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