Family diversity

Question 1

Rapaports five elements which family forms differ

Answer 1

Organisational
Class diversity
Age diversity
Ethnic and cultural diversity
Life cycle diversity

Question 2

Organisational diversity

Answer 2

Familys differ in structure, household and division of labour
Stacey- women reject traditional housewife role, pushing for divorce, leading to reconstituted family
Examples- reconstituted family, dual-worker, symmetrical

Question 3

Class diversity

Answer 3

M/C families more likely to divide work equally, both inside/ outside home
W/C mothers more likely to have children young leading to them living in same generation households ( extended family)
M/C parents participate more in children’s lives leading to higher success
W/C has higher connections to extended family

Question 4

Age Diversity

Answer 4

Different generations have different life experiences
Changes in family size, no. of children born and raised, acceptable family structure and gender roles
People born 20-30 years later challenge gender roles, open about divorce and seperation, remarriage and other non-traditional relationship forms
Increased life span- more divorce, less childbearing, grandparents

Question 5

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

Answer 5

Growing number of interracial couples
Religious beliefs influence cohabitation, kids outside of wed-lock and divorce
Different cultures have different patterns: family size, number of children, living with older generations, marriage type, roles within family, matrifocal families

Question 6

Life Cycle diversity

Answer 6

Pre-family: young adults leave parent’s homes to start own nuclear family
Family- people from different social backgrounds form different family structures
Post family- increase in adults returning to parental homes due to lack of work, personal debt, expensive housing, relationship seperation

Question 7

Diversity in sexual orientation

Answer 7

Since 2014, same sex partners could get married
Caused rise in visibility and acceptance
Children can be born adopted, from other relationships IVF
Homosexual men have most problem getting kids

Question 8

Functionalism and family diversity

Answer 8

Family set to fulfil certain functions in society: reproduction, care and protection, socialisation of children, regulation of sexual behaviour
Predominantly focused on white m/c family for, not against diverse forms as long as they fill family functions
Ideal- nuclear family

Question 9

New Right

Answer 9

Opposes diversification of nuclear family as it is building block, particularly lone- parent due to welfare benefits
Believe only conventional two-parent families can provide necessary emotional and fincancial support

Question 10

Post modernist

Answer 10

Supports idea that a person is allowed to find types of relationships and family set up is right for them specifically
Individual no longer required to follow norms of society
Support and encourage family diversity and criticise non-traditional forms

Question 11

Personal life perspective

Answer 11

Criticises modern sociologists for being ethnocentric w white m/c families in their research
Aim to research individual experiences and several contexts with diverse family reconstructions

Question 12

New Labour

Answer 12

More supportive of family diversity
Introduced civil partnership act 2004
Adoption act 2005

Question 13

Feminist

Answer 13

Positive views on family structure as traditional nuclear family is ideal product of patriarchal structure build on exploitation of women
Dunne + Weeks- same-sex partnerships more equal