Family diversity

Question 1

What is family diversity ? why has it come about ?

Answer 1

Family diversity- has come about because of the decline in marriage and the nuclear family which has lead to an increase in family diversity

Question 2

What are some factors which has lead to the increase in family diversity ?

Answer 2

• Changing patterns of marriage , divorce and cohabitation, because marriage is in decline .. which means that people are more likley to cohabitate. because of the high rates of divorce this has lead to multi generational households which is mothers moving in with their parents
• Globalisation-
• changing gender roles- lib feminist would argue that because of womens changing position in society they now have become economic assets and no longer have to depend on men that this has lead to an increase in lone parent households and spf

Question 3

What are the two main arguments regarding family diversity ?

Answer 3

1) Family diversity is occurring because the nuclear family is in decline
2) Family diversity is not occurring and the nuclear family is still dominant

Question 4

What are the two main reasons for family diversity ?

Answer 4

• Secularisation , the decline in religious values

- Legal changes , such as policy that has made divorce easier and more family types available

Question 5

What are some family types ?

Answer 5

• Traditional nuclear family - a married couple with 2 or more children where the family structure has clear segregated roles where the women does the domestic part and the man goes and works
• Symmetrical nuclear family - Described by willmott and young who argued that families are becoming more equal and symmetrical
• Extended family- families outside of the nucleus such as uncles aunts living together
  , vertical - Multiple generations living together eg gradparents and greatgrandparents

and horizontal - Household made up of aunts , uncles and cousons

• Beanpole family-
• Reconstituted family

Question 6

Why has the family structure changed ?

Answer 6

Because of the chanaging patterns of divorce , marriage and cohabitation

• Because we are moving into postmodernity
• Social policies
• Feminism

Question 7

Explain why changing patterns in divorce , cohabitation and marriage are linked to family diversity ?

Answer 7

Because there has been a clear decline in marriage and an increase in cohabitation and divorce which means that athere will be :
- An increase in lone parent families/ households

• Manifcole families
• Panifocle famailies
• People are more likely to cohabit then get married today which means that cohabiting family households are the fastest growing family type in the UK

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Question 8

what is the postmodern explanation for the increase in family diversity ?

Answer 8

Postmodernists argue that because we are entering a postmodern world/ sc=ocitey family structures are reflecting the more tolerant values of postmodernity eg cohabitation

• The decline in social pressure to get married has also contributed to family diversity eg people are choosing to stay single or being a single parent

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Question 9

Explain why changing gender roles have contributed to family diversity ?

Answer 9

Liberal feminist would argue that the shift in gender equality has contributed to the

• increase in single parent households
• single person households because women are choosing to put there career first instead of settling down and getting married which would have previously been transmitted

Question 10

Which feminists would argue that gender roles are changing which is contributing to greater family diversity ?

Answer 10

Liberal feminists