Homework: The Social Construction of Family Life
Families differ significantly across time, societies, and cultures. These differences may exist, for example, in family relationships; forms of marriage; expectations about family roles, responsibilities, and duties; and how "family" is defined (culturally, legally, politically). Your task in this homework is to compare the definition of family and the family relationships in your own society (or your own culture, or the present time) with that of another society (or another culture or another time), using one of the three core sociological perspectives.
In your homework, please specifically identify the two societies, cultures, or times that you will be comparing in your essay, and then choose one of the following three options:
Option A: Structural Functionalism
I. As part of your introductory paragraph, identify the two societies, cultures, or times that you will be comparing, as well as which theory you will be using.
II. Briefly describe how the "typical" family is defined in each of the two societies/cultures/times.
III. Identify one key function or role of the family in each of the two societies/cultures/times (i.e., a total of two functions/roles).
IV. Explain how a functionalist theorist might explain the importance of these roles/functions for society.
V. As part of your conclusion, write a self-reflection on how your own family fulfills or does not fulfill the two functions/roles that you have identified.
Option B: Conflict Theory
I. As part of your introductory paragraph, identify the two societies, cultures, or times that you will be comparing, as well as which theory you will be using.
II. Briefly describe how the "typical" family is defined in each of the two societies/cultures/times.
III. Identify a key problem (economic, social, political, and/or technological) that families face in each of the two societies/cultures/times (i.e., a total of two problems).
IV. Explain how a conflict theorist might explain why these problems exist for families.
V. As part of your conclusion, write a self-reflection on how your family, or another family that you know, has confronted one or both of the problems that you have identified.
Option C: Symbolic Interactionism
I. As part of your introductory paragraph, identify the two societies, cultures, or times that you will be comparing, as well as which theory you will be using.
II. Briefly describe how the "typical" family is defined in each of the two societies/cultures/times.
III. Identify at least one characteristic of parent-child relations and/or spousal relations in each of the two societies/cultures/times.
IV. Explain how a symbolic interactionist might explain these characteristics of interactions within families.
V. As part of your conclusion, write a self-reflection on how your own family life matches or differs from the parent-child and/or spousal relations that you have identified.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.