FAMILY: family diversity and defining the family

Question 1

How did Murdock define the family?

Answer 1

Social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction.
It includes adults of both sexes with on or more children.

Question 2

Define household

Answer 2

A person living alone of people living together.

They may or may not be related to each other.

Question 3

2 differences between households and families

Answer 3

1) In a household there are no legal-ties or blood-ties.

2) Families are long term whereas households are transient.

Question 4

What did Leach conclude about the nuclear family?

Answer 4

The nuclear family is the cereal packet norm.
The cereal packet refers to families used in advertisements.
They show happy nuclear families consuming products.
The parents abide by gender stereotypes.

Question 5

What did Gittins conclude about the nuclear family?

Answer 5

The nuclear family is portrayed as the ideal.
It acts as powerful ideology by defining what is normal and desirable.
This contributes to the idea that other family types are somehow less desirable or abnormal.

Question 6

What is meant by a beanpole family?

Answer 6

A family type whereby each generation only has a few members.
This may partly be because of less children being born.

Question 7

What is an extended family?

Answer 7

Families that contain relatives in addition to the nuclear family.
They can be horizontally extended (extended in terms of uncles, aunts, cousins)
OR
Vertically extended (More than 2 generations in one home)

Question 8

What is a modified extended family?

Answer 8

Families who do not live together but have a lot of contact with the extended family. e.g. by phone, social media, email

Question 9

What is a lone parent family?

Answer 9

A mother or father without a partner living with their dependent children.

Question 10

Statistic about who heads a lone parent family

Answer 10

In 2006 over 90% of lone parent families were headed by mothers.

Question 11

According to the general house survey what are the trends in amount of single parent households?

Answer 11

Increasing

1971: 8% of general households were lone parent
2005: 26% of general households were lone parent

Question 12

What do New Right thinkers believe about lone parent families?

Answer 12

They do not adequately socialise children.

This can lead to underachievement in schools, anti-social behaviour & crime.

Question 13

What does Murray believe about the rise of unmarried lone mothers?

Answer 13

It has been caused by over generous welfare packets which provide excessive benefits for unmarried mothers.
This creates a dependency culture.

Question 14

What did Ford & Miller conclude about lone parents & perverse incentives?

Answer 14

The argument of perverse incentives is flawed for the reason that quality of life on benefits is usually fairly poor.

Question 15

What do radical feminists believe about lone parent families?

Answer 15

most lone parent families are headed by women therefore indicating women are becoming increasingly free from male domination.

Question 16

What do liberal feminists believe about lone parent families?

Answer 16

Changing laws e.g. divorce laws have enabled women to gradually become more independent from men which is a positive thing.

Question 17

What is a reconstituted family?

Answer 17

Married or cohabiting families with dependent children, at least one who is not the biological offspring of both parents.

Question 18

What 4 issues have De’ath & Slater highlighted with reconstituted families?

Answer 18

1) children pulled in 2 directions
2) tense relationship between children & step parents
3) stress placed on new partnership
4) tension between new siblings

Question 19

What did Bedell conclude about reconstituted families?

3 points

Answer 19

The role of the step father is often shifting, uncertain and hard to conclude boundaries.
Reconstituted families offer the chance of a successful partnership after a previous one has failed.
If both parents are willing to commit to family work then it can be a happy unit for children to grow up in.

Question 20

In what ways has social policy started to treat all couples more equally?

Answer 20

2002: Gay adoption legal
2004: Civil partnerships introduced
2014: Gay marriage legal

Question 21

What trend has been noticed concerning lone parent households?

Answer 21

Increasing

Particularly among pensioners.

Question 22

What did Chester conclude about family diversity?

Answer 22

There is increased diversity but the nuclear family remains dominant.
The only important change is that the neo-conventional family has evolved.
This is where both spouses work.

Question 23

What 5 types of diversity did The Rapoports?

Answer 23

1) Organisational
2) Cultural
3) Class
4) Life cycle differences
5) Generational differences

Question 24

What did the Rapoports believe about family diversity?

Answer 24

Diversity is central to the family today.

Diversity is meeting the need of people, not causing family decline.

Question 25

What did Eversley & Bonnerjea suggest about distinctive patterns of family life around the UK?

Answer 25

more single parents in urban areas.

higher levels of lone parenting in afro-Caribbean families

Question 26

What are key household patterns in Pakistani & Bangladeshi household structure?

Answer 26

Multi generational households.

Parents live with unmarried children

Question 27

What are key household patterns in Indian & African Asian household structure?

Answer 27

children set up their own home but nearby so they can care for parents.

Question 28

What are key household patterns in African-Caribbean household structure?

Answer 28

children leaving is essential for development

Question 29

What did Giddens mean by ‘confluent love’

Answer 29

love is based on a romanticized version that is created by the media.

Question 30

What are main differences in Afro-Caribbean families?

Answer 30

More lone parents than white and Asian families.

Question 31

What are the main differences in Asian households?

Answer 31

Larger households due to the importance in their culture placed on extended family.

Question 32

What did Beck mean by a risk to society?

Answer 32

Society today is ‘risk’ society.
People have choice and are more aware of risks.
In the past people had little choice & were expected to marry as well as play conventional gender roles.

Question 33

What does Beck believe the patriarchal family has been undermined by?

Answer 33

Greater gender equality.

Individualism - self interest governs our actions.

Question 34

What does Beck mean by the negotiated family?

Answer 34

Equality and individualism are creating a new family type. It is not fixed and varies according to it’s members’ wishes.

Question 35

Why does the negotiated family result in a less stable society?

Answer 35

There is emphasis on individual needs rather than those of the family/couple.
Individuals can leave if their needs are not met. This results in more divorce/lone parents.

Question 36

How do Post-Modernists believe about family diversity?

Answer 36

It allows people to choose relationships that suit them.

It enables women to escape oppression.

Question 37

What did Baumen mean by ‘liquid love’

Answer 37

Love that is short lived - a brief infatuation

Question 38

Statistic for the nuclear family still being dominant

Answer 38

64% of children still live with both parents by the age of 15

Question 39

What was Harevan’s Life Course Analysis?

Answer 39

The idea that there is no point looking at different family structures.
The only way to analyse the family is by asking people what their individual families mean at any given point in their life.