Parenting
This newer parenting ideal emphasizes fathers’ emotional involvement and hands-on caregiving.
involved father ideal
In pre-modern societies, children were largely viewed as what?
small adults/workers in training
This concept refers to the unequal division of unpaid household and care labor.
gendered divison of labor
Research shows same-gender parents tend to divide household labor in what way?
More equally, though still shaped by income, leave policies, and caregiving demands
This term refers to families formed through remarriage that include step-parents and step-children.
blended families
This ideal emphasizes fathers as breadwinners whose primary responsibility is financial support.
male provider ideal
This idea explains that childhood is shaped by social, historical, and cultural forces rather than biology alone.
social construction of childhood
This concept refers to the unequal distribution of women and men across different types of jobs.
occupational segregation
What legal tool is often used to secure parental rights for a non-biological parent in LGBTQ+ families?
second parent adoption/co-parent adoption
How does divorce tend to affect women and men differently economically?
Women, especially mothers, experience greater economic decline after divorce, while men tend to experience an economic boost
a cultural ideal where mothers are expected to be child-centered, emotionally absorbing, expert-guided, labor-intensive caregivers, pouring immense time, energy, and resources into parenting
intensive mothering
What demographic change led parents to invest more time and resources into individual children?
declining birth rates/fewer children per family
This type of labor includes cooking, cleaning, childcare, and emotional management within households.
unpaid labor
Name one legal barrier LGBTQ+ families have historically faced in forming families.
Adoption restrictions, lack of parental recognition, marriage bans, or denial of access to reproductive technologies
How has no-fault divorce changed marriage and family life in the U.S.?
It made divorce more accessible, reduced stigma, and shifted marriage toward individual fulfillment.
Identify one structural factor that has increased parenting anxiety in contemporary society.
Heightened risk awareness, fewer children, increased education, or dual-earner family stress
Explain the difference between a “protected” childhood and a “prepared” childhood.
Protected childhood emphasizes innocence and shielding from adult realities, while prepared childhood emphasizes early exposure, responsibility, and readiness for adult life
What is the “fatherhood bonus,” and how does it differ from the motherhood penalty?
Fathers often experience wage and status benefits after having children, while mothers experience wage penalties and career setbacks.
Why is legal parentage especially important for non-biological LGBTQ+ parents?
Without legal recognition, they may lack custody, medical decision-making, and parental rights.
What challenges do children face in blended families?
Navigating multiple households, ambiguous roles, loyalty conflicts, and unequal resources across parents and step-parents
Explain how reproduction is socially regulated rather than purely biological
Reproduction is shaped by policy, culture, medicine, and norms about deservingness and citizenship.
How did compulsory education laws reshape childhood in the modern era?
They separated children from adult labor, extended dependence, and made childhood a distinct life stage.
Why is the United States considered an outlier in work–family policy?
It lacks universal paid parental leave and universal childcare compared to many other nations.
How does social support buffer stress for LGBTQ+ parents?
Support from chosen family, community organizations, and affirming institutions reduces stigma-related strain.
Explain why stepfamilies are often described as institutionally incomplete.
Social norms, legal rules, and cultural scripts for step-relationships are weaker and less clear than for biological families.