College of New Caledonia Sociology 230 Midterm Essays

This sociology midterm essay, submitted by a student, analyzes family structures in Canada through the lens of socialist feminist viewpoints. The essay begins with a genogram analysis of three families (A, B, and C), examining their structures and dynamics. It then applies socialist feminist perspectives to assess how these families conform to or deviate from traditional family norms, considering factors like sexual orientation, productive labor, and the roles of family members. The essay further addresses emerging problems for Canadian society and the institution of marriage, exploring these issues through the perspectives of structural functionalism and feminist theory. It discusses the impact of changing social norms, divorce rates, and the evolution of family structures on Canadian society, including the challenges and opportunities presented by diverse family arrangements like same-sex marriages and stepfamilies. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of contemporary sociological issues related to family and society.

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Running head: MIDTERM ESSAYS
Midterm Essays
Sociology-230
Karamjit Kaur
College of New Caledonia
Date: February 26, 2019
Instructor name: Bruce Northey

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MIDTERM ESSAYS
Question 1.
1. Genogram of Family A, B, and C
The above-mentioned image describes the Genogram of the family A, B and C. Lawyer, his
first wife, and her 24 years old son may share some genetic information with each other. Rest
of them are independent, however, they clubbed together under a family structure.
2. Analysis of Family A, B & C from the perspective of Socialist Feminist View
Point:
Family A in the given case study can be considered as a nuclear family living in an
upmarket society of Canada. Local customs and traditions prevailing in any given society
also play a crucial role in the process, for instance in the case of Family A the acceptance
level of the Gay marriages in Canadian society can play a major role. Still, from the

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MIDTERM ESSAYS
prevailing Socialist Feminist point of view, this family fails in fulfilling two major conditions
of a normal family (Mclean, 2015, p. 87).
Sometimes sexual orientation drove social values and traits play a major role in
ascertaining the functional or dysfunctional nature of any given family (Howe, 2011, p. 93).
Two adopted kids of the family may feel a lack of “motherhood and private sphere” because
family A does not have a “lady of the house.” On a "house by house" scale, this degree of
"motherhood and private sphere" may vary, however in this case we don't have that "luxury
of having a female mother." Currently, the kids are young, however, once they will reach
puberty. They will need a female to educate them.
The concept of productive labor is also missing from the family. The feministic socialist
outlook defines productive labor as the tasks done by a homemaker or a female inside the
house (Belenger, 2011). Societies like the USA and Canada also identifies the concept of
Productive labor as a tool to measure the worth of a housewife in any given set of society
(Jackson, 2016, p. 55). The case study associated with the family A from a feministic outlook
gives us an idea that both the partners engaged in a marriage like Union are not in a position
to deliver productive labor and this is where the upbringing of the kids may suffer a bit
(Angilini, 2011, p. 242).
3. The ways in which the families confirm and not conform to the contemporary
family reality
In the current study, we have family B consist of a couple and their adult kid. The current
case study gives us an idea that the second husband of the lawyer's wife is not happy with the
gay union of her first husband. This difference of opinion is insignificant by many standards,
first there are no financial or social strings attached between them and secondly, the father of
an adult boy has no bearings on the personality of the adult boy who has now become a part

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of the B family, or his step father's family. Another factor that separates this family from all
the other hassles is associated with the fact that both the partners have no strong attachment
with their previous relationships. The husband in family B has no responsibilities from his
previous families. From a feministic outlook, this family is an ideal family by all the possible
standards. They can afford to have another child of this union and bring him up in an ideal
environment.
Family C in the case study is an example of a nuclear family. Both partners are
independent and working. When we compare this family with family A then we find that both
have similar structures in the terms of the working capacity of the partners, however, once the
female in the family will get pregnant we will be able to define the need of the "motherhood
and privacy" sphere with great ease because one of the members is a female (Ferguson, 2013,
p. 73). The question of productive labor can be distributed in accordance with the natural
needs and duties of a mother. In the case of a Family A, we need to identify the partner who
will play the role of a mother in the major parts.

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MIDTERM ESSAYS
Question 2. Emerging problems for the Canadian Society and marriage as an institution
from different perspectives
(A)Talcott Parson inspired structure functionalist are right, the concept of
family is dying in Canada
The traditional mindset of an individual defines a sweet home with a modern family
where two or three generations and two units of a family are surviving together. During the
'60s of the previous century, the concept of nuclear families came into existence. It was also
a time of transition for society because legal norms started acknowledging other forms of
relationships as well (Rosin, 2012, p. 101).
Canadian government recognizes gay & lesbian unions. However, this recognition fails in
explaining certain important questions, for instance, in the case of a male and female union,
we can easily pick mother and father (Beard, 2017). A court or any social institution can fix
the importance of a mother or a father in accordance with the age group of the kid. Let's
assume a hypothetical question. Suppose that a husband files a child custody petition and
divorce petition. He has strong reasons because his wife is adulterous in nature and she is into
drugs and other vices. Now the rights of the wife to keep a baby with her vary in accordance
with the age of the kid. If that kid is dependent on breastfeeding then it is the right of the
mother to keep him. Similarly, if the kid is a female then again wife has a fair chance. In the
case of Gay marriages we cannot fix such type of conditions and in general, we can say that
family as a social institution demands a mother and a father.
The increasing rates of divorce in Canadian society also gave rise to the concept of
step-families. For example, a kid needs an ideal environment for the upbringing, but when he
or she would live in step-families, he or she supposed to face neglect, physical or maybe the

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MIDTERM ESSAYS
sexual abuse and sometimes a child ends up in facing discriminatory behavior in his own
house. Therefore, step-families fails in to grow a child in an ideal environment.
(B)The view of the feminist theorist
When we check the Canadian society, we find modernists thought processes brewing
up and advocating the concept of nuclear straight families or modern families to survive in
modern industrialist society. The dependency-based dynamism of this family structure often
gives rise to the disputes of civil nature however they can be settled down with the help of an
elaborate legal system backing them up (Silver, 2017).
An increase in the divorce rate also indicates the liberation of women because they
have the right to live a life of choice. Choice and equality among the genders and people with
different social orientation increase the satisfaction levels of certain alienated sections of the
society. The above-mentioned facts are the primary arguments of feminist theories.
According to them, Canadian women are emancipating. They are seeking for a separate
identity. In the past marriage as a union was rigid for them, however, laws related to the
divorce are becoming easier. Unconventional marriages like same-sex marriage and others
are also getting social acceptance. In other words, we can say that marriage as an institution is
giving way to new customs and these customs are adding a new and well-defined sanctity in
the marriages.
.Every system or practice may have its own set of pros and cons. However, we cannot
neglect the fact that current Canadian society is bidding goodbye to traditional social norms
related to the sexual unions and their aftermath in the form of legal, social and familial bonds.
The social institutions are offering more liberty and more choices to an individual in this
regard and a new chapter is all set to unfold itself in the social engineering of postmodern
Canadian society.

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References:
Angilini, P. (2011). Our Society: Human Diversity in Canada. New York: Cengage Learning.
Beard, M. (2017). Women & Power: A Manifesto. New York: Profile Books.
Belenger, M. (2011). The Family Dynamic: A Canadian Perspective. New York: Cengage.
Ferguson, A. (2013). Love: A Question for Feminism in the Twenty-First Century. Abingdon:
Routledge.
Howe, T. R. (2011). Marriages and Families in the 21st Century: A Bioecological Approach.
New York: Wiley.
Jackson, K. (2016). Gender and the Nuclear Family in Twenty-First-Century Horror. New
York: Springer.
Mclean, M. (2015). Delivering Family Justice in the 21st Century. Montreal: Bloomsbury
Publication.
Rosin, H. (2012). The End of Men: And the Rise of Women. London: Penguin UK.
Silver, L. (2017). Fairly Equal: Lawyering the Feminist Revolution. Toronto: Second Story
Press.