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Z Sociology Tallu > Family - Changing Family Patterns - 2.6 > Flashcards

Family - Changing Family Patterns - 2.6 Flashcards

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
Reasons for Increased Cohabitation
> Secularisation Less Stigma about Pre-Martial Sex > Changing position of women - don’t need a male breadwinner > Secularisation
26
Cohabitation (Key Studies)
> 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
Chester & Coast (Cohabitation & Marriage)
> 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
Benjin, Shelton & John (Cohabitation & Marriage)
> Young people want an equal relationship not patriarchal marriage. > Women do less housework in cohabiting relationships compared to married people
29
Weeks (Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)
> Resemble straight cohabitations. > Create chosen families with friends as family who offer the same security and stability as heterosexual families
30
Weston (Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)
> 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
Allan & Crow (Benefits of Same Sex Couple Cohabitation)
>They negotiate their commitments and responsibilities more than married couples
32
Einasdottir (Gays & Attitudes to Civil Partnerships? Gay marriage)
> 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
Trend in One Person Households
> Increased - almost half of the over 65s are in a one-person household
34
Reasons for one-person households
> 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
'Living Apart Together'
> 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
Trends in Childbearing
> 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
Lone Parent Families
> 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
Murray (New Right & Lone Parent Families)
> 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
Cashmore & Renvoize (A03 Murray & Lone Parent Families)
Working class women are on a lower income chose to live on welfare benefits without a partner, often because they had experienced abuse.
40
General Criticisms of New Right view on Lone Parent Families
> Childcare is expensive, stops lone parents from working > Dad's often can’t pay maintenance as they have a second family to support
41
Trends in Reconstituted Families
> 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
Reconstituted Families (Key Studies)
> Allan & Crow | > Ferri and Smith
43
Allan and Crow (Reconstituted Families )
> Issues with divided loyalties & contact with non-resident parents leads to tension
44
Ferri and Smith (Reconstituted Families)
>Same as first families in all aspects > Involvement in childcare positive, but at greater risk of poverty
45
Ethnic Differences in Family Patterns (Key Studies)
> Mirza (Black Female Headed Lone Parent Families) > Reynolds (Lone Parent Families) > Ballard (Development of Asian Families)
46
Common Black Family Type
> 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
Mirza (Black female headed lone parent families)
> It is not due to family disorganisation that lone parenthood is more common, it is due to black women's independence.
48
Reynolds (Lone Parent Families)
> Statistics are misleading, lone parent families are stable supportive non-cohabiting relationships.
49
Different Households Patterns of South Asians & British
> 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
Ballard (Development of Asian Families)
> 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
Extended Families (Key Studies)
> 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
Parsons (Functionalist view on Extended Families)
Dominant type in pre-industrial society, but’s replaced with nuclear family.
53
Charles (Extended Families in Swansea)
3 generation extended family extinct, except in Swansea's Bengali community.
54
Chamberlain & Wilmott (Dispersed & Caribbean Extended Families )
> 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
Demographics Changes leading to Beanpole Families
> Greater life expectancy so more surviving great/grandparents >Smaller family sizes, less siblings means less horizontal ties.
56
Bell (Differences in Extended Families between working class and middle class people)
> 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
Beanpole Family
> Long & thin, vertically e.g. Grandparents, Parents, Children > Fewer/no aunts/cousins etc.
58
Finch & Mason (Obligations to Relatives)
> Most received or gave financial help to relatives, half cared for sick relatives.
59
Cheal (Obligation to Relatives)
> 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
Reasons for Changes in Divorce
> Changes in Law > Secularisation & - Stigma > Rising Expectations of Marriage > Functional Fit > Modernity & Individualisation

Z Sociology Tallu (36 decks)

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