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#10

Diverging Development

The reading Diverging Development: The Not-So-Invisible Hand of Social Class in the United States by Frank F. Furstenberg spoke a lot of social class. Furstenberg said, “Americans seem as oblivious to class graduation today as they have ever been. Most of us declare that we are middle class, and finer distinctions such as working class and upper middle class have all but vanished in the popular vernacular and even in social science research. (p.519). Social class is very important in society, including in the United States although many people try to say it is not. There are a few basic concepts of inequality. The biggest one connected to this reading is social stratification. Class system is an economically based system of stratification characterized based on roles in the production process. By this it means, lower class, working class, lower middle class, upper middle class and upper class. These are basic social classes in the United States. Where people are in this hierarchy is called social location. My family fell under lower class as I grew up but now, we are more likely in the middle class. Many people identify with this class. The importance of knowing of these classes are knowing the inequalities that many of these classes face. Social inequalities are the unequal consequences stemming from the distribution of social rewards and valuable resources with hierarchy. There should be social equity in all instances, such as equality of opportunity, equality of condition and equality of outcome. Equity and equality for all should be something society strives for.

Jr., F. F. (n.d.). Diverging Development: The Not-So-Invisible Hand of Social Class in the United States. In B. J. Rutter, Families As They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company.

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Poverty

Poverty is a very big topic that is close to me. I grew up in poverty most of my life. The official poverty line is a government mandated standard of who is poor. This poverty line was made in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson. The way this is measured by three times the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet before income tax. I’m not sure exactly how much this was when I was growing up, but it was very evident to me. There are multiple definitions of poverty, the first is Absolute Poverty which is defined as the minimum threshold of income needed to ensure survival. The second is relative poverty, this is poverty relative to the living standards and expectation of people in a society at the time. The reason I knew I was in poverty was because I remember a lot of stress between my parents and sometimes fear I wouldn’t have the things I needed or food. The biggest reason I noticed was when I was older, I realized my parents were in welfare programs. I received free lunch on school. My family also received SNAP, known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, this is money dispersed into an EBT card, a monthly payment from the government. This is just one of many of government programs to help the public. This was hard for me growing up, sometimes I felt embarrassed because when we’d go to the store, my mom would have to say EBT at a cash register. But now I realize I shouldn’t have been embarrassed. My outlook on poverty has changed so much and it should for everybody. Not everyone has the same opportunities in life, and it is not easy to get out of poverty. My views on all of this has changed immensely.

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The Gender Pay Gap

The Gender Pay gap is a very big talking point in today’s climate. There is a lot of discussion between people about whether or not the gender gap exists, or there are people arguing saying that it should exist. There is a lot back and forth no matter what government party you affiliate yourself with it’s almost an impossible subject to avoid. We learned in class that there in fact a gender pay gap. The Pew Research Center says that women earn 84% of what men earn. The U.S. Census Bureau says that full time year-round working women earned 82% of what men earned. In class we learned that there are 3 things that could determine why these pay gaps exist. The first is different occupations between men and women, the second is women tend to have more workplace interruptions and workplace discrimination towards women. By different occupations, we learned about occupational segregation, by this it talked about the feminization of professions. This is when women take over male dominated fields and the pay drops. An example of this is being a secretary was once a man’s job and then women began to take it over and the job was taken less seriously, and they began to get paid less. The second reason was women have more workplace interruptions, this means that women tend to take more time off for children and other reasons that could lead to less hours or days worked, which means making less money. The third reason was workplace discrimination, this can be explained by the differences between blue collar and white-collar occupations. No matter the reasons, the gap exists and it is, and should be a fight to close no matter the reason.

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#7

Men’s Changing Contribution to Family Work

In Men’s Changing Contribution to Family Work by Oriel Sullivan speaks about to men’s contribution to work at home is increasing. He speaks about the balance of men's and women's contributions in the family home. There was a clear growth of women working at home and the added growth of women in the workforce. Because of this, it was said that men did not work many hours at their homes raising their children and other parts of the home. But now, "while women still continue to do more family work than their male partners, convergence has been significant, with the result that the total amount of work contributed by men and women in two-parent dual-earner families-- including paid work as well as unpaid family work-- is now virtually identical" (p. 617). This can also be tied into the trend of negotiating work time and family time. The amount of time mothers and fathers spend with their children is rising over time slowly. I’ve seen this happen with my parents and parents of my friends. Over time I feel like I’ve seen how dynamics have changed. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now that I’m noticing parents spend more time with their kids or if it’s happening before my eyes but it’s interesting watching it.

Sullivan, O. (n.d.). Men's Changing Contribution to Family Work. In B. J. Rutter, Families As They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company.

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Plan B (but not that kind)

In Falling Back on Plan B: The Children of the Gender Revolution Face Uncharted Territory, Kathleen Gerson speaks about how most young people have a backup plan for their marriage life. Most young people hope to create a healthy family life that balances their home life and their work life as equally as possible in an egalitarian way. Although we have hope, we also know that this is not always attainable based off of what we seen our entire life. Therefore, we’ve created our plan B. Most couples want an egalitarian life style but our second best is different based off of our gender. As a fallback, most men chose to be in a neo-traditional marriage, which means both partners work, and women takes care of the home. Most women on the other hand, prefer to be self-reliant before having to be part of a “traditional” home life. As a woman, I concur with these findings. I would much rather rely on myself before giving up my own autonomy to please a man who does not want an egalitarian relationship. Gerson says, “If a relationship deteriorates, economic dependence on a man leaves few means of escape” (p. 602). I’ve seen this happen where a woman takes a lesser job to be able to care for her home and herself and when something happens in the marriage, she is left to fend for herself with no way to care for herself. I never want to reach a point in my life to where I am helpless. Self-reliance seems like the obvious answer to me.

Gerson, K. (n.d.). Falling Back on Plan B: The Children of the Gender Revolution Face Uncharted Territory. In B. J. Rutter, Families As They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company.

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Marriage Reduces Social Ties

In Marriage Reduces Social Ties by Naomi Gerstel and Natalia Sarkisian, they speak about the idea that while most couples in a good marriage are happier and healthier, this might not always be the case. In my psychology class of Adulthood and Aging, we talk about how it is proven that married couples are overall healthier. While this is a fact, we also learned that this only happens if the couple is happy, and they also have more areas of support. This paper speaks about how in a marriage, it is easy to isolate yourself in a marriage. Gerstel and Sarkisian said, “The married are less likely to visit, call, have intimate talks with, or help out their parents, brothers and sisters, or other relatives” (p. 152). Marriage can also lead to lessen political involvement and ties to friends and neighbors. The reason that this can be a problem is because it can lead to strain in the marriage and narrows peoples circles. All of this can be caused by the idea of “Soulmate marriage” which is the idea that your partner has to be everything for you. This idea leaves no room for other support in your life. I’ve seen this happen in my own life. From what I’ve seen, my mom and my dad really do not have many friends. They rely on each other for everything, and in a way, it’s beautiful to see this. But in another way, I can see how it could hurt their relationship. I could not imagine my life without the circle of friends. I rely on a mix of people to offer support for me and me to them. If I only had one person to share everything with, I believe I would drive myself mad.

Sarkisian, N. G. (n.d.). Marriage Reduces Social Ties. In B. J. Rutter, Families As They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company.

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Same Sex Couples

Despite being raised in a very religious household, I am and will always be a firm believer and advocate for same-sex couples and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In From Outlaws to In-laws: Gay and Lesbian Couples in Contemporary Society by Robert-Jay Green, he speaks about the legality behind same sex couples and how they function in society in comparison to heterosexual couples. The first big legal case concerning same sex couples was the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act also known as DOMA. This case defined marriage as legal union between a man and a woman, specifically pointing out that same-sex marriages would not be recognized legally. The next case was the 2013 case of the United States v. Windsor, naming parts of DOMA unconstitutional. Finally, the case fully legalizing same-sex marriage was the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges, this case guaranteed the right to marry under the 14th amendment and required all states to issue marriage licenses. Even before these cases, and after, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have faced many hardships. Robert-Jay Green tells us, “Research directly comparing same-sex and heterosexual couples reveals that they are remarkably similar to each other on most dimensions” (p. 216). Despite this being the case, these couples tend to face more issues like anti-gay prejudices and not having support systems the way heterosexual couples have them. Because of the issues that the LGBTQIA+ community faces, I have always been an advocate for their rights. I try to always make a point to support this community and will always continue to do so.

Green, R.-J. (n.d.). From Outlaws to In-laws: Gay and Lesbian Couples in Contemporary Society. In B. J. Rutter, Families as They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company .

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The Cohabitation Revolution

Cohabitation is becoming more and more common every day. My mother and my father cohabited before marriage while pregnant with me. My brother and his girlfriend have recently begun to cohabitate. My boyfriend and I also have plans of cohabitating before marriage so this topic is very prevalent in my life. It is becoming increasingly more common everyday. In New Couples, New Families: The Cohabitation Revolution in the United States, by Pamela J. Smock and Wendy D. Manning, they speak about the growth of cohabitation in the United States and why this is. A big reason for this is because it has almost become part of the courtship process. There are 3 factors contributing to cohabitation. First is education, the less educated are more likely to cohabitate. Second is income, lower income individuals are more likely to cohabitate. A third factor is the difference between people that see themselves as traditional or liberal, cohabitation is more likely in those with liberal views because “traditional” people tend to be religious and frown upon living together before marriage. All of these factors are very large contributors to cohabitation. Smock and Manning said, “in 2002, over 60 percent of women ages twenty-five to thirty-nine had cohabitated at least once. Just seven years earlier, this percentage was roughly 48 percent” (Manning, p. 149). These numbers will likely grow.

Manning, P. J. (n.d.). New Couples, New Families: The Cohabitation Revolution in the United States. In B. J. Rutter, Families As They Really Are. W.W. Norton & Company.

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“Why is Everyone Afraid of Sex”

This is a group of girls I went to school with since kindergarten. We went back to our elementary school for graduation pictures. We all had the same education from the beginning, including sex education. I grew up in the rural south in a very small conservative Christian town. Because of this, one can assume what kind of sex-ed we had. That’s right, abstinence only education. This teaching took place in my 7th grade health class. It was a one-day affair, they split up boys and girls and had a very vague conversation about sex. Except it wasn’t even really about sex. It was most about types of STD’s and how to prevent them. The only option we were given to avoid getting an STD was abstinence. They told us to refrain from having sex and everything would be solved. According to Pepper Schwartz, funding for abstinence only education started in 1997 at the cost of 9 million dollars and that number has now jumped to over 1 billion dollars. And funding continues to grow despite evidence pointing to the fact that abstinence only education does not work. So, the question we keep asking is, why do we keep teaching it. Pepper Schwartz sums it up to “American parents are extremely uneasy with the idea of young people being sexual and acting sexually”. But this idea just leads to harm, young people should have proper education about sex because whether or not parents like it, young people are going to have sex.

Schwartz, Pepper. "Why is Everyone Afraid of Sex." Barbara J. Risman, Virgnia E. Rutter. Families as they really are. n.d. 252-262.

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The Evolution of American Families

In the book Families as They Really Are, Stephanie Coontz said that after some internet searches, the definition of a family came out as “parents and children, whether living together or not”, “any group of persons closely related by blood” and many other iterations of similar definitions. Historically families have had different meanings. It was mostly for money, and families joining. More recently is when we started to marry or have families for “love”. This idea came after the industrial evolution. The biggest reason for this was because before the industrial revolution, children were used for as an economic benefit and marriages were used to have children. The definition we have now for family, also known as the nuclear family, was coined in the 20’s and was widely used and advertised in the 50’s. Things have changed a lot since then. My parents like the idea of a very traditional nuclear family. But we do not have one ourselves. My brother has a different dad than I do. My sister (not pictured) has a different mom than I do. My parents had me out of wedlock, got married when I was 5 and my father raised my brother as his own. But they always tell me I need to have a husband and kids. I do not want children to my parents’ dismay. But as families revolutionize, we will see if the way that I view families will be the future.  

Coontz, S. (2015). The Evolution of American Families. In Families as they really are (1st ed., pp.30-47 ), W.W. Norton.