DIVERSITY İN FAMILY RELATİONSHİPS

WHAT IS MEANT BY DIVERSITY?

Some sociologists are very critical of the “New Right” view that there is only one ideal type of family structure, and suggest instead that family life in the European Countries and beyond is diverse – this means there are a range of family types.

WHAT IS DIVERSITY

Diversity is about people.

It’s about the environment we work in and all of us reaching our panacea of accomplishments.

Its about how we value and appreciate those that are unlike ourselves.

It’s about how we think and how that translate into how we act in all that we do with members of the ‘Team’.

4

WHAT ISN’T DIVERSITY

Affirmative Action

Sensitivity training or awareness

Total assimilation

5

WHY IS TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY IMPORTANT

When we talk about recruitment & retention they’re the foundation of what diversity engenders.

The demographics of this country are dramatically changed forever.

6

WHAT DO WE MEAN, UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY?

Its understanding the differences that make each person unique.

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY

In the Past, this country was called “the melting pot.” Customs and cultures from many lands were expected to blend together, like ingredients in a cream soup.

Today, we’re starting to realize that the world is more like a tossed salad – a variety of flavors, textures, colors and shapes.

8

WHY SHOULD I UNDERSTAND DIVERSITY

Because it can enrich your life – and your world. Understanding and appreciating differences helps.

Individuals, who can gain new insights and outlooks

Communities, which can tap the varied talents of their members.

Groups, that appreciate diversity have the ‘leading edge” in today’s “global market.”

9

WHAT MAKES EACH PERSON UNIQUE

Biology, which determines gender, body size; skin, hair and eye color.

Ethnicity and culture, the customs, language and sense of identity often shared by people with similar roots.

10

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

Family life, including family size, values traditions and social class.

Beliefs, ones religion or philosophy of life

11

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

Geography, how one feels about being from a certain neighborhood, city or region.

Experiences, in school, work, travel, recreation…and with other people.

TAKING A LOOK WITHINUNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF

As a start complete each statement below1. I wear my hair the way I do because______2. In my family, children are expected to_____3. I often feel uncomfortable around people

who are____________________________4. I am proud to be______________________5. When I hear people speaking another

language, I think they’re________________

TAKING A LOOK WITHIN

6. If people must choose between work and family, they should_____________

7. I really feel like an outsider when_____8. The most important thing in life is_____9. My ethnic or culture heritage is special

because_________________________10. I’m often attracted to people who____

14

TAKING A LOOK AT OTHERS

We all make judgments about people based on our experience with them. But:A. When we make a judgment

before getting to know someone, we “pre-judge” the person.

A. When we assume everyone in a group is the same, we “stereotype” the individuals in the group.

Its hard not to form prejudices and stereotypes. But we can keep them from influencing how we act with others.

15

PEOPLE DIFFER IN MANY WAYSBody language; People often stand close

together or sometime far apart. Direct eye contact.

Listening; listeners tend to look at the speaker, or they tend to look away.

Speaking; speakers tend to look away from the listeners or some may look at their listeners.

16

PEOPLE DIFFER IN MANY WAYS

Expressing opinions; some cultures believe its rude to complain or to say “no.”

Working styles; In some cultures people highly value “getting down to business.”

But watch out! Cultural background is

only one thing that makes people unique. If you rely only on culture to interpret someone’s words and actions, we risk stereotyping.

YOU CAN GET MORE OUT OF RELATIONSHIPS

Be open about differences

Don’t assume anything

Encourage questions Make a point to make

friends with people different from you.

Don’t make someone a spokesperson

Avoid telling ethnic jokes

Make your feeling known

Remember that mistakes happen.

18

GET MORE INFORMATIONABOUT DIVERSE SOCIETY

Watch plays and movies about different groups

Read different magazines

Contact organizations

Listen to different Radio stations

Attend workshops

Get first hand experience

SO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Take pride in your own uniqueness Welcome others as individuals Enjoy your similarities and your differences

When you appreciate diversity, you enrich your world!

WHAT İS FAMİLY?

Family is the smallest unit of the society

ROLES OF THE FAMILY FOR ITS MEMBERS

Provides the physical security – (financial, other basic needs of foods, clothing, education)

Provides the psychological security – ( love, warmth, emotional support)

Provides the social security

POSSIBLE CHANGES IN FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

Disruption of the family roles

Changes of the existing patterns of communication within the family

(Northhouse & Northhouse,1992)

CULTURE AND CONFLICT WITH PARENTS

“Cultures can take the raw material of nature and shape it in highly diverse ways.” (Arnett, 2010, pg 193). The biological change that is related to conflict with

parents leads to quite different levels and sources of conflict across cultures.

Narrow socialization, as within collectivist cultures, leads to less conflict and adherence to parental and generational authority.

EMERGING ADULTS’(EA) RELATIONSHIP WITH PARENTS In USA, frequently associated with residing

outside the home for the first time.

Parents frequently lose direct control and monitoring capabilities.

EA’s who reside outside the home typically report more positive relationships with parents.

EA’s who return to their family of origin for residence typically have a decline in relationships.

EMERGING ADULTS’(EA) RELATIONSHIP WITH PARENTS

In other cultures,

EA’s tend to live with family of origin longer.

EA’s tend to maintain positive relationships .

HISTORICAL CHANGE AND THE FAMILY

Increase in divorce rate.

Increase in two wage-earner families.

Increase in single family households.

DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE, SINGLE PARENTHOOD, & DUAL WAGE-EARNER

Examining the impact of divorce: Family Structure Family Process

Family conflict prior to divorce linked to problems following divorce.

Post-divorce relationship between parents linked to adolescent outcomes.

Reaction of custodial parent linked to adolescent outcomes.

DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE, SINGLE PARENTHOOD, & DUAL WAGE-EARNER

Post-divorce relationship between parents linked to adolescent outcomes.

Consistent parenting practicespositive outcomes

Civil relationships between divorced parentspositive outcomes

DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE, SINGLE PARENTHOOD, & DUAL WAGE-EARNER

Reaction of custodial parent linked to adolescent outcomes Enmeshed Relationship (blurred boundaries

between parent and adolescent)linked to negative outcomes

Reduced parental monitoringlinked to negative outcomes

Economic stresslack of opportunitylinked to negative outcomes

Maternal remarriagecan be related to negative outcomes

SINGLE PARENTHOOD

Parents (typically mothers) who have raise children alone experience challenges to family process factors: Adaptive levels of parental monitoring,

economic opportunity, attachment, and overall parenting style can lead to positive outcomes,

Economic stressors can add to the challenges, Extended families can mitigate many

challenges.

DUAL WAGE-EARNER FAMILIES

Few differences observed over time in adolescents from dual earner families.

Differences may stem from motivation for work Parents who feel trapped in an unsatisfying job

and feel great pressure to work tend to be related to adolescents with poorer outcomes.

Mothers who feel fulfilled and work outside the home by preference tend to have daughters who are well adjusted and have positive outcomes.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE NUCLEAR FAMILY?

25% of all households comprise of people living alone and this is rising

27% of all households are married people without children

In working class communities dispersed extended family arrangements still exist (kept together by modern communications)

New family structures have emerged such as Cohabiting families, Lone Parent families, and Reconstituted families.

COHABITATION

As marriage has declined and divorce rates risen, the numbers of couples living together or cohabitating has also risen

For woman aged 20-24 cohabitation rates increased from 1981-1990 from 6% to 16%

Nearly 40% of babies born to unmarried women are born to women who are cohabitating with the father of the child

WHY HAS COHABITATION INCREASED?

Giddens (a post modernist) suggests marriage is less relevant in modern society and less important in terms of economic security.

LONE PARENT FAMILIES

The lone parent family is one of the most common family structures in modern society – 1 in 5 children now live in one parent families.

Only 10% of lone parent families are headed by the father

Between 1970 and 1990 the numbers of lone parent families doubled in the UK

RECONSTITUTED FAMILIES

These are families in which children from former relationships are brought to a new family relationship

Over 1/3rd of all families are now Reconstituted mainly as a result of rising divorce rates

ETHNIC MINORITY FAMILIES

There is considerable diversity amongst ethnic minority families

Afro Caribbeans have a high rate of female headed lone parent families

Pakistani, Chinese and Bangladeshi origin families are more likely to be extended.

CONCLUSION

It seems likely that very soon over half of all children will live in non traditional family arrangements