Olsen, Fuller Chapter 2:
Families and Their Functions - Past and Present

Families at each point in history
have their own sets of family values
family functions. These developed in
response to social, political, and
economic environments.

Early History

Prehistoric Families

Greek and Roman Period Families

European Medieval Families

Renaissance and Reformation Families

The Age of Reason

The Industrial Revolution

Colonial North American Family

American Industrialization and the Family

The Great Depresssion and World War II

1950s to 1970s

What has changed has been the cultural matrix that families function within.

Families react to the problems and dilemmas in society and then their reactions cause new dilemmas.

No matter what time period, families have two responsibilities toward their children.

Protect from threats to well-being

Educate them to be productive members of society

Single-Parent Families

Mother most likely to be custodial parent.

Most stereotyped structure.

Unmarried Mothers

Twenty and over

Those who chose to get pregnant

Older, more affluent, better educated, not in position to marry.

Well-thought-out decision, may involve many options.

Those who did not plan their pregnancy

Does not mean those children are not loved or wanted.

Early 20s, not as well off financially and educationally

Teen mothers

Give birth to approximately 11% of children born in US each year

Problems include lack of maturity and financial resources

Many often live in poverty, are unemployed, have low-level employment skills, have narrive educational backgrounds, and have limited parenting skills.

Has led to skip generation parenting.

Maternal grandmothers raise the young mothers' children,

Single-Parent Families: Divorce

Children go through grief process.

57% of all female-headed households have annual incomes below the national poverty line.

Inadequate nutrition

Medical concerns

Lesser quality of physical and emotional environment that families with adequate resources have.

Stigmatization

Called a broken home even though little research to prove academic achievement differences of children of divorce and children from intact homes.

Some true differences: children more comfortable talking with adults, everyone assumes more responsibility, and children may receive more praise of good grades.

Blended Families

Occur when single-parent families remarry.

Also called stepfamilies or recoupled.

This type may eventually become the largest family structure.

Most misunderstood.

Single-parent home is more similar to the infact home than a blended family.

Intact and blended most alike in appearance.

Important to udnerstand the facts and myths of blended families.

Functional Families

Effective communication patterns.

Recognition and respect.

Appreciation.

Religious or spiritual orientation.

Ability to adapt.

Connectedness.

Clear role definition.

Time together.

Dysfunctional Families

Addiction

Control

Unpredictability and fear

Conflict

Abuse

Perfectionism

Lack of diversity

What is important is not the appearance of a family, but how it functions.