ABSTRACT
Social divisions can occur between families or within families. The former include divisions of race and class between families with different characteristics, the latter include divisions of age and sex between people occupying different roles within families. In this chapter, both types of division are discussed, beginning with divisions within families. Gender, the social construction of sex differences, has received special attention (Ferree, 1990). That is mainly due to a renewed interest in the connection between women and family life. Part of the reason for this is that women’s lives have been changing, and with it their position in family life. The other part of the reason for a renewed interest in the connection between women and family life is the impact of feminism. From this perspective, gender is identified as a basic structural feature of families (Glenn, 1987). Feminist analyses share the view that gendered inequalities and power relations are inherent features of family structure.
