Journal Article 10.1: Wall, K., & Gouveia, R. (2014, January 30). Changing meanings of family in personal relationships. Current Sociology, 62(3), 352–373. doi:10.1177/0011392113518779
Abstract: Personal relationships are today less dependent on marriage and blood ties, with commitments going far beyond the nuclear co-resident family to include kin, non-kin and ex-kin. The aim of this article is to examine the meanings of family bonds by exploring the changing boundaries between kinship ties and a wider array of affinities, in a Southern European country with a specific pathway (Portugal). The authors begin by analyzing the ties which individuals consider as “family” within their personal networks and describe the main types of family configurations. They then examine the determinants of including non-kin as “family” and excluding kin from the family network. Findings reveal the salience of kinship ties, as well as greater fluidity in the social construction of family bonds, in particular through friendship. Structural, life stage and family variables are shaping factors, but relational effects, linked to the quality of the tie, are of particular importance.
Learning Objective: 10.1: Discuss how definitions of families are socially constructed and change over time.
Summary: In the past, families were based largely on blood ties or marriage ties, but there are now multitudes of ways to construct and define our families.

Journal Article 10.2: Cox, R. J. (2012). The impact of mass incarceration on the lives of African American women. Review of Black Political Economy, 39(2), 203–212. doi:10.1177/s12114-011-9114-2
Abstract: This paper examines the consequences of mass incarceration on various aspects of the lives of African-American women. In particular, it seeks to determine how the historically high growth rate in the prison population over the past 30 years has affected employment outcomes, family relationships, and the physical and mental health of Black women who have been incarcerated.
Learning Objective: 10.4: Diagram and explain how the institution of family interacts with other institutions.
Summary: Mass incarceration impacts more than the individual incarcerated. There are consequences that reach into the personal, physical, and economic wellness of families for generations.

Journal Article 10.3: Hugo, G., & Ukwatta, S. (2010, June 1). Sri Lankan female domestic workers overseas: The impact on their children. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 19(2), 237–263. doi:10.1177/011719681001900203
Abstract: Sri Lanka, along with the Philippines and Indonesia, is a major source of migrant domestic workers. There has been little investigation into the impacts of the absence of women on their families and communities left behind. Contract migrant labor in Asia usually means leaving the family behind for two years or even longer. This paper firstly demonstrates how Sri Lankan women are increasingly becoming part of a global care chain. It draws on a survey and qualitative work among families and communities left behind by these migrant workers to explore the impacts on families and children. It examines the ways in which mothers seek to overcome the consequences of their absence on their families and children. A number of policy recommendations are made to ameliorate the negative impacts of the absence of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers.
Learning Objective: 10.6: Describe global patterns and policies that affect families, and give examples.
Summary: The outsourcing of domestic work to migrant women creates a paradox where the children of the migrant workers suffer at the same time their parent is providing care for other children.