1.3_ModuleLesson1

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Humber College *

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Sociology

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Feb 20, 2024

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Lesson: Introduction to Sociology of the Family Learning Outcomes • Define the family (LO1). • Define sociology (LO2). • Describe how empiricism differs from other ways of knowing (LO3). • Provide examples of concepts related to social context (social structure, culture, norms and values, socialization, inequalities, and social change) (LO4). Lesson Adapted from Professor Curtis Jones What is a Family? There are several ways to define the term " family ". Some definitions of the family are more prescriptive in nature, and others are more functional . Let's look at these two ways to define the family. Prescriptive Definition of Family A prescriptive definition of the family tells us what families “ should ” be; that is, who "should/should not" be included in a family. For example, some politicians and religious leaders argue things like, “ kids do best when they have a mother and a father ”, etc., but we know that many healthy and well-functioning families do not look like this. Ideas about what families “ should ” be are arguably more relevant to one's own personal philosophy, ethics, or religion. Functional Definition of Family A functional definition of the family focuses on the activities that family members do together . The Vanier Institute of the Family (2023), a Canadian research organization, gives a functional definition of the family that we will use throughout our course: " Any combination of two or more persons who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth and/or adoption or placement and who, together, assume responsibilities for variant combinations of some of the following: • Physical maintenance and care of group members • Addition of new members through procreation or adoption • Socialization of children • Social control of members • Production, consumption, distribution of goods and services • Affective nurturance – love"

The Vanier Institute's (2023) definition of the family is purposefully broad , because there are many forms that families can take . For example, their definition of the family includes (but is not limited to): "single parents, same-sex couples, step-families, married or common-law couples (with or without children), skip- generation families, and more" (Vanier Institute, 2023). To give you a sense of this diversity , consider the following. The American sitcom Modern Family portrayed three families within one larger extended family. Phil and Claire’s family most resembled the “ traditional ” family, with heterosexual marriage and children. Jay and Gloria form a blended family - Jay is divorced, Gloria has a son from a previous relationship, and Jay and Gloria also have a son together. Cam and Mitchell are a same-sex couple who adopt a daughter. All of these fit the Vanier Institute’s definition of families, as they perform the functions listed above . Another way to think about family types is shown in the diagram below. Based on information collected in the United States between 2010-2014, it shows the 50 most common types of family . While the most common arrangement of living alone is NOT a type of family, all of the other 49 types fit under the Vanier Institute’s definition of a family . Nuclear families refer to families made of adults and their children. Extended families refer to families made of related individuals outside parent-child relationships, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Composite families refer to families that include non- biological relatives.

The 50 most common family types in the United States (Sorrel, 2016). The Vanier Institute also has an important mission statement : “ To advance the understanding of well- being of families in Canada in all their diversities, recognizing that families are at the core of a healthy and inclusive society ” (Vanier Institute, 2023). To understand how families operate, we need to understand the bigger picture, to learn about what happens outside of the family. As we will see below, this is directly related to the definition of sociology . What is Sociology? Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human society and social structure . If you took a sociology course in high school or college some of the information in this week's lesson may be review. If you haven’t, it will help you explain what sociology is, and some of the important concepts that sociologists use to understand families and other groups in our society. Why should sociology matter to you? As early childhood educators this course will illustrate how our larger society impacts/relates to your every day life and work. Consider how sociology can help us understand issues related to your lives as ECEs, such

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as the way that Covid-19 has affected childcare. About 70% of childcare centres in Canada laid off some or all of their staff as a result of the epidemic (Friendly et al., 2020), and many problems remain in childcare: • Childcare centres struggled to re-open . During the pandemic, lower enrollment fees and higher sanitation costs undermined the financial well-being of many centres. • There were fears of labour shortages in childcare . Because the work has been low-paid and undervalued for a long time, many workers were seeking jobs elsewhere. • Lack of affordable childcare was a primary reason why many workers cut their hours during the epidemic. If workers can’t find childcare they may continue to work less, which could slow or stall economic recovery (Friendly et al., 2020). You may notice that the problems above have a lot to do with economic factors and money . While recent legislation is leading to improvements (Government of Canada, 2022), childcare in many parts of Canada has historically been underfunded , leaving workers underpaid and parents competing for precious childcare spots (Bakx, 2022). And when parents do secure one of those spots, they can still be quite expensive . This course will teach you about how issues or problems you notice in an individual daycare or family connect to larger societal issues. When you become aware of these larger social issues, you can begin to think about ways that you can make a difference. Making a difference might mean working with others to fight for social change , just as past generations have fought for same-sex rights, women’s rights, or worker’s rights. Sociological thinking and awareness are the first steps in that process. One of the topics discussed in sociology that helps us understand societal changes and trends is demographics , which are statistics that tell us about societal structures and characteristics of specific groups within populations . For example, one of the demographic trends related to family structures that we will discuss in the course is fertility rates - that is, the average number of children born in a particular time frame. The following graph tracks fertility from the 1950s to 2015 . As you can see, the demographic trend worldwide and in individual countries is towards fewer children and smaller families : Average number of children per woman, worldwide and selected countries, 1950 to 2015. Source: Roser, 2014. Consider the following discussion/reflection questions: 1. Between 1950 and today, what cultural norms, values, and social structures have changed to encourage smaller families? 2. While the overall trends are towards smaller families, average families are larger in some countries (like India and South Africa) than others (e.g. Canada). What might account for these differences between countries? 3. From the point of view of an individual family, what are the benefits and drawbacks of having larger families? 4. From the point of view of an individual family, what are the benefits and drawbacks of having smaller families? References Bakx, K. (2022). Affordable child-care program providing relief for families amid rising cost of living. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-priced-out-child-care-1.6369402

Friendly, M., Ballantyne, M., Anderson, L. (2020). Rebuilding childcare in Canada must include a national strategy. Policy Options. https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/july-2020/rebuilding-childcare-in- canada-must-include-a-national-strategy/ Government of Canada (2022). Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/child-care.html Mills, C. W. (2000). The Sociological Imagination . Oxford. Roser, M. (2014). Fertility. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate Sorrel, C. (2016). The nuclear family is still the majority of US households—just barely. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3062162/the-nuclear-family-is-still-the-majority-of-us- households-just-barely Vanier Institute. (2023) Definition of family. https://vanierinstitute.ca/definition-of-family/ © Fanshawe College. All rights reserved. Lesson Adapted from Professor Curtis Jones

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