Changing Family Patterns Part 2

Question 1

Stepfamilies

Answer 1

• account for over 10% of all families with dependant children in Britain
• in 85% of stepfamilies at least one child is from the women’s previous relationship, while in 11% there is at least one child from the man’s previous relationship in 4% of stepfamilies there are children from both partners previous relationships

Question 2

Ferri and Smith

Answer 2

Found that stepfamilies are very similar to first families in all major respects that involve the stepparents in childcare and childrearing is a positive one. However stepfamilies are more likely to be poverty stricken

Question 3

Allan and crow

Answer 3

Stepfamilies may face particular problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with the non- resident parent can cause tension

Question 4

McCarthy et al

Answer 4

Conclude that there are diversity among these families and so we should speak of ‘stepfamilies’ plural rather than ‘the stepfamily’ some have few tensions, while for those that do, the tensions are not so different from those in ‘intact families’

Question 5

Reasons for patterns

Answer 5

• increase in divorce and separation means more alone parents therefore more stepfamilies
• when marriages and cohabitations break up the children are more likely to join their mothers— more children in stepfamilies
• stepparents are at greater risk of poverty because there’s more children from the stepfather whom he had to support from previous relationships
• some tensions in stepfamilies are because of lack of clear social norms about how Individuals should behave in a family

Question 6

Ethnic differences in family patterns

Answer 6

Immigration in Britain since the 50s has helped to create greater diversity

Question 7

Black family

Answer 7

In 2012 over half of families with dependent children headed by a black person were lone parent families
Compared with 1 in 9 Asian households

Question 8

High rates of female headed lone parent black families

Answer 8

Seen as family disorganisation and tracing back to slavery or more recently to high rates of unemployment among black males

Question 9

Slavery

Answer 9

Couples were sold separately children stayed with the mother.
This established a family pattern
Male unemployment and poverty have meant that black men are less able to provide for their family resulting desertion

Question 10

Mirza

Answer 10

High rates of lone parent families amongst Blacks is not the result of disorganisation but rather reflects the high value that black women place on independence

Question 11

Reynolds

Answer 11

Argues that stats are misleading because lone parent families are stable, supportive but non- cohabitating relationships

Question 12

Asian families

Answer 12

Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian households households are bigger than other ethnic groups such as Black Caribbean and White British households

Question 13

Asian families

Answer 13

• household have three gens and are nuclear
• Asian families are big because the parents are young at at the child bearing age so family size is big
• larger family households also to some extent reflect the value placed on the extended family in Asian cultures

Question 14

Ballard

Answer 14

Found that extended family ties provide an importance source of support among Asian migrants during the 1950s and 1960s

Question 15

Early period of migration

Answer 15

Houses were shared by extended families
- now Asian households are nuclear and relatives live nearby
- there’s frequent visits, kinship networks continued to be a source of support
- Sikhs Muslims and Hindus are more likely to live in extended families

Question 16

Charles

Answer 16

Study of Swansea found that the classic three gen family living under one roof is ‘ all but extinct’. The only exceptions being Bengali community

Question 17

Willmott argues

Answer 17

It continues to exist as a ‘dispersed extended family’ where relatives are geographically separated by remain in contact

Question 18

Chamberlains study of Caribbeans families

Answer 18

Found that even when families became geographically dispersed they continued to provide support as ‘multiple nuclear families’ with close contact between family members to make a big contribution to child rearing

Question 19

Why the extended family survive according to chamberlain

Answer 19

It performs important functions for its members.

Question 20

Bells research in Swansea

Answer 20

Found that both working class and middle class families had emotional bonds with Kim and relied on them for support
- among the mc there was financial help from father to son
- wc families had more frequent contact and there was more domestic help from mothers to daughters

Question 21

‘Beanpole’ family

Answer 21

A particular type of extended family

Question 22

Brannen- ‘long and thin’ beanpole families

Answer 22

• it’s extended vertically ( up and down) through three or more gens
• but its not extended horizontally ( sideways): it doesn’t Involve aunts, uncles and cousins

Question 23

Charles finding

Answer 23

-There’s a high level contact between mothers and adult daughters that Bell had found in the 60s
- brothers and sisters however had a sharp decline in both support and contact suggesting a ‘beanpole’ structure

Question 24

The beanpole family is a result of two demographic changes:

Answer 24

• increased life expectancy( surviving grandparents)
• smaller family sizes ( people having fewer siblings and thus fewer horizontal ties )

Question 25

Obligations to family

Answer 25

Despite the rise of the beanpole family people still feel a sense of obligation to help their wider extended kin

Question 26

Finch and mason

Answer 26

Found that over 90% of people had given or received financial help and about half had cared for sick relatives

Question 27

However there is some variability Finch and Mason:

Answer 27

Found that more is expected for females than males
Cheal- the daughter or daughter in law is preferred to help the elderly woman is husbands are not available
- sons are rarely chose as caregivers for an elderly woman
- daughters are rarely chosen as appropriate people to provide money

Question 28

Not all daughters in the family play an equal part in
Mason:

Answer 28

Found it depends on the history of the relationship, women feel obliged towards their relatives and what other responsibilities they have that would give them ‘legitimate excuses’ not to be involved

Question 29

Finch and Mason found the principle of reciprocity or balance as important

Answer 29

People felt that help received should be returned to avoid feeling of indebtedness

Question 30

In conclusion

Answer 30

Evidence suggests the extended family plays a vital role for many people :
- providing practical and emotional support
This is different from parsons classic extended family whose members lived and worked together and had strong mutual obligations
- nevertheless there is some sense of obligation as least to some kin in the time of crisis