Modernism and the nuclear family

• diversity in the family

  • change partners frequently
  • same-sex marriage is legal
  • abortion is allowed
  • more single - lone parents
  • foster parents more common
  • multi-cultural families
• functionalist view of diverse families

  • children arent being socialised properly
  • not a nuclear family
  • dysfunctional
• the new right view of diverse families

  • believe its wrong as they only believe in traditional families
  • they believe its morally wrong as they do not agree with 'same-sex marriages'
  • society is going backwards
• Chester (diversity of family)


  • recognises that there has been some increased family diversity in recent years however doesn't see it as very significant nor negative
  • he believed that the extent of diversity has been exaggerated
  • argues that the only important change is a move from the dominance of the traditional or conventional nuclear family to what he describes as the 'neo-conventional family'
  • chester defines the neo-conventional family as a dual earner family in which both spouses go out to work and not just the husband
  • Chester suggested that most people will inevitably end up in couple with children
• the rapoports - diversity

  • argue that family diversity is the central importance in understanding family today
  • Family becoming more diverse rather than being a conventional or nuclear family
  • family diversity to them reflecting greater freedom of choice and the widespread acceptance of different cultures and ways in todays society
  • see diversity in a positive light
  • identified 5 types of family diversity
• 5 types of family diversity:

  1. Organisational diversity
  2. Cultural diversity
  3. Social class diversity
  4. Life course diversity
  5. Cohort diversity
• Organisational diversity:

  • Refers to the organisation of the family structure and its support networks
  • May divide labour equally or have a main provider
  • e.g. some couples have joint conjugal roles some have segregated
• cultural diversity


  • Mass migration created greater ethnic diversity in society
  • families from minority ethnic background may have different structures, different organisation and different levels of support networks
• social class diversity

  • Assumptions of family were based on middle class ideals
  • Different forms of organisation WC, MC and UC
  • Influenced by employment, childcare etc
• life course diversity

  • Dependent on what stages of our lives we are at
  • Differs between students, middle age, elderly etc
• cohort diversity


  • Refers to the intergenerational attitudes of different groups
  • Each different cohort will have different sets of values what they might place upon family life
  • Older generations may see value in marriage whilst younger generations may seek alternatives
• Evaluation of Rappoports:

  • (+) research as diversity has grown
  • (+) can be evidenced through a rise of different family types
  • (-) research was conducted from existing research so can be seen as subjective
• overview

  • perspectives such as functionalism and the new right have been described as modernist
  • they see modern society as having a fairly fixed clear cut and predictable structure
  • they see one 'best' family type - the nuclear family - as slotting into this structure and helping to maintain it by performing certain essential functions
• functionalism

  • there is a 'functional fit' between the nuclear family and modern society
  • Parsons sees the nuclear family as uniquely suited to meeting the needs of modern society for a geographically or socially mobile workforce and as performing 2 functions
  • the primary socialisation of children
  • the stabilisation of adult personality
  • this means they see any other family type as dysfunctional as it wont be able to fully perform the functions required of the family
• the new right

  • have a conservative and anti-feminist perspective on the family
  • they are firmly opposed to family diversity
  • the new right hold the view that there is only is one correct or normal family type
  • only prefer the nuclear family
  • see the family as 'natural' and based on fundamental biological differences between men and women
  • oppose most of the changes in family patterns such as cohabitation, gay marriage and lone-parenthood
  • concerned about the growth of lone-parents families
• criticisms of the new right

  • Oakley 1997 argues that the new right wrongly assume that husbands and wives roles are fixed by biology
  • feminists also argue that the conventional nuclear family favoured by the new right is based on the patriarchal oppression of women and is a fundamental cause of gender inequality
  • critics argue that there is no evidence that children in lone parent families are more likely to be delinquent thatn those brought up in two parent households