family diversity Flashcards
give 10 family types examples
- nuclear family
- living apart
- lone parent
- same sex
- creative single hood
- beanpole family
- donor conceived
- extended
- cohabitation
- reconstituted
What is family diversity?
- the idea that there is a range of different family types
- it is associated with the postmodernist idea that in today’s society, increasing choice about relationships is creating greater family diversity
‘diversity and choice = post modernism’
New right view on family diversity
- they firmly oppose family diversity and see the nuclear family as the only acceptable family type, as it is natural
- Family diversity creates social problems (higher crime rates and education failure)
- they disapprove of women doing paid work (must be carers)
Do the new right accept working women?
- They disapprove of women doing paid work
- They believe women should make caring for their family their priority
Do the new right believe society is broken?
They argue the family and subsequently society is broken - they want to return to ‘traditional values’ including the value of marriage to prevent damage to children
new right view on cohabitation
- they believe cohabitation creates family instability as it makes it easier for adults to avoid commitment and responsibility
which has a negative effect on children
new right view on taxation and benefits
- they believe benefits are a perverse incentive (and reward people for doing bad things and punish responsible people)
- they oppose to high levels of taxation that are spent on welfare benefits as they encourage dependency culture
- benefits undermine the tradition family by discouraging men from working to support their families
new right view on single parent families
- they are unnatural and harmful
- lone parent mothers cannot discipline their children properly
- they are a burden on the welfare state (benefits)
- they leave males without a male role model to discipline them leading to criminality and education failure
- believe single parent families are passed on in generations
What do new right believe about roles within the family?
New right have a similar view to functionalists of having instrumental and expressive roles.
Man is the breadwinner and the woman is the home maker.
Chester’s view on family diversity
- changes in family types are minor
- basic features of family life have stayed the same since WW2
- He also argues that we are all in a nuclear family at some point and a snapshot of household types does not provide a valid picture of society
- life cycles make it inevitable that some people will not be a member of the nuclear family
- however he does recognise some change, that the male is no longer the sole breadwinner
- believes family are no longer conventional, they are neo-conventional
Chester’s view on cohabitation
- Chester believes cohabitation is a step for marriage
- it s a temporary stage before marriage
- ‘try before you buy’
What is Chester’s neo-conventional family
- a dual earner family
- chester recognised that men are no longer the sole breadwinner
What reasons does Chester give that oppose family diversity
- everyone experiences the nuclear family
- people are still marrying
What are the Rappoports 5 types of family diversity?
- Organisational
- Cultural
- Social class
- Life-stage diversity
- Generational
Post-modernist view on family diversity
- Families have become more diverse because there is greater diversity and choice in society