PSY 3123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Parenting Styles, Sex Selection, Henry Morgentaler

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 3123
• Professor: Kristel Thomassin

Document Summary

Structural functionalists focus on having children as a necessary function of families in perpetuating society: it is important for families to have children because it keeps things going forward. Developmental approach sees having children as a developmental task of most families: the family goes through changes that are linear and step wise; having children is just part of the natural sequence of a persons life. Conflict theorists suggest social pressure to have children reflects prevailing ideology: how families with children have greater social advantages than those without. Families might compete with other institutions in society so its important that families have children because there are some benefits that they can only get if they have children. Systems theory looks at how decision to have children creates different subsystems that affect family dynamic: has both micro and macro levels, looks at how the dynamics in the family change one a couple has children.