GLOBALISING SOCIALISING From the global to the personal
Sociology and the family
The family is at the heart of sociological enquiry: ‘If we are all have individual bodies, why do we act so similarly?’
This debate, that of structure vs. agency, requires the presence of identifiable socialising structures
The family is the most intimate and, arguably, the most influential of those structures
Globalised structural changes have challenged traditional family structures, provoking significant social anxiety here and in distant localities
Who is in your family?
Family, cultural identity and your assessment
Family is often the primary driver and locus of our cultural identities
If you are considering how your cultural identity has been influenced by global events and systems, think about how you might be different from your family and their traditions
Is your cultural identity based more on ‘local’ traditions, or has it been influenced by ‘distant’ cultural factors?
Today 1.
2.
3.
The universally of the nuclear family The diversity of the global family The rise of global individualism To what extent can the Western idea of the ‘nuclear family’ be considered universal?
Sociology of the family
The sociology of the family is a relatively recent phenomena
Traditional social enquiry focused on instrumental (masculine), as opposed to affective, elements of the human condition
Talcott Parsons’ functionalism was the most prominent early form of sociological investigation Talcott Parsons, 1902-1979
Nuclear families
Parsons used the term ‘nuclear family’ to describe the ideal family unit of the expressive mother, instrumental father and children
This unit not only represented what Parsons believed to be the most functional form of intimacy for humans, but reflected 1950s social norms in the Western world
Functional families
Parsons argued that families are ‘factories which produce human personalities’ through our ‘primary socialisation’ that produce characteristics which often feel entirely natural
This socialisation provides the stability and social resources for new adults to face the outside world without the direct assistance of family
Recognising social norms, obeying authority, taking responsibility for ourselves
Through these functions family plays a vital role in the stable reproduction of society
Families also produce ‘stable adult personalities’ through the emotional security provided by marriage
Working together
It had been argued (see Goode, 1963 in Giddens, 2009, p.336) that the nuclear family is best suited to industrial life
As larger kinship groups broke apart due to economic developments, smaller family groups would become the norm
Small families are better suited to urban life and economic developments allow women to work domestically and children to be educated
The ‘nuclear family’ is thus the most developed form of the family
To what extent is the nuclear family the most effective form of human family?
Feminism and the family
Feminist sociologists argue that the patriarchal family ‘naturalises’ the family and thus ignore private inequalities
Ann Oakley emphasised power differentials in the nuclear family:
The family reproduces gender inequalities and patriarchal power on a micro-scale
The traditional family structure limits the role of women to mother and housewife
Domestic work and decision-making are unequally distributed
In your experiences, who: Does the most domestic labour in your family? Has the most power?
Transforming the family There have been a number of significant changes to the Western ‘nuclear’ family in both social norms and in law
There has arisen an increased diversity of family forms
Both marriage and children have been increasingly postponed
Divorce rates rapidly increased during the late 20th Century
Untying the knot
Conservative concerns Conservative Party, ‘Families, Children and Young People Policy’
“We believe that strong and stable families are the bedrock of a strong and stable society. That's why we are doing everything we can to support families in tough times.”
Yet,…
Traditional families remain normatively and empirically dominant
Marriage remains the most significant symbolic recognition of love and intimacy
Strong gendered divisions in labour remain, and the instrumental/expressive split is socially normative
Are ‘strong families’ vital for strong societies?
Going global
Types of family
Monogamy: One spouse
Polygamy: More than one spouse Polygyny:
More than one
wife Polyandry:
More than one husband
Spreading the seed
A 1998 Ethnographic Atlas Codebook study found that 84% of 1,231 global societies had some form of polygamy (see Giddens, 2009, p.332)
Polygamy is much more common in less developed areas of the world, in particular in Asia, Africa and the Pacific
Extended families are most likely to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and then Central/South American
These families can compensate for the absence of one or both parents from the household, often caused by economic or health conditions
Is polygamy an ‘uncivilised’ form of the family?
“Global family structures”
In spite of marked family changes around the globe over the last half-century, children are still most likely to live in two-parent families in all countries except South Africa.
Growing up with a single parent is:
Although marriage rates for adults aged 18-49 are declining worldwide,
Especially common in sub-Saharan Africa, in Central and South America, and in several English-speaking Western countries In the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, and Canada, a fifth or more of children do so Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe have the world’s lowest rates of single parenthood.
They remain high in Asia and the Middle East (between 47 percent in Singapore and 80 percent in Egypt), and are particularly low in Central/South America. The rate of cohabitation for adults aged 18-49 tops 30 percent in some Central/South American countries and 20 percent in some European nations.
While fertility rates are also declining worldwide, non-marital childbearing is increasing in many regions, with the highest rates found in Central/South America and Western Europe.
Family practices
Whilst family structures might be globally diverse, ‘family practices’ are being reinvented in wealthier parts of the world
According to David Morgan (2011), the family is a practice rather than a formal structure
Families are performed and can be understood by what they mean to those involved
Family practices allow for a much broader understanding of family, intimacy and socialisation
Can your friends be part of your family?
The individualisation thesis
Family practices around the world have become increasingly individualised
German sociologist Ulrich Beck’s (1944-2015) ‘individualisation thesis’ suggests that ‘old certainties’ are falling away and we can now create a ‘do-ityourself’ biography
This trend is particularly clear in the Western world, but also amongst the youth of the developing world
Shifting traditions
Post-war society had been characterised by patriarchal discipline (the metaphorical rule of the father)
The 1960s and 1970s were defined by a move to the post-patriarchal, or post-disciplinary, society in which enjoyment and self-expression were encouraged
Self-expression, individualism and the possibility of instant gratification had an increasingly influence upon social norms
This focus on individuality and choice above community and traditional has had a significant global influence on youth culture in particular
Choosing intimacy I: Romantic love
Beyond the biological family, romantic love has become the primary ideal form of intimacy
Romantic love is a distinctly modern concept, as economic advancements overcame the need for functional partnerships
Romantic love also relies on the idea that we choose partners
Romantic love binds people together and is at the core of the Western ideal of the nuclear family and social stability
Will you be a Valentine?
Last Sunday, February 14th, was ‘Valentine’s’ Day’
Did you celebrate it? (or did somebody celebrate you?!)
Do you feel like this is a ‘local’ cultural tradition?
Not so romantic
Valentine’s Day is often problematic outside of the Western world, signalling a cultural clash
Romantic ideals are thought to lead to ‘immoral’ sexual conduct and ‘commercial’ values
Groups in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have previously called for boycotts of the day
Similarly, Valentine’s Day has also been a locus for mass protests against violence towards women
What could be wrong with Valentine’s day?
Choosing intimacy II: Confluent Love
Romantic love, which focused on the ‘the one’ has arguably been surpassed in the West by ‘confluent love’ (see Giddens, 2009, p.372 and 1992) which is more contingent
Confluent love is based on individual choice and benefits: love is about each person being able to become personally fulfilled
As traditional binds have become less pervasive in the developing world, romantic and confluent relationships are becoming increasingly accepted
Is the goal to find ‘the one’?
Autonomous women 
Women are decreasing their dependence on men all around the world by moving into the workforce and into education
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Patriarchal structures are eroding as women, with increased skills and income, have more capacity to leave relationships or not enter into them at all
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One of the strongest signs of this shift has been lowering fertility rates in most parts of the world
Falling Fertility Rates
Why would fertility rates drop as societies become wealthier?
Reinventing ‘World Families’
Families (particularly extended families) may be separated by the need to migrate for work, particularly women
This creates global diasporas (a scattered population of common geographical origin) of cultures, and geographically separated families
These families are often held together through digital technologies that reinvent the way we understand families
In summary
Families are not necessarily becoming more globally similar
Because local forms still exist, the pressure of Western influences has stimulated a diversity of family practices
The spread of modernity and Western values, particularly individualism, has extended the reach of romantic love and monogamous families
This influence has prompted shifts in family practices, rather than an adoption of the ideal of the nuclear family
Submitting your assessment
The critical reflection is due on Monday February 22nd at 3pm
Submit it through BlackBoard
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The next week‌ W EEK 7 T HERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE ? T HE( RE) BIRTH OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM ( IN R USSELL B UILDING ROOM 119) Core readings: Capitalism and Globalisation: http://www.understandglobalization.com/2013/03/27/globalization-andcapitalism/ Capitalist globalization: http://www.counterfire.org/articles/book-reviews/17001capitalist-globalization-consequences-resistance-and-alternatives See also: Bello, W. (2003) Global capitalism versus global community. R ACE & C LASS , 44(4): 63-76.