family 4 - changing patterns of family life Flashcards
cohabitation and marriage
what are the five reasons why fewer people are getting married and more cohabit?
changing…
sec…
fear…
changes in the…
ex…
1. changing social attitudes
-less pressure to get married as its ‘ a piece of paper’
-postmodernists = fewer get married as there’s individualism and freedom of choice
2. secularisation
-traditional religious beliefs have less impact on society
-25% of marriages involve religious ceremony
3. fear of divorce
-42% of marriages end in divorce
-beck = risk society, confluent love
4. changes in the position of women
-independence, singlehood
-radical feminists = marriage is patriarchal, triple shift
5. expectations of marriage
-marxists = capitalism has made marriage a business
-false wedding needs
- functionalist, chester says people still end up marrying after cohabitation
- some sections of the uk are still religious. eg. islam is increasing
- w/c women believe expressive role is the only role for them
cohabitation and marriage
what are three reasons for the increase in the number of re-marriages?
a consequence of…
chnging…
sec…
1. a consequence of the rising divorce rate
-80% remarry
-functionaists = we have higher expectations
2. changing social attitudes
-no longer stigma
-postmodernists = ‘pure relationship’ that meets needs
3. secularisation
-people don’t see marriage as a permanent binding contract with god
cohabitation and marriage
what are the three reasons why people are marrying later in life?
c… first
marry after…
changes in…
1. cohabit first
-test compatibility
2. marry after birth of children
-widespread view of the stable family for children
3. changes in the position of women
-women establish careers
-liberal feminists = ‘gender quake’ in women’s attitudes to marriage
divorce
what are the six reasons for the increasing divorce rate?
changes in…
changing…
sec…
higher…
changes in…
priv…
- changes in the law
- changing social attitudes
- secularisation
- higher expectations of marriage
- changes in the position of women
- privatisation of the family
divorce
what are the consequences of the rising divorce rate?
children?
family structure?
children:
-new right = negative impact. behavioural problems, underachieve, drugs and young pregnancy
-others = positive impact as long as there’s regular contact with both parents. ends conflict in home
family structures:
-more single parent families
-more reconstituted families
-more one person households
childbearing
what are the four patterns in childbearing? (and reasons)
more births where/when?
when are women having children?
are women having more/less children?
are some women having any children?
1. more births outside of marriage
-increase in cohabitation, secularisation, changing social attitudes, women’s independence
2. women are having children later
-establish careers first, advances in medical tech, women in education longer, delaying marriage
3. women having fewer children
-increased risk of fertility problems, children are expensive, contraception, prioritise careers, child-centredness
4. more women remain childfree
-changing social attitudes, prioritise careers, contraception, children are expensive
family diversity
what factors have led to family diversity in britain according to rapoport and rapoport?
what is the acronym beginning with C?
C - cultural diversity
L - life stage
O - organisational diversity
G - generational diversity
S - social class
family diversity
what are the six family types that have increased? (and reasons)
single…
same…
living…
ex…
one…
shared…
1. single parent families
-separation, secularisation, rise of feminism, breakdown of stigma
2. same sex families
-changes in the law, changing social attitudes, secularisation
3. living apart together (LATs)
-not ready to live together, prevention, choice, protection
4. extended families
-immigration, increased life expectancy, lower birth rate, dual earner families
5. one person households
-people are better off, high divorce rate, LATs, changing social attitudes
6. shared households
-cost of living, students
