Learning Objectives
- Explain key concepts sociologists use to study families
- Apply theoretical perspectives, including functionalism and feminist theory, to the study of marriage and the family
- Describe trends in U.S. family formation and family life, including marriage, divorce, child care arrangements, and domestic violence; describe family patterns in immigrant, Native American, and deaf families
- Explain what sociological research suggests about ways in which social class may influence parenting practices, as well as family formation
- Understand the relationship between globalization and family life, in particular for U.S. families and women from less-developed countries