Families Qs 1 Flashcards
1.Outline two reasons for a decline in marriage
Changing attitudes to marriage- there is less pressure to marry and more freedom to choose the type of relationships people want. The ‘norm’ that everyone ought to get married has greatly weakened
Secularisation- the churches are in favour of marriage but as their influence decreases people feel freer to choose to not marry. According to 2001 Census only 3% of young people with no religion were married compared to 17% of those with a religion
- Why do you think females are more likely to apply for a divorce than males
Higher expectations of marriage- Women are more likely to expect their marriage to provide emotional support, personal growth and companionship. If the relationship falls short they are more likely to consider divorce as an option
- How might divorce law reforms contributed to an increase in divorce?
Divorce law reforms have led to an increase in divorce as they have made the process more accessible and less stigmatised.
- Provide three reasons for the recent decline in divorce
- Many people delay marriage to focus on their career and financial stability which can result in marriage being more thought out due to maturity
- People cohabit before marriage as a temporary stage to test their relationship before making a legal commitment
- Changing attitudes to marriage means it is no longer seen as a social obligation so people feel less pressure to enter a marriage where they won’t feel fulfilled
- Identify 4 childbearing trends
- Women are delaying having children in order to focus on education and career development
- More children are being born outside of marriage due to their being less stigma surrounding it
- Women are having fewer children die to improved mortality rates and contraception
- Women aren’t having children to focus on their own careers
- Provide two reasons why there has been an increase in single person households
- People are marrying later in life or choosing not to marry at all which can lead to periods of living alone
- As a result of aging population there are many single person pensioner households who have been widowed
- Explain how the government had a role in shaping attitudes towards same sex couples
The government legalised same sex marriage in 2013 and brought in anti- discrimination laws such as protected characteristics in 2010 to change attitudes towards same sex couples and de stigmatise it
- Outline five ways in which ethnic minorities contribute to family diversity
- Many ethnic groups emphasise close knit extended families with multiple generations often living together
- Ethnic groups often have more children due to culture
- Ethnic minorities may have diverse marriage practices including arranged marriages and polygamy
- Migration can lead to diverse family structures such as transnational families
- Religious influence can mean many ethnic minorities emphasise patriarchal households
- Explain how family diversity could be viewed as a weakening of traditional values
The traditional nuclear family has previously been viewed as the cornerstone of society but with changing gender roles the dynamics of the family have changed as people no longer have to stick to their traditional gender scripts
- Outline three reasons against the view that the nuclear family is in decline
- Everyone goes through multiple family types throughout life and most people are in a nuclear family at some point
- The nuclear family remains one of the most common family structures in society despite family diversity
- The nuclear family is still upheld as an ideal in many cultures
- Why do the new right have concerns about single parent families?
The new right have concerns about single parent families, in particular lone mother households, as they believe children don’t have a positive role model to look up to and so will turn to delinquency in society
- Why do functionalists think that the extent of family diversity has been exaggerated?
Functionalists believe that the nuclear family remains the most dominent and functional family structure in society
- Provide five bullet points that sum up the postmodern individualisation thesis
- Individuals have more freedom to make choices about relationship and lifestyles in a ‘cultural supermarket’
- Traditional gender norms have weakened allowing people to prioritise personal fulfilment
- Relationship have become less stable and disembedded from traditional values
- Individuals are focused on creating their own identity as a ‘pick and mix’
- Relationships are formed on mutual satisfaction and emotional fulfilment
- Explain how the connectedness thesis differs from the individualism thesis
The connectedness thesis argues that individuals are embedded in a web of relationships and obligations meaning they aren’t completely free to pick and choose their identity as the individualism thesis suggests because they have commitments
