantle and undermine commitment to marriage and family life. However, some scholars would propose that the actions and words of America’s Founders show how to reconcile marriage and family life with the same modern ideas of equality, individual rights, and

Marriage can be viewed through any of the three main sociological perspectives: symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory. We will examine each one of these perspectives individually.     First, we will discuss marriage through the functionalist perspective. Functionalists say that marriage fulfills the basic needs of society: economic production, recreation, sexual control, the socialization and incorporation of children, reproduction, and the care of elders. The family fulfills these roles.

The nuclear family has undergone significant changes since the 17th century. Edward Shorter, author of The Making of the Modern Family, comparatively and chronologically depicted how the role of the family has changed throughout the United States, England, and many regions of Europe. He traced the history of the family starting in the 17th century through the early 1970s and was primarily concerned with ordinary men who were peasants, industrial workers, and artisans, as well as focusing on their families. Shorter used elements of historical sociology and psychohistory in his argument. He focused on the ordinary man and his family as well as the patterns of change that occurred over the course of time in different regions. However, he also psychoanalyzed these groups of people in regards to their feelings and how much importance they placed on things such as love, relationships, and the idea of the family.

For Essay 4, I will be researching the myth of the nuclear family and the evolution of both familism and marriage in the 20th and 21st century. For decades, family has been the cornerstone of western culture, both as a priority and a necessity. When we hear the term "nuclear family," we typically associate it with the modern American family, which has one mom, one dad, and two kids all living as one perfect unit. This term was coined at the end of World War 2, and since then, divorce rates have skyrocketed, interracial and same-sex marriages have become more common and surprisingly, less people are getting married and having children. The myth of the typical American nuclear family is dead. The purpose of my paper is simply to inform my audience. I, myself, am curious to learn the reasons behind why people are less and less interested in having families and what caused Americans to shift their perspective about marriage. I have found a few sources that follow the evolution of the American family, many of which argue that the institution of family is now becoming unstable. However, I have also found sources who claim that the institution of family and marriage has and will continue to be a stable and

A woman wants love, security and protection. The husbands’ greatest need is to receive respect from his family, but at the same time his greatest fear is to lose respect from his wife and children. The only other need the man has, after respect is to be admired by his wife and family. Along with the needs of the husband and wife are the responsibilities of both individuals. Because of the fact that the man holds the family together by being the head of the household, his responsibilities far surpass the woman’s role in spirituality, significance and leadership.

Today, the idea of marriage conjures images of bashful brides beautifully draped in all white, of grandiose flower arrangements climbing towards the ceiling, of romance personified. As an institution in this modern world, marriage represents the apex of romantic love, with an entire industry of magazines, movies, and television shows devoted to perpetuating marriage as an idealized symbol of the ultimate love between two people. Contrarily, as a sociological institution, marriage comes from much more clinical and impersonal origins, contrasting with the passion surrounding modern understandings of the institution. Notably, french anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss theorizes that the institution of marriage emerged from a need to form alliances between groups, with women functioning as the property exchanged so that such alliances could be solidified (Levi-Strauss).

As I reflect on this five-week course of Marriage and Family, it has challenged me to embrace who I am as a biblical woman of God and continue to grow in Christ. I am free to be that biblical woman. God has made me in His image and I am to bear this image to the world. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 English Standard Version). I know that God desires for me to be that woman of excellence, as I strive every day to live out the truth of who God is and to glorify and serve Him. “In this culture, there is so much emphasis on the outward beauty of a woman. “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:3-4 King James Version. As a biblical woman, I do not look for the world to validate who I am. It is the truth of God’s word that validates me. I give all reference to God, for the woman I am. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30 English Standard Version).