1 Family Formation & BeliefsH607: Ethnicity, Context & Family Dynamics
2 The Plan What is a family Demographics and family trendsConceptualizations of family Family Universals(?) Demographics and family trends Pathways to family formation Functions of family for individuals/society Beliefs about children & families Why have them? Goals for them?
3 What is a family?
4 What is a family?
5 What is a family? “…the primary engine of human organization and survival” (Tucker & James, 2005). Implicit beliefs… What family forms are validated? Should be validated? What are the benefits and costs of defining family?
6 Family Universals? Are there any? Common residenceEconomic co-operation Reproduction & Sexuality How should family be defined? (US/Other places?) Do families require children?
7 “Official” Definition of Family“two or more person who are related by blood, marriage or adoption and who are living together as 1 household” (US Bureau of Census, 2000) Household: All persons or groups of persons who occupy a dwelling such as a house, apartment, single room or other space intended for living quarters.
8 Demographics trends Increase in proportion of life as a single personIncrease in years spent in formal education Prior to 1960 few people attended college (9.7% of men; 5.8% of women) By 2000—28% of men & 24% of women Now… slightly more women than men attend college Dramatic increase in women’s labor force participation 1960—58% of single women worked (32% for married women) By 2000—68% of single women worked (62% of married women) Increased geographic mobility Diminished link between marriage and childbearing/rearing
9 Trends in Family FormationDeclines in marriage & child bearing between , with sharp increase in 1950s, followed by decline post 1960 Age at first marriage has increased Number of never marrieds increased Cohabitation has increased sharply from 11% in late 1960s to 44% in early 1980s Married women are having fewer children
10 US Opinion Poll (Pew Research Center, 2007)Single Women Having Children: Is this trend a good thing for society, a bad thing for society or doesn't it make much difference?
11 Pathways to Family Formation and AdulthoodBased on 2500 women from a Nationally Representative sample. Followed from age 18 to 23 years Focused on probability of Being in school Working full time Having children Cohabiting Marriage At each age Amato, P. R., Landale, N. S., Havasevich-Brooks, T.C. Booth, A., Eggebeen, D. H., Schoen R. & McHale, S. M (2008). Precursors of young women’s family formation pathways. Journal of marriage and Family, 70,
12 7 Pathways or Profiles College, no family formation 29%In school until age 21, increasing full time work Little family formation behavior High School—no family formation 19% In school until 18, increase in full time work Cohabiting without children 15% In school until 18, modest increase in fulltime work Sharp increase in cohabitation, followed by increase in marriage by age 22, 23 No children Married Mothers 14% Almost all of these women were married by age 21—no level of cohabitation before Marriage followed by children with almost all having children by age 23
13 7 Pathways or Profiles Single Mothers 10% Cohabiting mothers 8%Probability of being a parent at age 18 was almost half and it rose to 1 by age 23 Cohabitation and marriage not high Increasing labor force participation Cohabiting mothers 8% Nonmarital cohabiting at half by age 18 and rose to 1 by age 23 Motherhood rose in the same pattern reaching a probability of 1 by age 21 Inactive 5% Sharp decline in the probability of being in school Probability of full time work low No family formation behavior 44% were still living with parents
14 Predicting Pathways Constructs examined Personal Social ResourcesHigh self esteem Low depression Feeling cared for Close with parents Liking school Family Socioeconomic Resources & Adolescent achievement High achievement scores Parent education/income Not being black(!) High grades No disability Conservative values & behaviors Religiosity Ever having sex Low number of sex partners Not having had sex by age 16
15 Predicting Pathways College, no family formation highest on all variables except conservative values High school no family formation had more resources than the others (except college no family formation) and high conservative values Married mothers looked very similar to high school, no family formation Lower family resources, adolescent achievement, & conservative values predicted cohabiting without children, single mothers cohabiting mothers GENERAL CONCLUSION—greater social, economic, and academic resources is associated with delaying family formation
16 Why have children in the first place?Economic Utility Love and Affection Self Actualization/Generativity vs. Stagnation (ala Maslow, Erikson) WAIT!! We shouldn’t have children! Over population/Zero Population Growth
17 Ideas about children Decreasing desire for obedience in childrenIncreased preference for children to be autonomous and tolerant Children have increased desire for parent who respects their opinion Increased belief about “investing” in children
18 Siblings on the decline…Whereas over population was a concern of the past, “low fertility” is the current concern. Almost half of the world’s population, live in countries with “low fertility.”
19 Let’s play “Family Brood”Why have another child? Top 4 reasons are on the board…. Down with the only child!! Preference for child of opposite gender Preference for boy Religious beliefs
20 Why the rise of the only child?The combination of Low child mortality Urban/industrial/post industrial economy Emphasis on education and parental investment to succeed Increased incompatibility of work and family Increase in effective birth control Delay in child bearing, sometimes resulting in fewer children than planned
21 More countries drop to replacement levelsHalf of humanity will only have enough children to replace themselves—2.1 children per woman More countries drop to replacement levels In 1970, 24 countries were below replacement. 2009—70 countries 2015—95 countries Economist October 29, 2009
22 GDP and Fertility Economist Oct. 29, 2009
23 Fertility trends Morgan & Taylor, 2006
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25 Implications of decreasing fertilityIncreased pressure and investment on children “Greying” of populations, decreasing workforce Potential(?) for curbing of overpopulation on global resource Results in decreased population Developed countries still use more resources
26 Summary: Family is a dynamic systemCulture and context shape definitions roles of families, the trajectory of family formation Families and family formation are changing globally Changing Ideas about children, childhood, & whether to have children Differential population growth The parts of the global population that are growing the fastest are not the cultures that customarily are the most powerful
27 Coming next… Transracial/International Adoption Thanksgiving breakPresentation Schedule & Team member evaluations are on the website