SYG2000 – Principles of Sociology
Tuesday, October 28th 2008 - Agenda
1.Announcements
-Exam 2 is on Thursday
-Community Service... you should be more than ½ done with your hours.
-What's up on campus & in the community?
-UF Asian Studies and the City of Gainesville Cultural Affairs presents “Documenting China: Photography and Social Change” – TODAY Oct. 28 through Jan 4 from 9-5pm in the Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave.
-Gators for a Sustainable Campus – TODAY Oct. 28 at 6:30pm in CSE E121
-VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood presents “Sex on the Lawn” - Oct. 29 8:30am-4pm at the Reitz Union North Lawn
-Immigrants’ Rights as Human Rights: A Presentation by UF Professor Hernandez – Oct. 29 from 12pm – 1pm at the UF Law School
-College Students for Cancer Awareness and Raising Emotions Through Sports presents “Who C.A.R.E.S?? (Cancer Awareness Forum) – Oct. 29 from 7pm- 9:30pm in the Graham Area, Graham Gallery
-IBC presents “Conversations with Black Faculty and Staff” – Oct. 29 at 6:30pm in the Pugh Hall Lobby
-Workshops for CLAS Majors – Oct. 29 at 4pm in the Career Resource Center
-Depression Screening – Oct. 30 from 11am – 1:30pm in the front lawn of the Student Health Care Center
-Filipino-American History Month Closing Ceremony – Oct. 30 from 7-10pm at the Amphitheatre
-Center for African Studies presents “Reconstructing Lives and Community in Post-War Angola” – Oct. 31 at 3:30pm in Grinter Hall, Room 404
2. Questions???
3. Today:
Collect Extra Credit from last week
Contemporary American Families (myths & trends)
Review for Exam 2
Exercise:
Imagine that you meet the “perfect partner” -- someone with whom you could really spend the rest of your life. What would your relationship be like? List 10 attributes of your relationship.
Mutual Trust
Mutual Delight in Differences
Great Communication
Honesty
Spontaneity
Appreciates and do not impede each others independence
Respect
Funny
Interesting
Intelligent
Cooperation
Faithful
Responsibility
Thoughtfulness
Love each other
Attracted to each other (good looking)
Able to forgive
Comfortable
Have a job
Affectionate
Intelligent
Goal Oriented
Want to have kids (mutually)
A good listener
Understanding
Romantic
Stable
Sexually passionate
Accept each others families
Agreement on major future issues (religion, caretaking arrangements, finances, etc)
Treats family members well
Willing to compromise
Financially stable
Mutually religious
7 Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
1. Be aware of what you and your partner want for yourselves and what you want from the relationship.
2. Let one another know what your needs are.
3. Realize that your partner will not be able to meet all your needs. Some of these needs will have to be met outside of the relationship.
4. Be willing to negotiate and compromise on the things you want from one another.
5. Do not demand that a partner change to meet all your expectations. Work to accept the differences between your ideal mate and the real person you are dating.
6. Try to see things from the other’s point of view. This doesn’t mean that you must agree with one another all the time, but rather that both of you can understand and respect each other’s differences, points of view, and separate needs.
7. Where critical differences do exist in your expectations, needs, or opinions, try to work honestly and sincerely to negotiate. Seek professional “coaching” early rather than waiting until the situation becomes critical.
Research shows that most relationships end because of:
-problems with communication
-problems with money
-problems with communicating about money
Questions to ask before getting married...
Defining “Family” – ICA #6 – Write your CODEWORD at the top
1. Define or describe the image that immediately comes to mind when you hear the phrase “The American Family.”
2. How does your own family relate to (or differ from) this image (that you explained above)?
3. Do you think that your definition of “The American Family” is accurate? Where do you think you got this image? (from “reality”? from images on TV & movies?) Do you have examples of how you were informed of this image.
4. Thinking critically (like a sociologist), what might be a more accurate image of “The American Family”?
Discussion of the media as perpetuating mythical images of “families.”
Contemporary American Families: Myths & Trends
-less than ¼ of all households in the US are married with children
-people are delaying parenting or choosing not to have children
-the most common type of household in the US (in 2000) was married without children (28.7%) and single-person (25.5%).
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Note that the age at first marriage is increasing:
In the U.S., its currently 28.7 years for men, 26.8 years for women
And more people than ever are choosing not to marry.
Myth 1: The Universal Nuclear Family:
While some form of marriage and family is found in all human societies, the idea that there is a universal, or single, marriage and family pattern blinds us to the historical reality of diversity in terms of marriages and families.
Myth 2: The SelfReliant Traditional Family:
Assumes that families were held together by hard work, family loyalty and a fierce determination not to be beholden to anyone, especially the state (charity).
In fact, United States families have always depended to some degree on other institutions and networks, churches, neighbors, courts, government officials, and legislative bodies, as well as African American slaves and Native Americans.
Myth 3: The Naturalness of Different Spheres for Wives and Husbands:
This myth dates to the nineteenth century when economic changes led to the development of separate spheres for women and men. Wives and mothers became caregivers and the moral guardians of the family, while husbands and fathers provided economic support and protection and represented their families to the outside world.
Myth 4: The Unstable African American Family:
Is fueled by racist stereotypes and media exaggerations and distortions that overlook the diversity of African American life.
This myth draws on some real trends that affect the African American community. Many sociologists today argue that there is no one family type, and African American families, like other families, should not be viewed as deviant departures from white middleclass forms.
Myth 5: The Idealized Nuclear Family of the 1950s:
Consisted of a wise father who worked outside the home; a mother who stayed home to care for husband, children, and home; and wellbehaved, obedient children.
Compared to the 1990s, the 1950s were characterized by younger age at marriage, higher birth rates, and lower divorce and premarital pregnancy rates.
However, those rates represented an alltime high for the United States, and are attributed to reaction to the hardships of the Depression and WWII.