Key Concepts of Flexible and Diverse Family Structures

Hey Guys! Please refer to this link for the article,

https://libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=77684654&site=ehost-live

The article, Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse Among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida focuses on domestic abuse in Latino families and how it correlates with levels of closeness between family members and how the family structure also influences the domestic abuse. As you read, please keep in mind a several concepts:


1) Notable differences in the family dynamic in Latino households 

2) Familismo

3) Each family members role in the Latino household and how gender roles strongly influence the family dynamic.


The Latino population is growing in America along with other minority groups. Studies like the one mentioned in the article are increasing now that the scope of the American family is broadening. With the increase in minority groups in America there is also an increase in family structures and the different ways gender is plays a role in these new structures. There are now many examples of different family values in social media. For example, a famous youtuber Lejuan James shows depictions of the daily life in an Latino household and hashtags like #Thanksgivinginblackfamilies.

Key Concepts of Domestic Abuse

Hey everyone! Here is the link to the article that was chosen for class on 10/10 pertaining to families and domestic violence:

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0422e6dd-fb90-49bf-9813-3e11e5514c0a%40sessionmgr4010&vid=1&hid=4103

This article, Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse Among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida, discusses the correlation between the level of family closeness and the likelihood of domestic abuse occurring in Latino households. Domestic abuse is something that occurs in the home much more frequently than most households openly acknowledge and is extremely prevalent in today's society. With that being said, there are many factors that influence domestic abuse (whether it is physical, emotional, or sexual abuse), including the communication style of the family, the families socioeconomic status, and the overall family structure. Again this article focuses on how family closeness and family structure affects the likelihood of abuse occurring, as well as the link between family closeness as an overall protective factor in domestic abuse.

As you read the article there are a few concepts/questions I would like for you to take note of and think about:

What are common assumptions you have when you think about violence/domestic abuse?

How does family closeness affect the likelihood of domestic abuse occurring?

In what ways do you think gender affects the relationship between the abuser/victim?

Notice how and when the words Latino/Latina are used throughout the article. Does this bring up the idea of male dominance in families/gender bias? Why or why not?

Do you think domestic violence is institutionalized?

What role does gender have in terms of how domestic violence is perceived and why it occurs?


*EDIT*

As a class, we discussed the focus points of the chapter, as well as questions about the textbook reading. The questions that seemed to get the most feedback were "what is a common assumption you make when you think about domestic violence?" and "do you usually associate certain genders with certain forms of abuse?" I found the class answers to be very interesting and from having open discussion questions, it was made clear that gender stereotypes are present in regards to this topic. Although we did not discuss the article in full detail, one thing I was able to bring up was how the use of Latina and Latino were used throughout the article. When referencing the family household as a whole, the word Latino was used. When referencing a female member of the house individually, the word Latina was used. With do you think we consider the home to be a male dominated sanctum? Why or why not?

One additional point that I wanted to reference again was the idea of institutionalization. In what ways, do you think domestic abuse is institutionalized? Do you think we are breaking free from this idea? Why or why not?

The article's focus was on how family closeness affects the presence of domestic abuse. The healthier the family environment is, the less chance there is of domestic violence for Latino families. Although this article focused mainly on Latino families, do you think this notion is common for most diverse family cultures? How do you think culture affects domestic abuse?

Thank you again everyone for participating!

Communicating in Families Discussion

Part I:

Hello everyone, here is the link to the article that you will be reading for this Thursday's class on Family Communication:      file:///Users/hayleynaphen/Downloads/77684654.pdf

This article is titled, Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse Among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida. The article examines the relationship between family structure and levels of closeness with domestic abuse in Latino households. As you read, please pay attention and take note of the following concepts:

• familismo

• long-lasting relationships

• parent-child relations

• intra-family violence

• attachment

• abuse

• protective effects of long-lasting family relations

The issue of domestic abuse is an unfortunate reality for many people around the world. Though the article focused its research on Latino families, this issue applies to all different types of cultures and is a very real and prevalent issue. Family relations and how family members communicate with one another plays a huge role in how people handle conflict in the domestic setting, and whether or not it escalates to any kind of domestic abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. A specific example where we can see this issue take place was in the media in 2014, when Ray Rice, an NFL football player for the Baltimore Ravens, was accused of assaulting his then-fiance, Janay Palmer. He was accused of physically abusing her and knocking her unconscious. This type of abuse and domestic violence is a real issue in family communication.

Part III- Post Class Discussion

Hi again! I really enjoyed the conversation that we had last Thursday's class; it was really interesting and insightful to hear all about your opinions in terms of communicating in families! As a refresher, here are some of the key take away points from the class discussion on 11/10/16:

  

• Technology has the potential to both inhibit and encourage communication in families
• Fathers are more affectionate with their sons today than previous generations
• Many working-class and African Americans describe their mothers as strong and preparing them for life struggles

• Gender Schema Theory: Children selectively choose stimuli that seem consistent with their gender identity

• Younger siblings model older siblings’ gendered behavior 
• Domestic Labor: Even though housework is getting closer to being balanced between men and women, surveys show that there is still a difference of 15 hours worth of housework
• Conflict Communication: Demand/Withdrawal Conflict Pattern- The partner who most wants change will demand through complaint, criticism, etc. And the partner who does not change will resist this demand by withdrawing in some way
• Family member closeness as protective factor in abuse: Having a long-lasting relationship with any member of the family is negatively associated with reporting abuse during a lifetime (protective factor)
• The strongest  protective effect is having a close relationship with a mother, then by a father (more so than sibling or partner relationships)

Patricia Hill Collins is a Sociology Professor at the University of Maryland, and she describes an ideal of motherhood that helps to prepare children to face discrimination. In this respect, Patricia moves away from the idealized wholesome, nurturing mother, to one that is strong and a powerful role model for their children. These kinds of ideas that she puts forth in her book, "Black Feminist Thought," make it easier for people to see our own gendered expectations, so that we can try to change these ideas. 

Some questions from our discussion are:

• What role do you think technology plays in communication in families? Overall, does it have a positive or negative effect?

• Thinking about your own family, are there ways in which you communicate differently with certain members than others? Provide examples.

• How do you think culture affects communication in families? Can you provide specific examples?