sequence of significant events individuals experience as they make their way through life
life courses in the past
intimate relations, personal lives and life courses were strongly influenced by traditional social norms and customs
allan and crow - life courses
in the 20th century up to 1960s there was a standard life course for most individuals following set sequence of events which were closely bound together within the institution of marriage and the family, and were also usually age related
individuals born to and raised by 2 natural parents who lived together and were married, then finish education, leave home, get married and start a family, starting the life cycle again
LEVIN - life courses in the past
the past set life course was 'compulsory' as there was strong social norms prescribing this as the proper and expected way to live
family unit took on a fairly standard socially approved format - cereal packet family
ALLAN, CROW AND LEVIN - life courses since late 1960s
series of major changes in peoples life courses and huge changes in personal relationships and contemporary relationships bear little resemblance to the cereal packet family
modern life courses
huge increase in divorce and decline in idea marriage is a lifelong commitment; fewer people getting married, and cohabitation has become a normal part of the life course
more serial monogamy
more step families
more lone parents
more single person households
LEWIS - modern life courses
individuals have greater freedom of choice in personal behaviour and arrangements by which they choose to live, rather than these being regulated by an externally imposed public moral code
