Class 27: Family
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Class Notes
Starting a family can often be a difficult time. The transition from the spousal dyad to family triad can lead to changes in role expectations and lifestyles that are not expected (Simmel 1950). This can be partially explained by the fact that there is no rite of passage between being a couple and having a child-- no graduation or ceremony welcoming one into parenthood.
From the Collett (2005) reading from last night, it seems that mothers often feel the need to manage impressions of themselves by using their children as props. What makes the identity of "mother" salient for women? Why do you think Collett focused on women instead of men?
What is a family? When we think of our family, we probably think of getting together to share meals, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and enjoy one another's company. This is hardly the genetic definition often given to family. The work that we do to maintain family ties, such as celebrating birthdays, giving gifts, and preparing meals is called kinwork (Carrington 1999).
Works Cited
Carrington, Christopher. 1999. There’s No Place Like Home. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Collett, Jessica L. 2005. "What Kind of Mother Am I? Impression Management and the Social Construction of Motherhood."Symbolic Interaction 28:327-47.
Simmel, Georg. 1950. The Sociology of Georg Simmel. Translated and Edited by Kurt H. Wolff. New York: The Free Press.
