marriage, a socially constructed relationship that assumes financial and sexual cooperation between two people, and family, a group of people connected by blood, marriage, adoption, or agreed upon relationship
courtship, seeking an individual’s affection or establishing contractual terms, usually with the intent of forming a long-term relationship
Homogamy, marrying or establishing a relationship with someone with similar social and economic characteristics
- Age: The median age for first marriages in the U.S. is 28 for women and 30 for men (Statista 2022).
- Education: Individuals generally have relationships with someone of a similar educational level. Individuals tend to socialize in groups whose members have similar norms, values, and beliefs, all of which education has a role in developing.
- Social class: We live in class-segregated societies with people of similar economic levels. People go to grocery stores, bookstores, and restaurants within their class-segregated neighborhoods, where they tend to meet people of the same social class.
- Religion: Rarely do individuals marry outside of their religious faith. Hindus don’t generally marry Muslims or Christians. However, it is fairly common for individuals of different Christian denominations to marry; for example, a Baptist might marry a Methodist. Some religions disapprove of interfaith marriage, and couples with different religious backgrounds must confront issues concerning child-rearing, holidays, celebrations, and religious practices.
- Physical characteristics: People usually partner with someone of similar attractiveness. This includes individuals choosing someone similar in height, weight, and even activity levels. Those who enjoy the outdoors and exercise regularly to maintain their weight are less likely to be attracted to overweight individuals who prefer a sedentary lifestyle binge-watching TV series on Netflix.
- Race: This is one aspect of homogamy that has seen significant change over the years. The ban on interracial marriage was lifted in the U.S. in 1967, and 87 percent of Americans approve of interracial marriages compared to only 4 percent in 1959. Still, in 2019, only 11 percent of all married U.S. adults had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. Among couples who married in 2019, 19 percent were intermarried (Parker and Barroso 2021).
- Propinquity: Individuals tend to marry someone in close geographic proximity, such as those who live or work near them. This is due to repeated exposure that allows relationships to form instead of the limited exposure of long-distance relationships.
cohabitation, a residential pattern in which a couple lives together without the benefit of legal marriage
After one year, 30 percent of young adults get married, 9 percent break up the relationship, and 62 percent continue cohabiting. By the third year, 58 will be married, 19 percent will have parted ways, and 23 percent will still be in the relationship
monogamy, a marriage between two people, or even serial monogamy, a marriage pattern in which one person has multiple spouses but not at the same time.
polyamory, intimate relationships with multiple partners, with the informed consent of all partners
Polygamy, a legally sanctioned or illegal marital relationship in which one person has more than one husband or wife at the same time
patriarchal, lines of descent traced through the paternal side of the family and characterized by male dominance
Polygyny, a legally sanctioned or illegal marital relationship in which one man has multiple wives
Polyandry, a legally sanctioned or illegal marital relationship in which one woman has multiple husbands,
matriarchal, lines of descent traced through the maternal side of the family and characterized by the dominance of women, system
It is estimated that 53 percent of marriages worldwide are arranged (Statistic Brain 2016)
covenant marriages, a legally binding marriage requiring pre-marital counseling, and more limited grounds for divorce
endogamy, marrying or establishing a relationship within one’s own social group or category, as required by custom or law
exogamy, marrying or establishing a relationship outside one’s social group or category.
family of orientation, the family in which you are raised and socialized due to birth, adoption, or a blended family, was chosen for you. By comparison, your family of procreation, the family you choose to create through marriage, agreed-upon relationships, or the birth or adoption of children, will be your choice with few limitations. Families are based on kinship, a social relationship pattern based on blood, marriage, or adoption, and consist of two primary types of families — extended, a family with other kin such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living in the same household or nearby (C-19), and nuclear, a family consisting of one or more parents and children.
Blended families, families in which one or both spouses have children from previous relationships
neolocal, a living pattern in which a couple establishes their own residence independent of their parents, residence instead. Other cultures incorporate a matrilocal, a living pattern in which a couple resides with or near the wife’s parents, residential structure. Another type of residence is a patrilocal, a living pattern in which a couple resides with or near the husband’s parents.
childfree, individuals who choose not to have children, defy society’s normal patterns and expectations (Livingston and Cohn 2010). Why? Variables such as educational attainment, career goals, finances, race, and social attitudes seem to impact why individuals remain childfree. DINKS, Double Income, No Kids, couples grew steadily during the latter part of the 20th century. Women and men who are childless, individuals who cannot have children for biological reasons
helicopter parent, a well-meaning, overprotective, and overly involved parent that does not promote the characteristic of independence
free-range parenting, a style of parenting that deemphasizes scheduling and supervision and emphasizes extreme independence.
Parents’ choice of parenting style can result in their children being more likely to become juvenile delinquents.
This is true.
- Authoritarian parents attempt to maintain strict control over their child’s life.
- Permissive parents give the child extensive freedom to make choices with little input from the parent (Baumrind 1971).
- Authoritative parents offer a middle-ground combination of control and freedom (Baumrind 1991).
- Neglectful parents have low involvement in the child’s life (Maccoby and Martin 1983).
Long-term marital success is based on a combination of romantic love and luck.
- Physical violence: when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, or using other types of physical force
- Sexual violence: forcing a partner to take part in a sex act when the partner does not consent
- Threats: using words, gestures, weapons, or other means to communicate the intent to cause physical and/or sexual harm through violence
- Emotional abuse: threatening a partner or their possessions or loved ones or harming a partner’s sense of self-worth (e.g., stalking, name-calling, intimidation, or not letting a partner see friends and family)
- One in four women (25 percent) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime.
- Between 600,000 and 6 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, and between 100,000 and 6 million men, depending on the type of survey used to obtain the data.
- Nearly three out of four (74 percent) Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
child abuse,physical, emotional, or sexual harm or mistreatment of a child
Elder abuse, the physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse or exploitation of an elder by a caregiver or trusted individual,
Substance abuse, the use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances that results in negative consequences for the user and those around them,
- increase in cohabitation and more children born to unmarried couples
- more divorceless divorces (family break-ups among unmarried couples)
- more flash divorces (marriages that last only weeks or months)
- more same-sex marriages and interracial marriages
- wider marriage gap (fewer lower-income couples marrying as compared to college-educated couples)
In 1978, 59 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds were married, compared to just 29 percent in 2018. One-half of 18- to 29-year-olds lived with one or both of their parents and 15 percent of all young adults ages 25 to 34 lived in their parent’s household in 2022 (U.S. Census Bureau 2022; Bort 2015; Wang and Parker 2014). Cohabitation in the 1950s was uncommon, and married couples often stayed together for the children’s sake. Since then, significant changes have occurred, and there are more changes to come over the next 50 years. More single men will likely become dads by adoption. Extended families may become the norm due to economic necessity. Egalitarian marriages may supplant the patriarchal marriage model. We can predict that marriage and family in 2070 will only vaguely resemble today’s marriages and family forms.