History of the Family Familial mode of production

Hunting/gatheringAgriculturalEarly America

Labor market mode of productionIndustrializationModern American familyAmerican ethnic groups 20th century

Familial Mode of Production (Historical)

Families served most societal functions, including economic production

Family as basic unit of social organization

Survival was main concern Cooperation was necessary Men hunted in groups Women cared for children, gathered

food, processed game Little differentiation Roles not valued differently

Hunting and Gathering Societies:

Agricultural Societies

Improved food production: job specialization private property

Money economy Paid work got higher statusWomen and men worked together Men participated in public lifeWomen and children were men’s property

American Indian Families

Primary units were tribes Based on lineage (matrilineal,

patrilineal) Children cared for by community Tribe as extended family Passed on traditions thru stories,

teaching

European Colonists’ Families Performed public services

Education Health care Corrections Orphanages Nursing homes Poor houses

Children were economic assets High child mortality, large families

Little privacy or private life

Labor Market Mode of Production (Recent)

Families serve fewer societal functionsEconomic production more formalizedFamily as basic unit of reproduction,

consumptionEmotional bond replaces economic

contract or duty

IndustrializationRemoved work from home

Separated men’s and women’s work Increased value of education

Lengthened childhood dependency Increased cost of children

Raised standard of living, aspirations

Shifted economic production away from families

Family formation as personal choice

“Modern” American Family: 1776 to 1900

Individualism— increased choice Marriage based on respect,

affection Children as vulnerable Family size declined Parental authority eroded

Worked inside the home Thought to bring out best in

husband

“Modern” American woman:

Ideal woman was:Pure, spiritualSubmissive to man Domestic

Working class families In 1900, 15% of population born in

other countries Long hours, low wages Crowded, unsanitary living conditions Breadwinner-homemaker not

possible Children worked for pay Wives worked in home: laundry,

piecework, took in lodgers

African-American Families Maintained strong ties to kin Children before marriage Women worked Organized by lineages Gutman: slaves often married for

life; kept track of extended family

Mexican-American Families

Landowners and farmer-laborers U.S. acquired southwestern area Mexicans forced into segregated

neighborhoods (barrios). Other Hispanic groups (Cubans, Puerto

Ricans) had different experiences

Asian Families

Patrilineal heritage Emphasis on loyalty Arranged marriages Japanese internment (WW II) Immigration Act (1965) changed restrictions

placed yearly quota Different groups had different experiences

More premarital sex Fewer births Rise in marriage rate Greater emphasis on emotional

satisfaction Marriage became less necessary

Rise of the Private Family: 1900-1930

Divorce rate fell Postponement of marriage and

childbearing 1 in 5 never had children (1 in 10

norm) Possibly more abortions

Children helped out by working

The Great Depression

WWII – women entered labor force – temporarily Post-war economic boom – early marriage Baby boom - renewed emphasis on marriage,

children High point of breadwinner-

homemaker model

1940’s - 1950s

Birthrate plunged – “Contraceptive Revolution?” Changing opportunities for women?

Marriage 4-5 years later than before Young people wanted independence Divorce rate doubled 1960s–70s Cohabitation—1970s Wives, mothers working outside home

1960s and Beyond

Transition over time from:

To “f”amily Conjugal Weaker Isolated from society More freedom Voluntary, based on emotional bond

“F”amily Extended Powerful Context for life Social, financial support Based on economics, obligation