Postmodernism and family diversity

• In postmodern society, there is a high level of family diversity
• Postmodernists see family diversity as


  Resulting from greater individualism and choice
• Individualisation thesis


  Idea that individual self-interest now governs our actions
• In the past, people's lives were defined by traditional gender and family structures, with fixed roles that prevented them choosing their own life course
• People were expected to marry and play conventional gender roles in a traditional patriarchal family
• Traditional patriarchal family


  Provided stability by defining each member's role, although it was oppressive
• The patriarchal family has been undermined by

  Individualism
• We have become 'disembedded' from traditional family structures, leaving us free to choose how we lead our lives
• Pure relationship


  A relationship defined solely to satisfy each partner's needs, rather than by law, tradition, or for producing children
• Negotiated family


  A family that is not fixed but varies according to its members' wishes, with more emphasis on the needs of individuals rather than the family as a whole
• Connectedness thesis


  An alternative to the individualisation thesis, proposing that traditional patriarchal norms and structural inequalities still limit people's choices about relationships, identities and families
• We make decisions about relationships within a social context or 'web of connectedness', challenging the pure relationship
• Postmodernists argue that we've moved out of 'modern' societies with predictable, orderly structures like the nuclear family
• We're now in 'postmodernity', a new chaotic stage where there's no dominant stable family structure because they've all become fragmented into lots of different types
• Individuals have more choice in lifestyle and personal relationships/family arrangements
• The individualisation thesis explores the effect increasing choice has on families and relationships
• Traditional social structures (class, gender, family, etc.) have less influence over people's lives
• The 'standard biography' people followed has been replaced by the 'do-it-yourself biography', where people are free from traditional roles and structures and can choose how they lead their lives
• Same-sex couples


  Seen as pioneers paving the way for new family types and more democratic, equal relationships
• Same-sex relationships aren't influenced by tradition in the same way as straight relationships, allowing them to negotiate personal relationships and actively create family structures that suit them
• Negotiated family


  A family that doesn't conform to traditional family norms and instead decides what is best for them
• Negotiated families are more equal than traditional families, but less stable as individuals can leave if their needs aren't met
• The 'zombie family' in today's uncertain society means people turn to the family for security but find uncertainty instead, as the family is no longer a haven
• The connectedness thesis argues that traditional patriarchal norms and structural inequalities still limit people's choices about relationships, identities and families
• Structural factors like social class inequalities and traditional gender roles still shape relationship choices, despite increased individualism
• Structures aren't disappearing, they're just being reshaped, and social inequalities still limit the choices available to some groups
• Personal life doesn't see diversity as coming from greater freedom and choice, but instead emphasises the importance of social structures in shaping the freedoms people have to create diverse family types