Family Diversty Flashcards
What dose functionalist say about family diversity
*States that family diversity has increased, and there has been a shift away from the traditional nuclear family. Nowadays, it is more common for reconstituted, lone-parent and cohabiting families to exist.
Reject the idea that family diversity has increased, arguing the nuclear family is the only family type functional for society
According to functionless, how is the nuclear family, the only family type function of society
o This due to the nuclear family having clear division roles That are uniquely suited to meeting the needs of modern society of a social mobile workforce by having the two irreversible functions(primary socialisation and stabilisation of adult personality) lead to overall stability and any other family type is seen as deviant
What do the new right believe and how is this supported? 
o The New Right believes that the nuclear family is the only ‘natural’ family type as children in this family type are less likely to experience poverty,crime and health problem
Bensons study showed that cohabitation couples are 20% more likely to separate after having children as cohabitation allows avoid commitment and responsibility
How does other family types produce social problems according to the new right? 
lone parent families lead to a dependency culture:
o as they leave boys without a role model resulting in education failure and social instability
o As Generous welfare benefits have encouraged such deviant family types to be dependent on welfare benefits making them firmly opposed to family diversity as it undermines the nuclear family
What is the evaluation of the new right?
Feminists argue the reason why the knew right favors the conventional nuclear family is based on patriarchal oppression of women and is a cause of gender inequality as in their view it prevents women from working and denies in them an equal say in decision making
o There is also no evidence that child raised from a lone parent family is going to be less than someone who is brought up in a nuclear family of the same social class
What do post-modernism say about family diversity and give examples of the two post-modernist
Postmodernism – more choice - as Society is no longer one single dominant family structure as individuals now have much more choice in their lifestyle, personal relationships and family arrangements
Gittens and beck
What does the postmodernist gittens say about family diversity? 
o Believes that Society has become ‘disembedded’ from traditional family structures as there fewer fixed roles to follow as class, gender have lost their influence leaving us free to choose how we live our lives.
o This has led to the ‘pure relationship’ - one that exists solely to satisfy each partner’s needs this is due to contraception and women’s gain of independence allowing more equal relationships allowing couples to stay together because of love and not because of sense of duty/for the sake of the children
o And example of more freedom of choice is the same sex family type as this creates more democratic and equal relationships as there not influenced by tradition allowing individuals to actively creates a family structure that serves their own needs
What are the criticism of giddens theory 
doesn’t take into account our decisions and our choices about personal relationships are made within a social context such as social class inequalities and patriarchal gender norms are ignored as important structural factors that limit and shape our relationship choices
What does the post-modernist beck say about family diversity? 
o States that Equality and individualism have created the ‘negotiated family’ which varied according to the members’ wants which causes less stability as member can choose to leave
o Beck states that the the nuclear family has been undermined by two trends :
greater gender equality individualism
o Because tradition is less important it’s all about choice allowing a risk society to be created as we make choices calculating the risks and rewards of options instead of social norms, dictating how we should behave
Who opposes the individualism theory? 
Carol smart - personal life perspective
 how is the personal life perspective, theory, and alternative to individualism
Creates the connected thesis which is an alternative to individualism.
• Argues that people are not simply isolated individuals and the wider structure still limits choices and diversity as we are fundamentally social beings whose choices are always made within a web of connectedness
What is the feminist perspective on family diversity ?
Ann Okley
• Believe that the nuclear family maintains patriarchal oppression so having family diversity is good as there less inequality within the family
• No real evidence of dependency culture and cohabitation is good for women
How is the nuclear family functional for society? 
o This due to the nuclear family having clear division roles That are uniquely suited to meeting the needs of modern society of a social mobile workforce by having the two irreversible functions(primary socialisation and stabilisation of adult personality) lead to overall stability and any other family type is seen as deviant
