Changing family patterns Flashcards
Nuclear Family
A 2 generational household consisting of two heterosexual parents and one or more dependent children, preferably their own
Extended Family
Any grouping bigger than the nuclear family who are related by descent, marriage or adoption
Bean Pole Family
A long and thin type of vertically extended family, with just one or two members representing each generation
Reconstituted Family
The joining of two adults via a divorce and remarriage who have children from previous relationships
Single/Lone parent Family
A family headed by a single parent, usually the mother usually as a consequence of divorce or death
Same Sex Family
A family headed by a homosexual couple
Cohabitation definition
Two adults who live together but are not married
Major Changes in the Family in the past 50 years
Cohabitation, same sex, lone parents families has increased,
The traditional nuclear family has declined because of more births outside marriage.
Women are having fewer children later in life. Fewer first marriages and more remarriage.
Divorce
Since the 60’s there has been a huge increase in the number of divorces in the UK, approximately 40% of marriages now end in divorce
Explanations for Divorce: Changes in the Law
Divorce was very difficult to obtain in 19th century Britain, especially for women.
- Making it cheaper and equalising the grounds for divorce between the sexes.
- The divorce reform act 1969 widened the grounds for divorce, allowing divorce for the irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The act made divorce easier to obtain and led to the doubling of divorce rates.
Explanations for Divorce
Women’s increased financial independence
Improvements in women’s economic position due to education and careers has made them less financially dependent on a husband and therefore free to leave an unhappy marriage and support themselves.
The availability of welfare benefits means women feel less pressure to stay in a marriage as they don’t rely on their husbands salary
Evaluation of women’s increased financial independence
This explanation can help explain why the divorce rate is increasing as many feminist argue the fact that women are now wage earners as well as homemakers has led to a new conflict between husbands and wives
Explanations for Divorce: Declining Stigma and Changing Attitudes
As stigma declines and divorce becomes more socially acceptable, couples have to resort to divorce as a means of solving marital problems. It has now become normal
Explanations for Divorce: Secularisation
Religions increasingly have less influence on society. People who do not hold religious beliefs are less likely to be concerned about divorce. The idea of making wedding vows in the eyes of God and in a religious building therefore means very little so someone with no religious beliefs.
A large number of first time marriages still take place within a religious context
Evaluation of Secularisation
A large number of first time marriages still take place within a religious context
Explanations for divorce: Rising Expectations
- Couples today have higher expectations of marriage, and that once the honeymoon period has worn off couples are left disappointed with the reality of married life.
- Fletcher found that films offer an unrealistic image of marriage, which cannot live up to and this can help explain the high levels of divorce, particularly within the first few years of marriage.
- Many divorcees choose to remarry, which demonstrates an ongoing commitment that people have to marriage.
Explanations for Divorce: Individualisation
- People today aspire to personal fulfilment as opposed to following traditional norms and duties.
- Beck and Giddens argue that nowadays people are unwilling to remain in an unhappy relationships if they do not feel fulfilled. This can explain the high rates of divorce in modern society.
- 60% of the marriages in the UK do not end in divorce, which shows that monogamy with one partner for life remains important.
The meaning of high divorce rates: The New Right
See high divorce rates as undesirable because they undermine marriage, which they see as vital to stability.
- High divorce creates a growing underclass of welfare state dependent lone parents who are a burden on society
The meaning of high divorce rates: Feminism
See high divorce rates as desirable because it shows that women are breaking free from the oppression of a patriarchal nuclear family
The meaning of high divorce rates: Postmodernism
See high divorce rates as showing that individuals now have freedom to choose to end a relationship when it no longer meets their needs
The meaning of high divorce rates: Functionalism
High divorce rates do not necessarily represent a threat to marriage as a social institution, but instead that people now have higher expectations. The high rates of remarriage show that people are still committed to marriage.
The meaning of high divorce rates: Interactionism
Aim to understand what divorce means to the individual.
- Morgan argues that we cannot generalise about divorce because it means something different to all people.
- The personal life perspective argues that divorce has become normalised.
Marriage
From the 1970’s onwards remarriages have remained at a constant level whereas marriages have steadily declined.
Explanations for changing patterns of marriage: Secularisation
The decline of religious influence and the declining influence of the church means that people no longer feel they should get married for religious reasons, which was more common in the past.
Ao3: The majority of first time marriages still take place within a religious context, highlighting it still has an influence