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Sociology > Family - Changing Family Patterns - 2.6 > Flashcards

Family - Changing Family Patterns - 2.6 Flashcards

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1
Q

Divorce Trends

A

> Has declined recently but more than in the past, as less people are marrying & more are cohabiting - so no need to divorce as not married

> 40% of marriages end in divorce with 65% of divorce petitions coming from women

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2
Q

Explanations for increased Divorce (Key Studies)

A

> Fletcher (Rising Expectations of Marriage)

> Goode (Functional Fit)

> Dennis (Functional Fit)

> Allan & Crowe (Functional Fit)

> Bernard (Radical Feminists)

> Beck & Giddens (Modernity & Individualisation)

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3
Q

Changes in the Law - Explanations for increased Divorce

A

> Grounds have widened widening grounds to ‘irretrievable breakdown’
Divorce is cheaper

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4
Q

Secularisation & Declining Stigma - Explanations for increased Divorce

A

> Stigmatised by churches, society is more secular so people are less concerned with being stigmatised for breaking their marriage vows

> So more willing to divorce

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5
Q

Fletcher (Rising Expectations of Marriage) - Explanations 4 + Divorce

A

> Marriages today are based purely on love

> If the love fades there is no reason to stay together, people in past little choice in marriage e.g. they only married for economic reasons

> People had lower expectations of marriage, so weren’t concerned with the lack of romance

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6
Q

Functionalist Optimistic (View on Divorce)

A

> Greater numbers remarrying divorcees meaning that people are not rejecting marriage

> But overly positive view ignoring patriarchal oppression as more women instigate divorce

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7
Q

Goode, Dennis, Allan & Crowe (Functional Fit) - Explanations for Increased Divorce

A

> Divorce increases as families are increasingly isolated from extended family, which puts and greater burden on couples due to a lack of wider support

> The family performs fewer roles therefore there are weaker bonds between the husband & wife

> They no longer depend on one another economically so it is easier break up

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8
Q

Bernard (Radical Feminists) - Explanations for increased Divorce

A

> Women are more dissatisfied with patriarchal marriage, there is evidence of growing acceptance of radical feminist ideas

> Decrease in numbers willing to tolerate patriarchal oppression leading to divorce.

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9
Q

Beck & Giddens (Modernity & Individualisation) - Explanations for increased Divorce

A

> Not important to stay with one person - relationships are more fragile & people are unwilling to work at improving them

> Now the pure relationship, not for tradition or staying together for the children

> Modernity means men and women have a consumerist identity, based on self-interest leading to conflict

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10
Q

Views of Divorce (Key Studies)

A

> New Right

> Feminists

> Postmodernists

> Interactionist (View on High Divorce Rate)

> Personal Life Perpective & Smart

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11
Q

New Right (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

> Leads to lone parent families which become dependent on state welfare and cannot socialise their children effectively due to the lack of a male role model.

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12
Q

Postmodernist (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

> Shows increased choice and greater family diversity

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13
Q

Feminist (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

> Women can get freedom from patriarchal marriage independence & greater equality

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14
Q

Interactionist (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

> Can’t generalise need to look at all interpretations e.g. one said Dad was leaving was best day of life & it was bad for others

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15
Q

Personal Life Perspective (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

Divorce has led to more financial issues & a lack of contact with children & non-resident parents

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16
Q

Smart Personal Life Perspective (View on High Divorce Rate)

A

> Now normal family adapts without disintegrating, not major social problem.
But just one in life course

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17
Q

Marriage Trends

A

> Marriage has decreased, but remarriages have increased and people marry later

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18
Q

Reasons for Decline in Marriage Reasons

A

> Beck & Giddens (Postmodernism)

> Changing position of women

> Secularisation & Decline in Stigma

> Medical Advancement & Impact of Increased Life Expectancy

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19
Q

Beck & Giddens (Reasons for Decline in Marriage)

A

> Fewer marriages due to structural changes mean life is more uncertain.

> Now greater ‘risk consciousness’ due to increased divorce so no point in getting married

> Focus on personal desires over tradition e.g. pure relationship lasts as long as people are satisfied

> So cohabitation means fewer marriages

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20
Q

A03 Reasons 4 - Marriage (Key Study)

A

> Radical Feminists (Women not Financially Independent)

> New Right (Decreased Stigma & Cohabitation leads to ineffective Lone Parent Families)

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21
Q

Radical Feminists (Women not Financially Independent)

A

> They are discriminated against at work

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22
Q

Secularisation & Reduced Stigma (Reasons for Less Marriage)

A

> The churches are in favour of marriage, but as their influence declines, people a freer to choose not to marry.

> Pregnancy doesn’t mean a shotgun wedding anymore

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23
Q

Medical Advancement & Impact of Increased Life Expectancy (Reasons for Less Marriage)

A

> People are more career focused, IVF means women have children later

> Increased life expectancy so no hurry to get married, find perfect partner through trialling e.g. cohabitation to see if it would work out

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24
Q

Trends in Cohabitation

A

> Increased cohabitation means fewer marriages, but not clear as some see it as an alternative to or trial marriage

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25
Q

Reasons for Increased Cohabitation

A

> Secularisation Less Stigma about Pre-Martial Sex

> Changing position of women - don’t need a male breadwinner

> Secularisation

26
Q

Cohabitation (Key Studies)

A

> Chester & Coast (Cohabitation & Marriage)

> Benjin, Shelton & John (Cohabitation & Marriage)

> Weeks (Same Sex Couples Cohabitation)
Weston (Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)
Allan & Crow (Benefits of Same Sex Couples Cohabitation)
Einasdottir (Gays & Attitudes to Civil Partnerships)

27
Q

Chester & Coast (Cohabitation & Marriage)

A

> For most it’s a pathway to marriage e.g. 75% of cohabitees are planning to marry

> e.g. trial marriage, most marry if they have children

28
Q

Benjin, Shelton & John (Cohabitation & Marriage)

A

> Young people want an equal relationship not patriarchal marriage.

> Women do less housework in cohabiting relationships compared to married people

29
Q

Weeks (Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)

A

> Resemble straight cohabitations.

> Create chosen families with friends as family who offer the same security and stability as heterosexual families

30
Q

Weston (Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)

A

> Same sex cohabitation is a quasi marriage & stable partners, compared to the 1970s gay lifestyle which largely rejected monogamy/family but preferred more casual relationships.

31
Q

Allan & Crow (Benefits of Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)

A

> They negotiate their commitments and responsibilities more than married couples

32
Q

Einasdottir (Gays & Attitudes to Civil Partnerships? Gay marriage)

A

> Many gays and lesbians are optimistic about the legal recognition of their partnership

> But others are fearful for the flexibility of their relationships & want relationships to be different from heterosexuals.

33
Q

Trend in One Person Households

A

> Increased - almost half of the over 65s are in a one-person household

34
Q

Reasons for one-person households

A

> Increased in divorce for men under 65 as children are likely to stay with their mum, but dad leaves

> Later marriage - more people are single or deliberately live alone

35
Q

‘Living Apart Together’

A

> Couples living separately e.g. 1/10 in them

> As people may choose to or can’t afford to or see it as too early in the relationship to cohabit

> No longer seen as abnormal, ideal for some - people don’t need to live together to have a strong relationship

36
Q

Trends in Childbearing

A

> Almost half of children now born outside marriage, mostly by cohabitees - due to less stigma

> Increase in women having children later or staying childless e.g. women want careers

37
Q

Lone Parent Families

A

> ¼ of families are lone parents due to increased divorce & more births outside marriage - less stigma
Mostly women - linked to the expressive role - courts tend to give custody
Some single by choice who have limited the father’s involvement
Some are lone parents due to the death of a parent

38
Q

Murray (New Right & Lone Parent Families)

A

> Welfare gives perverse incentives & rewards irresponsible sexual behaviour.

> Lone parents create a dependency culture who are reliant on the state.

> Welfare benefits should be removed

39
Q

Cashmore & Renvoize (A03 Murray & Lone Parent Families)

A

Working class women are on a lower income chose to live on welfare benefits without a partner, often because they had experienced abuse.

40
Q

General Criticisms of New Right view on Lone Parent Families

A

> Childcare is expensive, stops lone parents from working

> Dad’s often can’t pay maintenance as they have a second family to support

41
Q

Trends in Reconstituted Families

A

> Due to divorce/remarriage, children are mostly from the mother’s prior relationship

> But increase in poverty as the father needs to support his children from a prior relationship

> Tensions in reconstituted families due to to lack of social norms on how to act in it

42
Q

Reconstituted Families (Key Studies)

A

> Allan & Crow

> Ferri and Smith

43
Q

Allan and Crow (Reconstituted Families )

A

> Issues with divided loyalties & contact with non-resident parents leads to tension

44
Q

Ferri and Smith (Reconstituted Families)

A

> Same as first families in all aspects

> Involvement in childcare positive, but at greater risk of poverty

45
Q

Ethnic Differences in Family Patterns (Key Studies)

A

> Mirza (Black Female Headed Lone Parent Families)
Reynolds (Lone Parent Families)
Ballard (Development of Asian Families)

46
Q

Common Black Family Type

A

> 50% are lone parent families, due to increased unemployment of Black men - they can’t provide for their family, which has led to marital breakdown

47
Q

Mirza (Black female headed lone parent families)

A

> It is not due to family disorganisation that lone parenthood is more common, it is due to black women’s independence.

48
Q

Reynolds (Lone Parent Families)

A

> Statistics are misleading, lone parent families are stable supportive non-cohabiting relationships.

49
Q

Different Households Patterns of South Asians & British

A

> South Asians have larger households, but mostly nuclear families rather than extended families

> Due to South Asians having more people of childbearing age compared to the wider population & high value placed on extended families.

> Mostly Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus living in extended families

50
Q

Ballard (Development of Asian Families)

A

> Extended families gave support to Asians migrating to UK in 50s & 60s.

> Initially South Asian families were extended, but now nuclear with relatives nearby.
.

51
Q

Extended Families (Key Studies)

A

> Parsons (Extended Families)
Charles (Extended Families in Swansea)
Chamberlain & Wilmott (Dispersed & Caribbean Extended Families)
Bell (Differences in Extended Families with working class & middle class)

> Finch & Mason (Obligations to Relatives)
Cheal (Obligation to Relatives)

52
Q

Parsons (Functionalist view on Extended Families)

A

Dominant type in pre-industrial society, but’s replaced with nuclear family.

53
Q

Charles (Extended Families in Swansea)

A

3 generation extended family extinct, except in Swansea’s Bengali community.

54
Q

Chamberlain & Wilmott (Dispersed & Caribbean Extended Families )

A

> This has decreased but is not extinct now with dispersed extended families living close to one another, with frequent visits & phone calls.

> Wider extended family makes positive contribution to child rearing

55
Q

Demographics Changes leading to Beanpole Families

A

> Greater life expectancy so more surviving great/grandparents
Smaller family sizes, less siblings means less horizontal ties.

56
Q

Bell (Differences in Extended Families between working class and middle class people)

A

> Working class and middle class people both have emotional bonds with extended families

> But middle class was for financial support between father & son.

> Working class was frequent domestic help from mum to daughters.

57
Q

Beanpole Family

A

> Long & thin, vertically e.g. Grandparents, Parents, Children

> Fewer/no aunts/cousins etc.

58
Q

Finch & Mason (Obligations to Relatives)

A

> Most received or gave financial help to relatives, half cared for sick relatives.

59
Q

Cheal (Obligation to Relatives)

A

> If an older women needs personal care female family members are preferred rather than sons

> Sons help by providing financial support

> Mason feels not all females help looking after older female relatives, it is dependent on history of relationship

60
Q

Reasons for Changes in Divorce

A

> Changes in Law

> Secularisation & - Stigma

> Rising Expectations of Marriage

> Functional Fit

> Modernity & Individualisation

Sociology (27 decks)

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