4
305
Section
14:1
Trends in American Family Life
Section
14:2
Functions of the Family
Section
Family Structures
Section
14:4
Single Living
Life Sketchht
Anita looked around the classroom at her many
friends in this new school. There was Rosalee,
who lived with her mom and younger brother in
an apartment. They didn’t have much money, and
Rosalee had to spend most of her time babysitting
her brother. Anita glanced over at her friend Britta. Britta
always had the best clothes and extra money to
spend. Anita guessed it was because both her
parents worked so hard. They were often gone on
business trips. Britta’s grandmother, who lived with
the family, always made Anita feel special whenever
she visited. Josh had become a close friend, too. Anita was
glad that her parents had moved next door to Josh
and his dad. Josh had moved to the neighborhood
three years ago and knew how it felt to try to make
new friends.
Key Questionsnit
Questions to answer as you study this chapter:
• How have families changed over time?
• What are the benefits of family living?
• How can families meet their members’ needs
through different family structures?
Getting Started
Families live differently now than they did years
ago, yet they fulfill many of the same functions.
Today’s family structures are more complex and
less traditional than those of the past. In spite of the
many challenges they face, the family remains a
strong institution.
Today’s families are more mobile, moving
to better jobs, climates, and opportunities. An
increasing divorce rate has resulted in many
children living in a family with only one parent. The
number of women working outside the home has
increased, too. Such circumstances are the result of
economic and social changes in American society.
Chapter Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to
describe
how cultural changes have affected
the family.
evaluate
the benefits of living in a family.
describe
the functions of the family.
distinguish
among the characteristics of
various family structures.
recognize
single living as a lifestyle trend in this
society.
•
•
•
•
•
Chapter 14
Today’s
Family
Section 5:1
The Communication Process
115
Passive Listening
When people just take in messages, they
are using
passive listening
. This means they
are hearing words without always listening for
meanings. People who often use passive listening
are not trying to understand the sender’s message.
How do you feel when the person you are
talking to does not respond? The person does not
smile, nod, or comment. You get no feedback at all.
The silence can be frustrating. You do not know if
your message is being received accurately.
Active Listening Skills
You can be more certain that you are
interpreting a message clearly when you use
active listening
. This means you give the sender some type of sign that you are listening.
Giving feedback shows you are listening
and encourages the sender to keep talking. The
feedback may be a short verbal response such
as yes
. Active listeners also use other verbal
responses, such as checking out and reflecting.
Checking out
means using questions to
clarify a message. “Did you say that his car was
wrecked?” “Where did you say this happened?”
This form of active listening encourages the
sender to restate or expand the message to make
it clearer. As the conversation continues, both of
you can use questions to check out each other’s
responses.
Reflecting is another response that indicates
active listening. When you use
reflecting,
you
repeat in your own words what you think has
been said. As the listener, you might say, “What
I hear you saying is…” Like a mirror, you
reflect back the sender’s thoughts and feelings.
Reflecting gives the sender a chance to clarify
the message that was sent. Reflecting can also be
used when the receiver wants to help the sender
identify certain feelings.
Good listening skills are a vital part of
effective communication. The chart in 5-5 lists six
ways to practice good listening. Being an active
listener will help you receive and understand
sender’s messages.
Keys to Good Listening
Show interest in what the other person is
saying by sitting forward and using eye contact.
Try to block out interruptions.
Let the sender complete his or her thoughts.
Accept the sender’s ideas and feelings.
Use good verbal skills in giving feedback. Ask
questions, reflect feelings, or restate an idea
when appropriate.
Control your nonverbal messages. Make
sure that they are positive and reinforce your
comments.
Be aware of strong emotions. Understand that
they can affect a message’s clarity, and the
way that you might respond.
Don’t let silence make you nervous. Silence
provides time for both people to think about
what was said.
5-5
Being an active listener helps you get involved in the
communication process.
Review
Section
5:1
1. Briefly explain the communication process.and
2. Explain the difference between nonverbal
verbal communication.
3. Provide two examples of each: facial expression,
gesture, body motion. Describe what each means.
4. Give an example of how you can use I-
statements to express your point of view.and
5. Explain the difference between passive
active listening. How does active listening
promote good communication?
6. Imagine you are listening to a friend describe
how a close relationship ended. List three
different forms of active listening and an
example of a response for each.
310
Chapter 14
Today’s Family
Functions of
the Family
Sharpen
Your Reading
Develop a graphic organizer for functions of the
family, listing the ways families carry out each
function.
Boost
Your Vocabulary
Review the definitions of
socialization
and
role
from Chapter 2.
Know
Key Terms
cultural identity
In this society, families socialize children,
meet their physical needs, meet emotional needs,
and influence their roles in society. Because
family living is more complex today, fulfilling
these may more challenging.
the beginning. Children are born helpless,
needing others to provide and care for them as
grow to maturity. The family fulfills a major
role in meeting children’s needs as they grow and
develop.
Children need to that will
them become productive members of society. The
family reinforces those and provides the
nurturing in which those skills can
be
The family also interprets the standards of
the society. Children need to learn what is and
is not acceptable behavior. Families teach, train,
and provide examples of how these standards
apply individual lives. Society as a whole will
benefit communities will be safer, better
places to as families focus on the function of
socializing children.
section
14:
2
In what ways do you think it is more
challenging to fulfill these functions today
than in times past?
Use What You Learn
Socializing Childrennew
When families have children, they make
it possible for the society extend into a
generation, 14-4. However, giving birth is only
14-4
Families reproduce and socialize children, extend--
ing family into a new generation.
Welcome to Strengthening
Family & Self
Each chapter is divided into
easy-to-read sections
S
tn14:3
Sect Sect Sect i i i ion ion ion
4 14 14 14: 14: 14: 14: 14: 3 3 3 3 3 3
Family
Structures
Section 14:
4
Sing
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Key Q Q Q Q
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t t st est est i i i ion ion ion ion s s s s s
Key Questions present the
essential learnings, or big-
picture ideas, of the chapter.
hiis s
Chapter Objectives
outline what you should
be able to achieve after
reading the chapter.
305
Lif Lif
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6.
Section Review questions
check your understanding of
the main ideas in the section.