Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Week 12

I thought that it was very interesting that in California 70% more women are the ones that initiate divorce. The reason could be women are more emotional or that men just want to stick with it cause they don't want to be alone.

Men are more likely to have less friends than women. As the two genders we discuss about different things with our friends. Women are able to change each others emotional state.

Different Names for families that are blended:
Stepfamilies
Remarried
Reconstituted

Average miles that the dad lived from mom was 400 when divorced that is really amazing to me.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Week 11

Parenting

Its amazing to me how the experience it is for children to come to this world and see have their parents see them for the first time. I am excited to have this experience and have the opportunity to feel this for myself.

"The experience of parenting is somewhat different for men and women. Women tend to find joy in their children but not in the tasks of motherhood. Women tend to be more involved than men in the lives of their children. Men however, are equally capable of nurturing behavior. Expectant fathers have many anxieties that they tend not to share with others. Men spend a higher proportion of time in play with children than do mothers. They are playmates as well as caretakers." Taken from the textbook.

Week 10

Fathers & Finances

Farmers are closer to God because they are more appreciative for food and work than those that just exchange money for food.
I want to have my children to have chores to help them learn the meaning of work which will help them later on in life.

Producing
Constructing
Cooking
Prepare
Clothing
Teaching
Values
Skills

Week 9

Challenge of Communication

 Communication is a very important part of a family. You need to understand one another to not only get along but become closer to each other. I know some families that have really good communication between one another not only through words, but through expressions and hugs. I really admire that of people and am grateful for the opportunity to see this in my own family.

Week 8

Family Crisis

There are different types of family crisis's that we go through and not everyone goes through the same ones. I would like to talk about three different that I have seen happen or heard or read about.

1- Death in the Family. My Aunts husband got in a farming accident and was killed instantly it did not just effect her but also her four children. This happened ten years ago and as I watch them grow I can see difficulties that they acquire that I don't have to go through.

2- Drug use in the Family. Drugs are very harmful and can affect families miraculously. I have seen this happen to families from my hometown. Where parents become separated and fight with each other. This is hard for the children especially when they are younger. In the textbook it gives some statistics on how children act if parents are on drugs such as: have trouble with schoolwork, higher rates of anxiety and depression, blame themselves for their parents' problems, and so many more.

3- Child abuse in families. This one is one that I struggle with knowing people actually do some of the cruelest things to their children. We need to love them unconditionally and appreciate them because you are the one that provided them this live you need to treat them with respect. A good book to read would be "A Child Called It"

Week 7

Sexual Intimacy and Family Life

Is there any such thing as safe sex?
In our textbook it says "The only truly safe sex is no sex." I believe that people need to stay away from this but so do a lot of other people. In the long run you usually regret everything you have done so why not stop and think about what could happen if you do or don't have sex.

The book gives some guidelines for us to consider before:
1- You need to be aware of who you are about to have it with they may have some kind of infection that could effect you.
2- Don't have multiple sex partners because it is easy to transmit diseases such as AIDS.
3- Make sure you discuss health and sexual concerns with one another it isn't an invasion of privacy.
4- Make sure you are using protection.
5- While actively having sex with someone make sure you have regular doctor checkups.
6- Make sure you are aware of the different symptoms of the different diseases that you may obtain.
7- Let a physician know if you have been exposed to any diseases you are risking your health maybe even your life.

This can affect your family and not just yourself because if you are have sex at a young age you are chancing have a child which may be harmful for the child through various reasons.

Week 6

Getting Married

I liked how in the book where it talked about how people marry for various reasons in addition to just love. They mentioned intimacy, conformity to social expectations,  and others that they included were the idea that marriage and family the idea and most fulfilling state for humans, desire for children, and definition of marriage and the problems that can occur during marriage.




Week 5

Marriage
"Filters"
    -------------------Physical Attraction
    -------------------Similarities

Hanging out, Hooking up, and Celestial Marriage

Bruce A. Chadwick
Thesis: Crafted
Counsel: Actively Look
Look for A right one

CINDERELLA SYNDROME
Don't settle for anything less than the best for you

Date
-Planned
-Paid for
-Paired off
  - commitment
Proclamation (male)
-Provide
-Protect
-Preside

Recreation
Intimacy
Companionship
Find a Mate
Status Attainment
Socialization

KNOW-QUO
TALK (mutual self disclosure)
TOGETHERNESS/Know
TIME (3 months)

Week 4

We discussed Gender and Family Life:

"We badly need to raise our boys more like our girls"
              Gloria Steinham
This quote explains that we are raising girls better than boys. I don't think that this is true.
The Family Proclamation says:
Women are here to Nurture

We have different roles mothers are the ones that have the children. Men are the ones that have the Priesthood and the head of the household.

-understanding the other gender
-gifts differing we are all different so we all have different roles or gifts

Male & Females have different strengths

Feminine Tendencies
emotional/caring                                
 - express emotions                            
verbalize                                             
observant                                            
specific detailed                                 
relationship oriented
cooperative (work together)

Masculine Tendencies
upper body strength physical
 spatial oriented
 protective
 aggressive (violation)
  competitive

Week 3

How does family social class your aspirations, expectations, interactions with community?
Does social class affect a families ability to accomplish its purpose? How or Why not?

Even if life is going through hard times make sure you have a positive attitude and honest heart with your fellow men.

Teach your children to always be thankful for what they have whether you are rich or poor. We need our children to look for the good even though when they attend school they see all the other children with things that they may not have.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Theory

Family Systems Theory
- The whole is greater than some of its parts.
 - Boundaries
 - Every person has a role in life if that person isn't their then something is wrong.
-If moms not happy no ones happy.
- Feedback talk with each other.

Exchange Theory
- When unbalanced it disconnects.

Symbolic Theory
- Everything is symbolic: words behaviors, looks.
- Most of what happens between people is through symbolism.

Conflict Theory
- Everything happens with some sort of conflict. When you have capable people there is conflict (not necessarily aggressiveness).

Rigid Boundaries- Sense of not being well connected with family.
Defuse Boundaries- Not clear a little to close.
Clear Boundaries- Noticeable, obvious.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

First week of class we discussed chapter one of our textbook Marriage & Family the Quest for Intimacy Eighth Edition. In this chapter we talked about Trends. Some of the Trends we discussed were:
INCREASE
Divorce Rates (S)
Pre-Marital (S)
Cohabitation (S)
People are living alone (NBD)
Mothers working outside of the home (S-I)
Births to unmarried Women (S)

DECREASE
People getting married (S)
Children being born (I)
Social Activities (I)
Social time with extended family (I)

We then discussed in groups how important each of those were and placed them in different categories such as Significant, Interesting, and No big deal.

We then tried to connect them together and found that: Not being social can have a chain reaction-- Not Social- don't meet people- no marriage- no children.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Hello my name is Andrea Jorgensen I am taking this Family Relations class for my major which is Marriage and Family Studies. I am really excited for this semester and to learn more about families. I am creating this blog so I am able to record thoughts that are inspiring to me. I hope you enjoy my blog.