Are families having to change their structures in order to stay together? History Homework help

A social anthropologist studies what brings groupstogether and what keeps them together. Are families having to change theirstructures in order to stay together?1.Based on the information in this lesson,highlight the changes in the American family from 1990 to 2000. Include theissue of grandparents serving as caregivers for their grandchildren as well asyour prediction of what family structures will be like in the future.Answer:A socialanthropologist would be interested in the social relationships within humangroups living in American households. These groups form families, one of thefive social institutions. Social anthropologists study what brings these groupstogether and what keeps them together, which is the focus of this lesson.Function of a FamilyThroughout history, the family has been an important part of the survival ofsocieties and civilizations by providing shelter, food, and emotional supportfor members. Families have also been responsible for the upbringing andsocialization of children in a society.The first group a person encounters at birth is the family. The family isconsidered to be the primarysocial institution and is an important part of everyone's life. Family is oneof the social institutions developed over a long period of time to ensure thesurvival of the group. Other social institutions include government, education,economics, and religion.Traditionally,a father and mother are the primary caregivers in a family. They care for theirchild from the moment the child is born. Human children are more helpless whenthey are born than most other animal counterparts. Children rely on theirparents for their first needs, like protection, security, and food.Parents are the primary instructors in the process of socialization, also known as enculturation. Remember that socializationis the process of teaching and learning a society's norms. In this regard,families are closely tied to the social institution of the political system.FamilyStructureA nuclear familycan be described as a father and mother living together with their biologicalor adopted children. Maternalrefers to the mother in a family, and paternal refers to the father in afamily. The paternal grandparentsin a family would be the parents of the father.An extended family can be the grandparents,uncles, aunts, and cousins of the nuclear family. Many people live with membersof their extended families at some point in their lives. It was once much morecommon for extended families to live together. Parents often relied on theirchildren and other relatives to take care of them as they grew older.Inthe past, families often had to live close to each other because they ranbusinesses or farms as a group. The collective labor force was required tocomplete all the duties and responsibilities needed by a family business.In addition, the sizes of families could be much larger than they are today,and living in close proximity allowed for related family units to help oneanother. The government did not provide as much assistance to elderly people asit does now, and the younger generation carried the full responsibility fortheir parents' care.KinshipKinship refers to the relationship of people based on marriage or blood.Kinship is the basis for the organization of people into the social groups ofclans, tribes, and families. Kinship also defines the roles and status ofmembers of the group or society.Read the following information in which the federal government describesfamilies and households for the purposes of the U.S. Census.Living ArrangementsHouseholdLiving arrangements refer to residencyin households or in group quarters. A 'household' comprises all persons, whooccupy a 'housing unit'; that is, a house, an apartment or other group ofrooms, or a single room that constitutes 'separate living quarters.' ""A household includes the related family members and all the unrelatedpersons, if any, such as lodgers, foster children, wards, or employees whoshare the housing unit. A person living alone or a group of unrelatedpersons sharing the same housing unit is also counted as a household."In other words, a household is a group ofpeople living together in some type of unit such as an apartment building orhouse.Source:U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005.2004. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2001_2005.html.HouseholderThe householder is the person in whose name the home is owned or rented. If ahome is owned or rented jointly by a married couple, either the husband or thewife may be listed first. Prior to 1980, the husband was always considered thehouseholder in married-couple households.FamilyThe term family refers to a group of two ormore persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together in ahousehold. A family includes the householder among its members.Source:U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005.2004. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2001_2005.html.SubfamilyA subfamily consists of a married couple and their children, if any, or oneparent with one or more never-married children under 18 years old living in ahousehold. Subfamilies are divided into 'related' and 'unrelated' subfamilies.A related subfamily is related to, but does not include, the householder.Members of a related subfamily are also members of the family with whom theylive. The number of related subfamilies, therefore, is not included in the countof families. An unrelated subfamily may include persons such as guests,lodgers, or resident employees and their spouses and/or children; none of whomis related to the householder. The related subfamily members are the same as anextended family."Source:U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005.2004. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2001_2005.html.Now read three Census Briefs, produced by theU.S. Census Bureau. These documents will provide useful information thatyou can use in your Graded Assignment.Begin by reading the Census 2000 Brief,Marital Status: 2000.As you read, focus on these key points:terms that describe the maritalstatus of individualsmarital status by geographicallocationmarital status by racechanges in marital status from1990 to 2000Next, read Grandparents Living with Grandchildren: 2000andfocus on these key points:the number and age groups ofgrandparents who are living with their grandchildrenthe number and age groups ofgrandparents who are living with and serving as caregivers for theirgrandchildrengeographical distribution ofgrandparents living with their grandchildrenAs you read Households and Families: 2000, focus on thesekey points:definition and description ofhouseholds and types of familiesthe geographical distributionof households and familieschanges in households andfamilies from 1990 to 2000The U.S. CensusBureau surveys and examines American households. A social anthropologist isinterested in social relationships within human groups, such as the peopleliving in American households. Social anthropologists study what brings thesegroups together and what keeps them together.http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-30.pdfhttp://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-8.pdfhttp://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-31.pdf