family diversity

• What has changed in family patterns over the past 40 or 50 years?

  Major changes in family and household patterns
• What has happened to the number of traditional nuclear family households?

  It has fallen
• What trend has been observed in divorce rates?

  Divorce rates have increased
• What is the trend regarding first marriages?

  There are fewer first marriages
• What has been observed about re-marriages?

  There are more re-marriages
• What is the trend regarding the age of marriage?

  People are marrying later in life
• What is the trend in cohabitation among couples?

  More couples are cohabiting
• How are same-sex relationships recognized legally?

  Through civil partnerships or marriages
• What trend is observed in women's childbirth patterns?

  Women are having fewer children later
• What is the trend regarding births outside marriage?

  There are more births outside marriage
• What is the trend in lone-parent families?

  There are more lone-parent families
• What is the trend regarding people living alone?

  More people live alone
• What is the trend in stepfamilies?

  There are more stepfamilies
• What is the trend regarding couples without children?

  There are more couples without children
• What changes in family life patterns are examined in this topic?

  • Changes in marriage
  • Changes in cohabitation
  • Changes in divorce
• Why is divorce considered a major cause of changing family patterns?

  It creates lone-parent families and one-person households
• What has been the trend in divorce rates since the 1960s in the UK?

  • Great increase in divorces
  • Doubled between 1961 and 1969
  • Doubled again by 1971
  • Peaked in 1993 at 165,000
  • Fell somewhat but remained high in 2012
• How many divorces were recorded in 2012?

  118,000 divorces
• What percentage of marriages are expected to end in divorce?

  About 40%
• What is one reason for the fall in divorce numbers since the 1990s?

  Fewer people are marrying and choosing cohabitation
• What proportion of divorce applications come from women?

  About two-thirds
• What are the implications of increased divorce rates on family structures?

  • Rise in lone-parent families
  • Increase in one-person households
  • More re-marriages
• What has happened to family diversity in recent years?

  It has increased significantly
• What type of family is now more common than the traditional nuclear family?

  Reconstituted, lone-parent, and cohabiting families
• What do functionalists and the New Right argue about family types?

  The nuclear family is the only functional type
• Who states that family diversity has increased?

  Parsons
• What do the New Right believe about the nuclear family?

  It is the only 'natural' family type
• What social problems do the New Right associate with lone-parent families?

  They lead to a dependency culture
• What do generous welfare benefits encourage, according to the New Right?

  Deviant family types
• How do the Rapoports view family diversity?

  As a positive response to people's needs
• What are the five types of family diversity identified by the Rapoports?

  • Organisational diversity
  • Cultural diversity
  • Social class diversity
  • Life-stage diversity
  • Generational diversity
• What does Chester say about the dominance of the nuclear family?

  It still remains dominant despite diversity
• What significant change does Chester identify in family structure?

  From conventional to neo-conventional family
• What family structure does the neo-conventional family adopt?

  A symmetrical family structure
• Who believes society has become 'disembedded' from traditional family structures?

  Giddens
• What is the 'pure relationship' according to Giddens?

  A relationship satisfying each partner's needs
• What does Beck say has created the 'negotiated family'?

  Equality and individualism among members
• What does Smart argue about individuals in relationships?

  We make decisions within a 'web of connectedness'
• What are the key perspectives on family diversity discussed in the material?

  • Functionalism: Nuclear family is essential
  • New Right: Nuclear family is 'natural'
  • Rapoports: Diversity is positive
  • Chester: Nuclear family remains dominant
  • Postmodernism: Individual choice shapes families
  • Personal Life Perspective: Relationships within connectedness