Changing Patterns

Question 1

Family diversity has been exaggerated

Answer 1

(Funct) Chester “neo conventional family) / new variation of stereotypical nuclear family only difference women increasingly working

• less fixed roles
• serial monogamy
• post & Chester

Question 2

Dislikes diversity

Answer 2

New right Murray

Divorce, lone parents, same sex families

Question 3

Likes diversity

Answer 3

Feminist
- helps women break free / save from oppression / liberate themselves

Post modernist
- part of people having more freedom / individuality / chosen(preferred) family

Question 4

Types of diversity (rapports 1982)

Answer 4

C - cultural diversity 
L - life stage
O - organisational diversity
G - generation diversity 
S - social class diversity

Question 5

Causes of diversity

Answer 5

• changing patterns (divorce / more single parent families / shows it’s okay)
• changing roles (women more likely to work / may not want children)
• policies (1969 divorce act / 1972 equal pay act / welfare benefits)

Question 6

Two reasons for rise in single parent families

Answer 6

Significant rise in never married women (sharpe)

Rise in divorce (women gain custody)

Question 7

Rise in divorce rates

Answer 7

• changes in law

- changes in role of women

Question 8

Decrease married rates

Answer 8

• cohabit / different diversity
• expectations have changed (chaos of love)
• expectations of marriage have changed

Question 9

Rise in cohabitation

Answer 9

• decline of influence of religion (secularisation)
• contraception (Allan & Crow 2001) no need to worry about pregnancy
• fear of divorce “McRae”

Question 10

Decline in family size

Answer 10

• changing roles of women

- shift in attitude / economy

Question 11

Current trends

Answer 11

Less people getting married

Higher remarriages

Getting married later

Question 12

Theoretical views on marriage

Answer 12

Feminists
- negative / domestic patriarchy / increased abuse / provides context for violence

Functionalists
- positive / encourages families “natural” roles / makes people happy

New right
- what every couple should aspire to do / stability & nuclear families / correct moral foundation / cornerstone of society

Late modern
- marriage institution weakened & founded on “pure relationship of confluent love / only good if satisfies personal demands

Question 13

Cohabition current trends

Answer 13

• 2.2 mil families without children / 65% since 1997
• numbers higher due to ignoring of same sex couples
• less happy / less fulfilled than marriage / more likely to abuse / unfaithful

Question 14

Cereal packet families ( Oakley 1982 )

Family display ( Janet finch )

Answer 14

White middle class segregated heterosexual / Conventional family

• how people perform being a family / not entirely down to choice but about fitting into cereal packet image / causes pressure of judgement (family ideology)