Family theories foundations and applications pdf

FAMILY THEORIES FOUNDATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

KATHERINE R. ALLEN AND ANGELA C. HENDERSON

Family Theories

Family Theories

Foundations and Applications

Katherine R. Allen and Angela C. Henderson

This edition first published 2017 © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Inc.

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Cover image: Gettyimages / © Jorg Greuel

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1 2017

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To Katherine’s family of origin: Jack, Betty, Beth, John, Dan, and Doug

and

To Angie’s family of origin: Bev, LaVerne, Brad, and Chris

Contents

Acknowledgments viii About the Website ix

1 What Is Theory? 1

2 Functionalist Theory 20

3 Conflict Theory 41

4 Symbolic Interactionist Theory 61

5 Family Developmental Theory 82

6 Family Systems Theory 103

7 Social Exchange Theory 124

8 Feminist Theory 145

9 Life Course Theory 166

10 Family Ecological Theory 187

11 Family Stress and Resilience Theory 209

12 Conclusion 230

Glossary 243 Index 249

Acknowledgments

This book has been a pleasure to write. Our shared passion for theory has developed into a seamless col- laboration, where our strengths and interests enhance one another. We also share a passion for guiding students in the discovery process of linking theory, research, and application as family scholars and practi- tioners. Our goal is to reveal how understanding the- ory and being able to theorize are essential qualities for a life well lived.Surely,we have benefited from this journey in theory, and we sincerely hope that readers will as well.

Speaking of our readers, we acknowledge that we wrote this book by keeping in the forefront the thou- sands of students we have taught in our collective 30- plus years as educators. Our students have taught us many lessons about the value of theory in the sci- entific enterprise and the excitement in learning to understand and use it effectively. We have also kept in mind our peers who teach students about theory and theorizing. It is encouraging to know that there are many other educators who share our interest in the- ory and our commitment to sharing this knowledge with students.

We have many individuals to thank for their schol- arly and editorial contributions to this book. First, Brandy Renee McCann, who initially was one of the authors of this book until family responsibilities required her attention, was instrumental in develop- ing the proposal for the book and drafting one of the early chapters. We thank Brandy for generously shar- ing her expertise in the development of the project. Second, several undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech provided insightful feedback about the initial chapters we wrote: Emma Potter, Katie

Barrow, and Lauren Byrd. In the later stages of com- pleting the book, Erin Lavender-Stott was our trusted reader. Erin read every chapter and all of the sup- plemental materials, diligently offering her excellent assistance. Third, we humbly thank our anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments and critiques of the manuscript, each of which helped make this book better. We especially thank Fiona Tasker for her many helpful suggestions. Fourth, the Wiley edito- rial teams with whom we have worked have been a wonderful resource for the book. From the very beginning, when Julia Teweles invited us to write the book and shepherded the work through its first stages, we have felt we are in expert hands. We have also benefited from the thoughtful feedback and timely editorial advice we have received from Deirdre Ilkson, Julia Kirk, Haze Humbert, Mark Graney, and Sue Leigh. Ann Bone and Allison Kostka, in particu- lar, have guided us through the final stages with such patience and skill. We are grateful to all of these indi- viduals who have helped us along the way.

The process of learning to utilize theory began with our own family theory teachers. Robert Pickett and Colleen Johnson ignited Katherine’s pas- sion for family theory in graduate school at Syracuse University. Charlotte Dunham and Jill Suitor both fueled Angie’s interests in family theories during her graduate coursework and writing her dissertation.

Finally, we thank our families, Jeff Burr and Matt Special, and Jimmy, Owen, Cameron and Cora Henderson,who enrich our lives and provide the pri- vate testing ground for theorizing about intimate life. We thank them beyond measure for walking with us on this journey every step of the way.

About the Website

www.wiley.com/go/allen

The Family Theories:Foundations and Applications com- panion website features instructor resources created by the authors to help you use this book in college and university courses.

� Criteria for Evaluating Family Theories � Sample Syllabus for Family Theories Course

� Sample Syllabus for Sociology of Family Course (Online)

� Test Bank: Multiple Choice and Essay Questions � Test Bank:Answers to Multiple Choice Questions � Glossary

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1

What Is Theory?

You are probably familiar with Apple’s phrase “There’s an app for that!” – it is one we use often in modern society to refer to the ways in which our smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices can help us be more efficient, more creative, and better at what we do. “Apps” help us problem solve, help us think in dif- ferent ways about our everyday lives, our friends, our families, and our social calendars. They help us put it all into a manageable, knowable format that provides a framework for understanding our daily lives.

You may ask yourself why we are beginning our theory text with a discussion of electronic applications. A theory – or a set of ideas – serves as a framework for understanding the world around us. The social science theories that we describe in this text can be applied, tested, and even revised over time in order to fit the changing social world. This text presents you with 10 theories of family; 10 unique ways to look at the world, to help you, as a student, better understand how to look at and solve problems that you will face in your profession someday.As a practitioner,how will you make sense of the dynamics of the families you are serving? How will you make an informed deci- sion about how to provide services, inform policy, or conduct research on changing family dynamics? As an example, consider that you are charged with devel- oping state policies to make the Family and Medi- cal Leave Act of 1993 (2006) more accessible to very diverse working- and middle-class families. As a pol- icymaker, you will need to know the demographic trends that show just how diverse families are in mod- ern society: there are blended families, single parents, same-sex partnerships, grandparents raising grand- children, and many more variations. Contemporary

society tends to be pluralistic, which means we have a heterogeneous population made up of different gen- ders, racial-ethnic groups, religions, sexual orienta- tions, and social classes. You need to be aware of how each of these characteristics intersects to create advan- tage or disadvantage for your clients. You need to be aware of barriers that prevent working-class families from using family policies because they cannot afford to. You need to be aware of historical data, so you can consider what has and has not worked. You need to be able to think outside the box – question the status quo – so that you can develop new, innovative poli- cies for today’s changing families. In sum, you need an “app” for that.

Theory – as we present it in this text – is your app. Theories help you be a problem solver, an informed researcher, an effective educator, program director, nurse, social worker, or therapist with a unique per- spective to be able to work through problems and solve them with forethought that will set you apart. We want your theoretical mind to be actively engaged at all times, so that when you are tasked with problem solving in your profession, you are able to tackle the problem with the applicability that theory offers to your profession.

When it comes time for you to utilize your theo- retical knowledge in the everyday world,we want you to be able to say “There’s a theory for that!” – a the- ory that will help you look at the problem through a critical lens. Knowing theory means you are able to access multiple data points – you are familiar with larger trends and patterns that help explain social insti- tutions and social injustice. Theoretical minds are also familiar with how the theory has informed research;

Family Theories: Foundations and Applications, First Edition. Katherine R. Allen and Angela C. Henderson. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2 what is theory?

for instance,we are able to study families on a macro- level by analyzing larger patterns in society, such as rates of marriage, fertility, and divorce.Using a macro- level of analysis, we can examine patterns of behavior on a large scale: How is socioeconomic status (SES) related to marital patterns, fertility, and divorce? Do middle- and upper-class individuals wait to get mar- ried until they are older, compared to working-class individuals? In addition, studying families through a theoretical lens can also be done at the micro-level, by analyzing phenomena more closely, in smaller doses. For example, a micro-level of analysis would frame questions about social class and marriage much dif- ferently: instead of large-scale patterns, we would be interested in finding out what the meaning of marriage is for individuals from different social class backgrounds. We could also explore each partner’s perceptions of what an “ideal” spouse is, based on their SES. Has the “ideal” changed over time? Does the description of an ideal spouse depend on gender? What about whether or not the partnership is lesbian, gay,or heterosexual? Theories give us a framework for understanding each and every one of those intersect- ing factors – on multiple levels – as we work with and study families.