W13: Family & Aging_Moon Jungun

#Summary

#1 Family

Defining Families
This notion of parents and children as family is called a nuclear family and is a recent invention of the Western World that has (in some cases) been sold as a form of "tradition." It is a social construct that does not necessarily reflect the reality of family life for many people. What many people consider a family is not the only family form; families are diverse in both form and function.

-Cultural Variations
There is substantial variation in family forms around the world, varying from culture to culture. Factor that leads to cultural variations in relationships tied to family forms is attitudes toward endogamy.

-Changes Over Time
The development of horticultural or agriculture-based societies fundamentally changed the nature of marriage and family forms built around it. Among the aristocratic elite, marriage became a means of developing alliances or amassing wealth. For the non-elites, marriage was a pragmatic way of supporting oneself: it was easier to survive if resources (i.e., food, labor power, childcare responsibilities, etc.) were pooled between several people.

Families and Theory
-The Function of Families
The primary function of the procreative families (e.g., families built around the pursuit of parenthood) is to reproduce society, biologically through procreation, socially through socialization, or in both ways. In modern societies marriage entails particular rights and privileges - for those allowed to marry - that encourage the formation of new families even when there is no intention of having children.

-The Sociobiology of Families
These sorts of restrictions are a form of exogamy. This privilege was denied commoners and may have served to concentrate wealth and power in one family.

The Family Life Cycle
-Courtship
Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage (or long term commitment if marriage is not allowed).

-Marriage
Marriage is a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized interpersonal relationship, usually intimate and sexual, that is often created as a form of contract.

-Children
Kids raised in families with only one parent or with step-parents are more likely to have behavior problems than are kids raised with parents that remain connected throughout the child's life course.

#2 Aging

Aging is Both Biological and Sociological
Aging is a complex process of subjective biological and social realities intertwined with relatively objective biological and social standards that shift within and between historical and cultural periods.

Dividing the Lifespan
Infancy
Toddler
Childhood
Adolescence
Young adult
Prime adulthood
Middle age
Old age

Socially Constructed Interpretations of Aging
The activities that are expected of one at different ages is also socially constructed and relative to culture.

Differential Treatment by Age or Ageism
-Treatment of the Young
While most people are aware of the mistreatment of the elderly (see below), few people seem to realize that young people are often subjected to discrimination because of their age. Another way in which the young are treated differently is in the marketing practices of corporations.

-Treatment of the Elderly
The higher risk of death associated with elder abuse effects both those who are physically and cognitively impaired and those who are more capable.

Age and Income
The elderly were the poorest age group in the U.S. Social Security (technically Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance or OASDI) is an income redistribution program that takes taxes from those working and distributes it to those who cannot work or who are elderly enough to be considered past the age at which they can retire.

Age and Gender
While the elderly have seen substantial improvements in their economic situation in recent decades, those improvements have not equally affected men and women. Women, whether working or not, are more likely to fall below the federal poverty line than are men.

#Mention&Question

In this class, I learned a lot of discrimination in our society. Before topic is also interesting, but I am interested in this week's topic. Because family and aging is closely in everyday life. Defining of family is changing during changing of our society. Increasing divorce and remarriage, new form of family is showed up. Multicultural family and reconstituted family is more appeared in our society. But, although these form of family is increasing, people look at them with a jaundiced eye. We learn we should open our mind to them. But reality is not. They belong to disadvantaged people.
And My question is arise in this context. Why they are discriminated in society, though those family is increasing?