Family Diversity Flashcards
What is Parsons (Functionalism) view on family diversity?
Parsons states that family diversity has increased, and there as been a shift away from the traditional nuclear family. Nowadays, it is more common for reconstituted, lone-parent and cohabiting families to exist. However, functionalists and the new right reject this in arguing the nuclear family is the only family type functional for society.
What is The New Rights view on family diversity?
The New Right believe that the nuclear family as the only ‘natural’ family type. Other family types produce social problems (Eg. lone parent families lead to a dependency culture). Generous welfare benefits have encouraged such deviant family types.
What is the Rapoports view on family diversity?
The Rapoports believe we have moved away from the nuclear family into a range of different family types. Unlike New Right, Rapports see diversity as a positive response to people’s needs and wishes. Their 5 types of family diversity include: organisational diversity, cultural diversity, social class diversity, life-stage diversity, generational diversity.
What is Chester’s view on family diversity?
Chester states that although there has been some increase in diversity, the nuclear family still remains dominant. There has been an important change from the conventional family (segregated conjugal roles) to the neo-conventional family, which adopts a symmetrical family structure.
What is the Postmodernist view on family diversity?
Giddens believes that Society has become ‘disembedded’ from traditional family structures, leaving us free to choose how we live our lives. This has led to the ‘pure relationship’ - one that exists solely to satisfy each partner’s needs.
Beck states that Equality and individualism have created the ‘negotiated family’ which varied according to the members wants.
What is the Personal Life Perspective on family diversity?
Smart believes that we are not disembedded individuals, but we make decisions about relationships within a ‘web of connectedness’.
What does Postmodernism assume?
‘Post-Modernism’ assumes that traditional structures have broken down and that society is much more ‘Fluid’ & is characterised by choice, variety and diversity.
Evaluation for postmodernism and the family.
Chester (1984) Neo-conventional family is the most common type. This is essentially the nuclear family redefined and therefore less diversity than thought
Chester (1984) Due the life-cycle many people will be part of a nuclear family
- single parents and reconstituted families are formed from nuclear families
Post-modernism can be seen as a fragmented approach
Family Diversity: In a nutshell
Family diversity has increased, and there as been a shift away from the traditional nuclear family. Nowadays, it is more common for reconstituted, lone-parent and cohabiting families to exist. However, functionalists and the new right reject this in arguing the nuclear family is the only family type functional for society.
