Unit VII-Gender and Family

Relations
Module 7:
a.The complexity of the family’s nature
b.The connection of family and marriage
c.The various structures of marriage
d.Ways of promoting gender-equality inside
the home.
The following are questions that will guide you through
this lesson:
1. Define family.
2. What makes a family structure?
3. What are the three forms of family on the basis of
structure and marriage?
4. What does family complexity mean?
5. What is the impact of family structure to child's
development?
6. How to promote gender-equality inside the home?
Family, a group of persons united by the ties of
marriage, blood, or adoption (the action or fact of
legally taking another's child and bringing it up as
one's own, or the fact of being adopted),
constituting a single household and interacting with
each other in their respective social positions,
usually those of spouses, parents, children, and
siblings.
A family is a group of two or more persons related by
birth, marriage, or adoption who live together; all such
related persons are considered as members of one family. 

Consanguineous is part of a family of "blood" relatives

that all descend from the Latin noun sanguis, meaning
"blood." Some of these relatives are found on the literal
branch of the family tree, as "exsanguination," a term for
the draining or removal of blood.
 The dangers and benefits of GMOs are
widely debated, but genetic modification is
allowed in conventional farming in the U.S.
As of 2018, any food item that is certified
organic cannot contain genetically modified
ingredients.
For sociologists, the family is considered to be the
agency of primary socialization and is called the first
focal socialization agency.
What makes a family structure?

Family structure includes the people who are

considered part of the family—present members,
as well as important figures from the past—and the
quality of the relationships among them.
What are the three forms of family on the basis of
structure and marriage?

Marriage is the legally or formally recognized union

of two people as partners in a personal relationship
(historically and in some jurisdictions specifically a
union between a man and a woman).
The three forms of family on the basis of structure and
marriage are as follows:

1. Nuclear Family - It is a unit generally

composed of married couple (in the
statuses of husband and wife) in the
role of ‘mother’ and ‘father’ or ‘parent’
and their unmarried dependent
children, either natural or adopted,
living together. It is also sometimes
referred to as ‘conjugal family’.
2. Extended Family - When
nucleus of the conjugal family is
extended by the addition of other
closely related kin (grandparents,
aunts, uncles, nephews, brothers
and their wives, cousins, sisters,
etc.)
3. Families Based on Descent, Inheritance and Residence
- Norms of descent, inheritance, authority patterns and
residence also decide the forms of family.
The patriarchal system
is characterized as
including:
1. Male dominance.
2. Male identification.
3. Male centeredness.
4. Obsession with
control.
Families formed on the basis of marriage are of two types:
1. monogamous family - in which one man marries one woman at a time
2. polyg­amous family - is formed by the concurrent marriage of one sex to two
or more members of the opposite sex.
 
Polygamous family is of two types:
a) polygynous family, in which a man may be married to more than one
woman at the same time, and
b) polyandrous family in which a woman may have two or more husbands
simultaneously. This type of family is much less common.
 What does family complexity mean?

Complex families are families where a child's biological parents do

not reside together, they may or may not have repartnered
(forming step or blended families), and/or siblings are present who
do not share the same parents.

Couple relationships are more unstable, but people are having as

many children. That means more complex families. Today, there
are more complex families. That’s down to a simple explanation –
parental unions are much more unstable than 50 years ago, but
we’re having just as many children
So, the co-location of marriage, living together and biological
connectedness that characterized families of the mid-
20th century is far less common today. There are now many
more models, such as mothers living with children from two
different partners, fathers living with stepchildren but away
from biological children, and children living with half-siblings,
whose biological father might be elsewhere. These are just a
few examples of the many variants.
What is the impact of family structure to child's development?
 
Family structure experiences matter for child development because
they influence children’s caregiving environments, including the
levels of parenting and economic resources available to or invested
in them and the nature of their relationships with their caregivers.
Biological/legal ties and stable family structures are thought to be
best for children’s development by resulting in larger, higher-quality,
and more consistent relationships and investments, both because
stable families and (married) two-biological-parent families tend to
be more socioeconomically advantaged than other families and
because parents therein have the greatest incentives to invest in
children (Berger and McLanahan 2015; Carlson and Berger 2013).
Berger LM, McLanahan SS. Income, relationship quality, and
parenting: Associations with child development in two-parent
families. Journal of Marriage and Family. 2015; 77:996–1015. [
PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]
 
Carlson MJ, Berger LM. What kids get from parents: Packages of
parental involvement across complex family forms. Social Service
Review. 2013; 87:213–249. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [
Google Scholar] [Ref list]
 
When family structures change, family resources, parental
investments, and children’s caregiving environments are likely to
also change. Indeed, the primary mechanisms that are thought to
link family structure experiences to child development are economic
resources, parental time and attention, and family conflict and
stress (Amato 2005).
 
Amato PR. The impact of family formation changes on the
cognitive, social, and emotional wellbeing of the next
generation. Future of Children. 2005;15(2):75–96. [PubMed] [
Google Scholar] [Ref list]
To the extent that complexity dilutes resources available to
children. When a commitment to one single family is broken up
and parents are coordinating across different households—
especially when new partners are involved—children may not
get as much from their families, both in terms of money and
time. For example, Dad might not trust his money to his child’s
Mom in the same way as he did when they lived together, and
economies of scale that sprang from having everyone in the
family living in one place are lost.
Also, if Dad’s children (by different mothers) live in two
households, it may be harder for him to spend quality time with
them. And moms may be navigating complex stepfamily
dynamics if their new partners aren’t related to some or all of
their co-resident children.
 
Complexity dilutes investments in children, and policy has been
slow to respond. Social programs must recognize that many
children spend time in different households and that adults may
have family commitments beyond a single household.
How to promote gender-equality inside the home?

Gender equality begins at home, and families are the front

lines of change. For the next generation, the examples set
at home by parents, care-givers and extended family are
shaping the way they think about gender and equality
 
From breaking down gender stereotypes to sharing the care
work, and educating children about women’s rights and
gender equality, here are some ways you can inspire the
future feminists in your family.
1)Talk about it.
2) Share the care work.
3) Embrace diverse role models.
4) Empower your kids to speak out.
5) Fight stereotypes, including your own.
6) Stop the body shame.
7) Listen and learn from them.
1) Talk about it.
Embrace talking to your kids about gender
equality and women’s rights. By talking to your
kids about equality between the sexes and what
still needs to be done for us to reach a gender-
equal world, you’re setting them up to lead the
way for a better future for all.
2) Share the care work.
From cooking and cleaning, to fetching water and
firewood or taking care of children and the elderly, women
carry out at least two and a half times more unpaid
household and care work than men. As a result, thousands
of women and girls miss out on equal opportunities of
going to school, or joining full-time paid work, or having
enough time to rest!
Set the example by equally dividing all housework
and childcare in your home. Involve boys in care work and
household chores from an early age, along with girls!
3) Embrace diverse role models.
Role models come in all shapes, sizes,
genders, skin tones and cultural backgrounds.
Encourage your children to embrace diversity,
show them role models from different genders,
ethnicities and color.
And remind them that they can be anything
they want to be, regardless of their gender, for
example.
4) Empower your kids to speak out.
Young people around the world are
stepping up for gender equality. When we
empower and educate young advocates
about women’s rights, we are ensuring a
better future for us all.
5) Fight stereotypes, including your own.
Gender is not about biological differences between the
sexes, rather, it’s a social construct—people define what it
means to be a boy or a girl, and these social conditionings often
expect children to conform to specific and limiting gender roles
and expectations from a young age. Researchers say, children
start absorbing stereotypes by age 3, causing 
the world to expand for boys and shrink for girls by age 10.
That’s why we have to start conversations about gender roles
early on, and challenge the features and characteristics
assigned to men and women at home, in our daily routines, in
school and in places of work.
The world to expand for boys and shrink for girls by ag
e 10
.
In almost every society, from Baltimore to Beijing,
boys are told from a young age to go outside and have
adventures, while young girls are encouraged to stay
home and do chores. In most cultures, girls are warned
off taking the initiative in any relationship and by 10
years old, already have the distinct impression that
their key asset is their physical appearance.
These are the findings of 
a new six-year study of gender expectations around the
world, which gathered data on 10- to 14-year-olds from 15
different countries of varying degrees of wealth and
development. The research teams interviewed 450
adolescents and their parents. And they found a
surprising—and somewhat depressing—uniformity of
attitudes about what it takes to be a boy or a girl.
 We all have unconscious gender biases. These are roles
that we've internalized based on our society’s set expectations
about how men and women should dress, behave and present
themselves, and in some cases, what kind of work they should
do. It’s in our hands to become aware of these biases and
challenge the stereotypes that our children constantly
encounter, whether in the media, on the street or at the
school. Let your children know that your family is a safe space
for them to express themselves as they are, by affirming their
choices, by reassuring them that it’s OK to be different, and by
encouraging a culture of acceptance.
6) Stop the body shame.
Our world is constructed in a way that makes us compare
ourselves to the beauty standards set by the media, culture and
society. We constantly measure ourselves against other people
and feel judged by our physical appearance. Body shaming is a
learned behavior, so it’s important for parents to lead by
example. Be careful not to be critical of body image, including
your own, and reject sexist, negative stereotypes of unrealistic
body standards.
Foster a body-positive lifestyle at home by showing your
children that they are not defined by how they look, but by how
they act.
7) Listen and learn from them.
Today’s youth—1.8 billion strong—represent boundless
possibilities and enormous talent to build a better future for the
world. But to truly harness that power, we need to listen to them.
Girls and boys have a role to play in achieving gender equality,
today.
Over the last few years, young people have been speaking
out about the issues affecting them, and the world. From Malala
advocating for youth education, to Greta urging us to take
climate action, young people have a lot to contribute to
conversations on human rights, climate action, gender equality
and more. We just need to listen.
 The role of the family is very important in the
introduction of gender identity in children because the
role of the family will be a pattern that shapes the
character of the child, especially parents to children,
which becomes the identity construction recorded in
the child.
 Structure offers children a sense
of security and control in a world full
of uncertainty – and helps create
healthy habits that last into
adulthood. Plus, you're building
overall healthy family relationships.
References:
https://www.hrsa.gov/get-health-care/affordable/hill-burton/family.html#:~:text=Family%3A%20A%2
0family%20is%20a,as%20members%20of%20one%20family
.
Carpenter, B.D., Mulligan, E.A. (2010). Handbook of Assessment in Clinical Gerontology (Second Edition).
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https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/kinship-and-family/3-forms-of-family-on-the-basis-of-str
ucture-and-marriage/31303
 
Manning, W. D., Brown, S. L., & Stykes, J. B. (2014). Family Complexity among Children in the United
States. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 654(1), 48–
65. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716214524515
 
Bzostek, S. H., & Berger, L. M. (2017). Family Structure Experiences and Child Socioemotional
Development During the First Nine Years of Life: Examining Heterogeneity by Family Structure
at Birth. Demography, 54(2), 513–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-017-0563-5
 
https://childandfamilyblog.com/complex-families/
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/5/compilation-gender-equality-starts-at-home