Changing Family Patterns Part 2 Flashcards
Stepfamilies
- 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
Ferri and Smith
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
Allan and crow
Stepfamilies may face particular problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with the non- resident parent can cause tension
McCarthy et al
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’
Reasons for patterns
- 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
Ethnic differences in family patterns
Immigration in Britain since the 50s has helped to create greater diversity
Black family
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
High rates of female headed lone parent black families
Seen as family disorganisation and tracing back to slavery or more recently to high rates of unemployment among black males
Slavery
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
Mirza
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
Reynolds
Argues that stats are misleading because lone parent families are stable, supportive but non- cohabitating relationships
Asian families
Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian households households are bigger than other ethnic groups such as Black Caribbean and White British households
Asian families
- 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
Ballard
Found that extended family ties provide an importance source of support among Asian migrants during the 1950s and 1960s
Early period of migration
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
Charles
Study of Swansea found that the classic three gen family living under one roof is ‘ all but extinct’. The only exceptions being Bengali community
Willmott argues
It continues to exist as a ‘dispersed extended family’ where relatives are geographically separated by remain in contact
Chamberlains study of Caribbeans families
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
Why the extended family survive according to chamberlain
It performs important functions for its members.
Bells research in Swansea
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
‘Beanpole’ family
A particular type of extended family
Brannen- ‘long and thin’ beanpole families
- 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
Charles finding
-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
The beanpole family is a result of two demographic changes:
- increased life expectancy( surviving grandparents)
- smaller family sizes ( people having fewer siblings and thus fewer horizontal ties )
Obligations to family
Despite the rise of the beanpole family people still feel a sense of obligation to help their wider extended kin
Finch and mason
Found that over 90% of people had given or received financial help and about half had cared for sick relatives
However there is some variability Finch and Mason:
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
Not all daughters in the family play an equal part in
Mason:
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
Finch and Mason found the principle of reciprocity or balance as important
People felt that help received should be returned to avoid feeling of indebtedness
In conclusion
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
