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Sociology - Family > Family Diversity > Flashcards

Family Diversity Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what do Functionalists (Parsons) say about the nuclear family

A
  • Parsons: there’s a ‘functional fit’ between the NF + modern society
  • P says the NF is uniquely suited to meeting the needs of modern society; performs 2 functions (primary socialisation, stabilisation of adult personalities) which contribute to the stability and effectiveness of society
  • other family types can be considered dysfunctional, abnormal as they’re less able to perform the required functions of the family
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2
Q

what do The New Right say about the nuclear family

A
  • the only correct family type is the NF with a clear cut division of labour between the breadwinner husband and homemaker wife
  • this family type is natural + based on fundamental biological differences
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3
Q

outline the New Right’s view on family diversity

A
  • has a conservative + anti-feminist view of the family; they firmly oppose family diversity
  • the decline of the traditional NF/ rise in family diversity is the cause of many social issues
  • NR especially opposes lone parent families as they see them as harmful to the children
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4
Q

outline the New Right/ Benson’s view on cohabitation vs marriage

A
  • the main cause of LPFs is the collapse of relationships between cohabiting couples
  • only marriage can provide a stable environment to bring children up in
  • Benson: married couples are more stable as it requires deliberate commitment to one another - cohabitation allows partners to avoid commitment + responsibility
  • Benson: Gov needs to encourage more couples to marry through policies
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5
Q

what are the 3 ways in which lone parents are harmful to children

A
  • LMs cant discipline their children properly
  • LPFs leave boys w/o a male role model; results in failure in education, delinquency
  • LPFs are also more likely to be in poverty; thus a burden on the state
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6
Q

outline AO3 evaluations of The New Right ideas

A
  • Oakley: NR assumes husbands+ wives’ roles are fixed through biology, however among diff cultures, there’s great variation in the DoL
  • feminists: the conventional NF is based on the patriarchal oppression of women + is a fundamental cause of gender inequality
  • there’s no correlation between children in LPFs and delinquency
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7
Q

outline Chester’s neo-conventional family

A
  • he doesnt regard the rise in family diversity as significant or negative - its increase has been exaggerated
  • the important shift is from the traditional NF to the neo-conventional family
  • neo-conventional family: a dual-earner family in which both partners work
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8
Q

what does Chester say about household composition statistics

A
  • household composition statistics only show a single snapshot of a single moment and so are misleading
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9
Q

what are Chester’s 5 points of evidence that the rise in family diversity has been exaggerated

A
  • most live in household headed by a married couple
  • most adults marry + have children. most children are reared by 2 parents
  • most marriages continue till death
  • cohabitation has increased - but for most its a temporary phase until marriage
  • although births outside marriage has increased, most are jointly registered - indicating that the parents will bring up the baby up as a couple
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10
Q

what do the Rapoports say about family diversity

A
  • society has moved away from the traditional NF to a range of different family types
  • British families have adapted to a pluralistic society in which lifestyles + uculture is more diverse
  • fam diversity reflects greater freedom of choice and is a positive thing that reflects peoples different needs
  • there are 5 different types of family diversity
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11
Q

name the Rapoports 5 types of family diversity

A

1) organisational diversity (how roles are perfomed/ by who)
2) cultural diversity (differing beliefs and values)
3) class diversity (life will differ depending on wealth)
4) life stage diversity (your fam structure will differ depending on your life stage)
5) generational diversity (ideas/ norms about family change over time)

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12
Q

what do Modernists say about family diversity

A
  • individuals have no real choice and are predictable
  • most people date, marry, have kids etc
  • there’s limited variety in family life
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13
Q

what do Postmodernists say about family diversity

A
  • Cheal: we no longer live in a modern society with its orderly structures; society has entered a new chaotic postmodern stage
  • in PM society; there’s no longer one single dominant family type such as the NF
  • instead family types have become fragmented into diff types. individuals now have more choice in their lives
  • there are advantages + disadvantages; gives inds more freedom to plan their own life course, but greater freedom means greater instability
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14
Q

what does Stacey say about Postmodern families

A
  • Stacey: greater freedom + choice has benefitted women as it enables them to be free from the patriarchal oppression + to shape their family to their needs
  • she found that women were the main agents of change within the family
  • e.g. many W reject the traditional housewife role
  • one of the new family structures were ‘divorce-extended families’ - whose members are connected by D - e.g. the new partners of former husband
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15
Q

outline the Individualisation Thesis

A
  • Giddens + Beck: explore effects of increasing individual choice upon families and relationships (Individualisation Thesis)
  • traditional structures like gender, class, have lost influence
  • in the past, peoples lives were defined by fixed roles that prevented them from choosing their own life course. today, individuals have less fixed roles to follow
  • we have become ‘disembedded’ from traditional roles/ structures, leaving us with more freedom in how we lead our lives
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16
Q

what does Giddens say about choice + equality in families

A
  • in modern society, the family has been transformed by greater choice and gender equality
  • this is due to:
    contraception allows intimacy rather than reproduction as the main reason for the relationship’s existence
    due to feminism, women have gained greater independence
  • as a result of this, couples are free to define their relationship themselves, rather than acting out roles that have been pre-defined by law/ tradition
17
Q

outline Giddens concept of the Pure Relationship

A
  • Giddens: intimate relationships today are based on individual choice + equality rather than law, religion etc
  • pure relationship: relationships no longer bound by social norms
  • PRs exist solely to satisfy each partner’s needs and so it will survive only as long as the partners see fit
  • inds are free to choose to enter and leave relationships w/o the constraint of tradition
18
Q

what is a criticism of the pure relationship

A
  • Giddens: with more freedom and choice, there is more instability - its more of a ‘rolling contract’ rather than a permanent one
  • this creates more family diversity
19
Q

outline same-sex couples as pioneers

A
  • Giddens: SSRs lead the way towards new family types + creating more democratic and equal relationships
  • this is because SSRs aren’t influences by tradition and so they can be developed based on choice
  • this enables those in SSRs to negotiate personal relationships + to create family structures that serve their own needs
  • Weston: SSRs created supportive ‘families of choice’ among friends, former lovers, biological kin etc
20
Q

outline Beck’s negotiated families

A
  • another version of individualisation
  • Beck: we now live in a ‘risk’ society, where tradition has less influence and people have more choice
  • this is in contrast to in the past, when people’s roles were more fixed by tradition/ social norms
  • the patriarchal family has been undermined by 2 trends: greater gender equality, and greater individualism
  • these changes have led to the ‘negotiated family’ who don’t conform to the traditional family norm, but to the wishes + expectations of the members; they enter the relationship on an equal basis
21
Q

outline Beck’s zombie family

A
  • in todays risk society, family relationships are now subject to greater risk and uncertainty than before
  • due to this, Beck describes the family as a ‘zombie category’; it appears to be alive, but in reality is dead
  • people want it to be a haven of security, but todays family cant provide this due to its own instability
22
Q

outline 3 AO3 criticisms of the individualisation thesis

A
  • Budgeon: it exaggerates the choice people have in relationships today; this reflects neoliberal ideas that inds have complete freedom of choice, however social norms are still ingrained
  • ignores important social factors like class inequalities or patriarchal gender norms in limiting our relationship choices
  • May: Giddens + Becks view is an ‘idealised white MC man’s pov’; not everyone has the freedom as this group to exercise in relationships
23
Q

outline Personal Life theorist’s connectedness thesis

A
  • we are not longer disembedded inds with limitless choice about personal relationships
  • Smart: we make choices within a ‘web of connectedness’
  • we live within a network of personal history and existing relationships from which influence our choices in relationships
  • e.g. divorced couples will stay connected through their kids, regardless of their personal wishes
24
Q

what does Finch + Mason say about the connectedness thesis

A
  • Finch + Mason: in their study of extended family
  • found that although inds can partially negotiate the relationships they want, they’re also embedded within familial connections + obligations that restrict their freedom of choice
  • this challenges the notion of pure relationships
25
Q

outline the role of class + gender in the connectedness thesis

A
  • the connectedness thesis emphasises the role of class and gender structures in which we are embedded
  • these structures limit our choice about our relationships, identities, families etc
  • e.g. post divorce, gender norms dictate that women should mainly look after the kids, which limits their opportunity to form new romantic relationships. in contrast to men, who are freer to form new relationships post divorce
  • e.g. men are generally better paid than women and so have more freedom
26
Q

outline the power of structures

A
  • May: the class, gender, family structures are not disappearing, and are simply being re-shaped
  • e.g. whilst women can now pursue more ‘masculine’ goals such as careers, they are still expected to be heterosexual; leading to many lesbians feeling forced to stay in the closet
  • thus, although there is more family diversity, personal life theorists emphasises the importance of structural factors such as patriarchy + class inequality in restricting peoples choices + relationships

Sociology - Family (8 decks)

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