Families Flashcards
What is a social construct
Something that differs between times, places and cultures constructed by the society it’s within
Reasons for marriage rates decreasing
Cohabiting increasing
Secularisation
Rise of feminism
Reasons for divorce rates increasing
Less social stigma
Secularisation
Laws
Reasons for the number of children decreasing
Gender roles changing
Costs
More common to have them later
Laws which may have changed divorce rates
Divorce Reform Act (1969)
Equal Pay Act (1970)
What was the divorce reform act
divorces could be carried out due to ‘irretrievable breakdown’ and no longer had to have proof of adultery etc
What are the types of families
Nuclear Extended Beanpole Lone-parent Reconstituted Same-sex Singleton
What percent of UK families are nuclear
25%
What did Rapoport and Rapoport (1982) say
Nuclear family is not the norm
There is increasing diversity of family structure
(1989)
- this is a European trend
- types of diversity causing it:
organisation, social class, cultural, generational (pluralistic)
Who said that extended families are “all but extinct” in modern Britain
Charles (2008)
What did Branden (2003) say about extended families
Due to our ageing population, many families support elderly relatives or grandparents support them in childcare - rise of beanpole families
What percentage of lone-parent families are headed by women
90%
What did Cashmore (1985) say about lone-parent families
One good parent is better than 2 bad ones
Single mothers choose to live on benefits
What are the negatives of single-parent families
Socialisation can be stunted without a role model for boys
Mclananhan + Booth - higher rate of underachieving children
What is secularisation
Religion becoming less important, church lost power
What is liberalisation
People are less ‘traditional’
How many households contain only one person and how many of these are over 65
3 in 10
40%
Who said that increased social acceptance may explain trends toward same-sex that resemble those found among heterosexual couples
Weeks (1999)
Birth rate change from 1900 to 2016
1900 - 28.7
2016 - 11.8 (per thousand)
Death rate change from 1900 to 2016
1900 - 19
2016 - 9.1 (per thousand)
Life expectancy change from 1900 to 2016
1900:
Male - 50
Female - 57
2016:
Male - 90
Female - 94
What is the nanny state
The government taking control the population with laws etc
Reasons for the ageing population (decreasing birth rate)
Contraception
Abortion
Low infant mortality
Women working (feminism)
Reasons for ageing population (decreasing death rate)
NHS Advanced technology Government policies Welfare state Improved nutrition
When was contraception introduced
1961
When was the abortion act
1968
When was the NHS introduced
1948
Name 2 government policies that may affect ageing population
Sugar tax
Universal credit
What is universal credit and views on it
Working class get benefits for 2 children, anymore and they don’t get extra money for them.
- this controls how many children they can have
+ reduces dependency culture
Impact of the ageing population
- increases dependency ratio
- puts strain on NHS
+ more free childcare
+ more volunteers
Immigration (coming in) change from 1991 to 2008
1991 - 320,000
2008 - 540,000
Emigration (leaving) change from 1991 to 2008
1991 - 210,000
2008 - 420,000
Impact of immigration
Lowers average age (younger and produce more babies)
Lowers dependency ratio (working age)
Why do black families have higher rates of single parents
Mizra
- Black women place higher value on independence and so marriage doesn’t suit them
What did vertove (2007) say about globalisation
There is a wide range of cultures, religions and countries in the UK to create ‘super diversity’
What was Murdocks view of the family
Families have 4 functions: REES Reproduction Educational Economic Sexual
He saw the nuclear family as ideal:
male - instrumental role
female - expressive role
What is the instrumental role
The breadwinner (traditionally male)
What is the expressive role
The nurturer and carer (traditionally female)
Criticisms of murdocks view
- many single-parent/same-sex families are happy and successful
- serves capitalism (Marxism)
- benefits men more than women (feminism)
What was parsons view on the family
Simplified Murdock to 2 main functions of families
- primary socialisation
- stabilising adult personalities
Functional Fit Theory - families play different functions depending on the society they’re in: Nuclear family is ideal for our industrial society.
Our industrial society requires
- geographical mobile workforce = moving for jobs
- socially mobile workforce = younger generations encouraged towards work
Criticism of Parsons view
Hareven
- extended families are best for ‘post industrial’ society (eg childcare) nuclear no longer ideal
What is the new right view on the family
Decline in nuclear family had led to a broken society:
- increase in single parents = no role model, dependency culture leads to crime
- increase in mothers working = less nurturing, poor socialisation leads to socially unstable children
- increase in divorce = poor example to children
What did Murray 1989 say on the family
There is an ‘underclass’ - unemployed, on benefits, single parents
Comparison of families that live in poverty
Single mum - 50%
Married - 10%
What’s the Marxist view on the family
A nuclear family allows capitalism to flourish and prevents proletariat from rising up…
- Inheritance of wealth
- Ideological functions - children are socialised to accept their place in society (trained to be obedient)
- Units of consumption - families are targets for advertising
What’s the post-modern view on the family
Giddens (1999) - individuals have greater freedom/choice when deciding whether to marry, who to marry, or to have kids.
‘Pure relationships’
- couples stay together because of love or happiness
- law, religion, society have no impact on relationships
Evaluation of post-modern view of family
+ recognised gender role change
- not everyone has a free choice
What’s the personal life perspective
Family is beyond blood and marriage as friends, relatives, chosen family and pets often help more than your ‘actual’ family.
What did Pilcher (1995) say about children
That they are becoming more educated and protected by laws (eg Child Protection Act 2004)
What did Aires (1960) say about childhood
In pre-industrial society, the idea of childhood did not exist.
In the industrial society, childhood begins to develop.
Reasons for the change in the position of children
The introduction of compulsory schooling
Child protection
- 1889 Prevention of cruelty to children act
- 2004 child protection act
- UN convention of on the rights of the child
Lower infant mortality/birth rates
- more affection onto children as they have less
What’s the March of progress view on childhood
Aires and Shorter
- children are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated than before
Jenks
- childhood is changing but not disappearing
- children are vulnerable and in need of protection, resulting in even greater surveillance
What did Postman(1994) say about childhood
The lines between children and adults is unclear due to media.
They have access to violence, sex and dress the same and are disciplined the same.
What did Palmer (2007) say about childhood
We have ‘toxic childhood’.
Youth have very high rates of obesity, self harm and drug abuse etc.
What are child liberationists
People who want children to have more freedom
What is age patriarchy
Children are dominated by men in the same way women are
What did Bott (1957) say about the domestic division of labour
Segregated conjugal roles - couples have separate roles in house, leisure time also different
Joint conjugal roles - couples share roles in house, leisure is often spent together
What did Young and Willmott (1973) say about gender roles
The roles of husbands and wives are becoming more similar.
Men help with housework and childcare
What did Oakley (1974) say about gender roles
Symmetrical family is exaggerated - men cherry pick tasks they want.
What do feminists say about women working
Hochschild (2013)
- women now have to do domestic labour, emotional work and paid work
What is dependency culture
Murray - People relying on benefits instead of trying to get a job
