analyse two ways in which changing patterns of marriage and divorce have affected the experience of childhood Flashcards
single parent households.
one way in which changing patterns of marriage and divorce has affected childhood is an increase in single-parent households.
new right argue that due to social policies making divorce easier, this has increased the rate of divorce which has allowed the growth of single-parent households.
therefore children may have a more negative experience in childhood as they are not growing up in a stable household and often lack a firm father figure. in turn, they’re more likely to perform poorly in school and get in trouble with the police.
however, feminists argue that
many situations are due to escaping abusive relationships, therefore, single-parent households more beneficial for children than an abusive nuclear family
reconstituted families
Serial monogamy has also become a common pattern, with many divorced people remarrying
this may affect children’s experience of childhood to become more strained as the Child is pulled in two directions. Due to children feeling disloyal to natural parent the child may have resentment and be unwilling to accept and trust the new parent
in addition, the step-parent may see children as a symbol of their partners love to a previous relationship and may resent the child. this could lead to abuse.
therefore this causes conflict and a strain in the relationship between step parent and children and leads to the experience of childhood being highly unstable and negative.
