Family diversity Flashcards
What is Functionalism in relation to family?
Functionalism views the nuclear family with a division of labor between husband and wife as the ideal in modern society, while other family types are considered dysfunctional.
How do feminists view the nuclear family?
Feminists argue that the nuclear family is patriarchal.
What is Parsons’ perspective on the nuclear family?
Parsons believes the nuclear family suits the needs of modern society and that other family types are abnormal.
What is the New Right’s stance on family types?
The New Right agrees that there is only one correct family type and opposes family diversity, believing it causes social problems.
What does Benson (2010) say about marriage stability?
Benson states that couples are more stable when married due to the commitment required, while cohabiting couples tend to break up more.
What criticism does Oakley have regarding family roles?
Oakley criticizes the assumption that husband and wife roles are fixed by biology.
What is Chester’s view on family change?
Chester believes the only major change is the dominance of the conventional family, with a division of labor between male breadwinner and female homemaker.
What are Rapoports’ five types of family diversity?
- Cultural: different ethnic structures
- Life stage
- Organisational: family roles
- Generational: different attitudes between old and young
- Social class: income levels .
What is the post-modernist view on family?
Post-modernism suggests we no longer live in a predictable society, leading to greater diversity and choice, but also greater risk of instability.
How does Stacey (1998) view women’s freedom in family arrangements?
Stacey argues that greater freedom and choice benefit women by allowing them to escape patriarchal oppression and shape family arrangements to meet their needs.
What is Morgan’s view on defining family?
Morgan believes it is pointless to generalize about family, as it is defined by individuals’ choices.
What does the Individualisation Thesis propose?
The Individualisation Thesis suggests that traditional social structures have lost influence, allowing for fewer fixed roles and greater freedom.
What transformation in marriage and family does Giddens describe?
Giddens describes marriage and family as transformed by greater choices, leading to ‘pure relationships’ based on love and equality.
What does Weston say about same-sex couples?
Weston notes that same-sex couples create supportive ‘families of choice’ from friends, former lovers, and biological kin.
What is Beck’s perspective on family in a risk society?
Beck argues that in today’s risk society, people seek security in family, leading to negotiated families and ‘zombie families’ that appear alive but are actually dead.
What does the Personal Life Perspective (PLP) emphasize?
The PLP emphasizes the importance of social structures in shaping the freedoms people have, highlighting that family diversity is reshaping rather than disappearing.
What is the Connectedness Thesis according to Smart?
The Connectedness Thesis posits that social beings make choices within a web of connectedness, where wider structures limit individual choice.
What did Finch and Mason find in their study of extended families?
Finch and Mason found that some can negotiate family roles, while others are embedded in family connections and obligations that restrict their freedom.
What does Einasdottir say about lesbianism and societal norms?
Einasdottir states that while lesbianism is now tolerated, heteronormative expectations force many lesbians to remain ‘in the closet,’ limiting their choices.
