A core argument of this book is that understanding same-sex marriages and their social and political significance requires an understanding of the developments discussed so far in this chapter, combined with an exploration of the experiences of same-sex marriages on the ground. By taking these together we aim to generate insights into same-sex marriage as […]
День: 10.09.2015
Did fathers who disconnected from their sons really love their sons?: the story of Theseus
When King Aegeus of Athens was about to become a father, he said he did not want to see his son until Theseus was stronger than all others.34 Why? King Aegeus feared that a pampered prince could not protea his people. So Aegeus deprived himself of seeing Theseus until Theseus could lift а massive boulder […]
Health and Illness
LEARNING OBJECTIVES • What are the key issues in defining health and illness? • How is the quality of life assessed? • What normative age-related changes occur in the immune system? • What are the developmental trends in chronic and acute diseases? • What are the key issues in stress across adulthood? R osa is […]
International Differences in Average Longevity
Countries around the world differ dramatically in how long their populations live on average. As you can see in Figure 4.2, the current range extends Longevity, Health, and Functioning 113 Figure 4.2 International data on average life expectancy at birth. Note the differences between developed and developing countries. Source: http://www. census. gov/ipc/www/idb/tables. html. from 38 […]
Extrinsic Theories: From ‘Class First’ through ‘Social. Reproduction’ to ‘Dual Systems’
Chapter 2 noted the divergence between feminist theories that saw direct power relations between men and women as the main determinant of women’s oppression, and those that looked else where. The most influential extrinsic theories (apart from biological determinism, which will be discussed in chapter 4 and is not a form of social theory) have […]
Wants or Preferences?
Beginning in the 1960s, women’s capacity to exercise choice in regard to family size was dramatically advanced by opportunities to control procreation through modern contraception, legalized abortion, and assisted reproductive technology. At the same time their options regarding labor-force participation increased. These developments created new alternatives for women in the realms of work and family […]
Wants or Preferences?
Beginning in the 1960s, women’s capacity to exercise choice in regard to family size was dramatically advanced by opportunities to control procreation through modern contraception, legalized abortion, and assisted reproductive technology. At the same time their options regarding labor-force participation increased. These developments created new alternatives for women in the realms of work and family […]
The political functions of marriage
In northern Somalia the clan system involves relationships that Somali nomads utilise to create both war and peace. Marriage creates important ties between lineages. However, neighbourhood may be given greater importance than lineage. A Somali saying goes: ood kaa dheeri kuma dhaxan tirto (‘a fence far away from you does not protect you from cold’) […]
Gender Differences in Average Longevity
A visit to a senior center or to a nursing home can easily lead to the question “Where are all the very old men?” Women’s average longevity is about 5 years more than men’s at birth (in 2004), narrowing to roughly 1 year by age 85 (Arias, 2006; National Center for Health Statistics, 2008a). These […]
POWER AND DISCOURSE IN FOUCAULT
Foucault sees all of his work contributing to outlining the intricate and highly variable forms ofpower in discursive and non-discursive practices. McNeil (1993) notes that at the centre of all Foucault’s enquiries is his concern with the power — knowledge relationship. This can be seen to begin within his early methodological texts, notably The Archaeology […]