Family diversity

• New right views on single parent families

  • Think it is negative to society
  • There is a connection between one parent families and educational underachievement and youth crime
  • The children lack self control and a positive male role model to enforce discipline
  • Murray 1984 it costs the state too much to look after as it offers 'perverse incentive' to young girls to get pregnant such as council housing and benefits. Creates a 'dependency culture' suggests abolishing welfare
• Feminist views on single parent families

  • Family ideology creates problems for single parents as the nuclear family is seen as the ideal type
  • This leads to negative labelling by professionals and the justice system so they become scapegoat for social problems such as crime education underachievement when these are really due to unemployment and poverty
  • The new right ignores the idea that single parenthood may be preferable to domestic violence or that the majority of lone parent raise the children successfully
• Reconstructed families


  • Increased family due to rise in divorce
  • Children tend to keep close ties to other's parent and many experience 'coparenting'
  • Binuclar two separate post divorce or separated households are really one system as far as children are concerned
  • Challenges of step families-Allan and Crow 2001 face problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with the non resident parent can cause tension
  • De'Ach and Slater children feel pulled in two different directions especially if parent relationships is strained. Tension between step parents and children. Even more if new couples decide to have children
• Reasons for increase in single person households

  • Increase in elderly households- longer expectancy
  • Increased in female employment and opportunities
  • Expansion on education
  • Changing attitudes
  • Increased diovice
• Many singlehood is a temporary phase before a nuclear family
• Main ethnic groups in Britain

  • Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi (3.6%)
  • mixed ethnicity (1.2%)
  • black Africa (0.8%)
  • Chinese (0.4%)
• Asian families


  • Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian households tend to be large than others ethnic groups
  • The 3 household are mainly nuclear but then have a higher rate for extended family
  • Ballard 1982 extended family ties provided a better support network among the Asian mingration in 1950s and 60s
• Black families


  • Most are a nuclear family but the higher previlence of lone parent
  • This could be due to the high rates of unemployment of black me so as the can't support family the leave
  • Or because of the trace back of slavey as couples where split and children kept with mothers
  • Mirza 1997 higher rate of lone parenting among the black community is not a result of slavery and unemployment but reflects the high value that black women place on independence
• Extended families in all ethnic groups continue to exist as a dispersed extended family where relatives are geographically separated but maintain frequent contact throughout visits and phone calls
• Findings on extended family contact

  • Willmott it continues to exist as a dispersed extended family where relatives are geographically separated but maintain frequent contact throughout visits and phone calls
  • Chamberlain's (1999) study of Caribbean families in Britain found that, despite not living closeby, they provide support. She describes them as 'multiple nuclear families' with close contact between siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and often make a big contribution to raising children
  • Colin Bell (1968): Working and middle class families had emotional bonds with extended family. Middle class - financial help between father and son. Working class - Frequent contact and domestic help from mothers to daughters
  • Nick Charles (2005): Contact still remains high between mothers and daughters. Sharp decline in contact and support between brothers and sisters. This affects who we see as family
• Same sex families


  • Don't have the social norms and be more equal due to them being same sex - more equal as they can discuss role that they take on in the family
• Postmodernism


  Assumes that traditional structures have broken down and that society is much more fluid and is characterised by choice variety and diversity
• Life course analysis


  Considers individual choices and actions rather than just how families are shaped by wider society e.g. through social policies
• Morgan 1996 - family practices

  
  

  Different families have different practices depending on the attitudes beliefs and values that individuals hold
• By 2011, ethnic minority groups accounted for 14% of the UK population, leading to greater diversity of family patterns
• Giddens' views on family diversity

  • Supports the idea that families are more diverse nowadays and suggests that it is because of the increase of the 'choice based' society
  • The two main contributors to this according to Giddens is the improved knowledge and availability of contraception and the increased independence of women
  • This has allowed couples to define their own relationships rather than have them. This creates pure relationships based on love and care as apposed to old= fashioned notions of traditional and duty
• Stacey's views on family diversity

  • Women have been able to take grater control of their life's and are beginning to create families that are tailored to their own needs
  • In California there has been a rise of the divorce-extended family. Divorce has brought women together to form fictive extended families which offer support and evolve to suit the needs of individuals
• Beck's views on family diversity

  • The fast amount of choices and variety in today's society means that people are more likely to weigh up cost and rewards. In traditional society that was not as much choice and therefore decisions such as starting a family were easier often expected as well. This focuses on rewards and costs has led to more of a negotiated families is based on individualism and equality
• Post modernism explains divorce and less marriage because of the choice that they have
• Post modernism says that the family is like a zombie causes it looks alive but could be dead. Family is a safe havien of secrecy in a unstable world
• Criticisms of Beck


  • Budgen (PLP - personal life prospective) - Beck says we have a choice and freedom but cultural norms affect our choices
  • PLP - May ideology of white middle class man - choice is privileged
  • PLP- smart - we are individuals where choices are always made 'within a web of collectiveness'
  • Also it is hard to just cut of relationships
• Chester's views on family diversity


  • Chester agrees that changes have occurred within the family but disagrees with post-modernists talking that there have been many changes in relation to families and disagrees with the new right by suggesting that changes that have occurred or not really that Significant. Traditional values are still being upheld and changes within the family are exaggerated
• The Rapoports' five types of family diversity

  • Organisation diversity - differences in ways family roles are organised
  • Cultural diversity - different cultural religious and ethnic different structures
  • Social class diversity - family structure and practices may be different based on income
  • Life stage diversity - life cycle
  • Generational diversity - different generations have different attitudes and experiences towards family life
• Chester 1985 - the neo-conventional family?


  Chester agrees that changes have occurred within the family but disagrees with post-modernists talking that there have been many changes in relation to families and disagrees with the new right by suggesting that changes that have occurred or not really that Significant. Traditional values are still being upheld and changes within the family are exaggerated.