Beck 1992: the Negotiated Family

• Beck 1992
• We now live in a 'risk society' where tradition has less influence and people have more choice meaning we have become more aware of risks
• traditional nuclear family provided a stable and predictable environment for both partners
• Nuclear Family has been undermined by:

  1. greater gender equality
  2. greater individualism
• Beck and Gernsheim 1995: the 'negotiated family' who do not conform to traditional family norm but rely on fulfilling the needs of the family members
• 'Negotiated Family' less stable as individuals are free to leave if their needs are not met leading to greater family diversity
• Beck describes the family as a 'zombie category' - it appears to act as a haven (alive) but rather it does not (dead)
• People want the family to be a haven of security in an insecure world but family cannot provide this due to its own instability