Family Structures and Trends in Diversity

Question 1

Give a reason for and a statistic about the decrease in nuclear families.

Answer 1

• There are other family structures that hold more convenience for the individuals involved due to changing societal norms
• In 2015 there were more babies born out of nuclear families than in (ONS)

Question 2

Give 2 reasons for the increase in classic extended families, including one statistic.

Answer 2

1) Nursing homes for older relatives are too expensive and so they need to be cared for in the home (£700 per week)
2) Housing is too expensive for other relatives and so all live in same house and pay towards rent/mortgage

Question 3

Give 2 reasons for the increase in reconstituted families, including a statistic.

Answer 3

1) Secularisation gave rise to divorce rates, allowing people from other marriages with children to remarry (726,000 children live with step parents - Census 2001)
2) Feminism increases women’s sense of independence in not wanting to be tied down by one man for the rest of their life

Question 4

Give 4 reasons for the increase in single parent families, including a statistic.

Answer 4

1) Feminism increases women’s sense of independence (9/10 lone parents are female - Census 2001)
2) Divorce rates are higher meaning couples don’t stay together
3) Secularisation means don’t have to marry to have a child
4) Financial support is provided for single parents

Question 5

Give 2 reasons for the increase in co-habitation families, including a statistic.

Answer 5

1) Secularisation means that marriage isn’t as important anymore, therefore people use it as a prelude to marriage to ‘test the waters’
2) Feminism means women don’t want to be tied down in a marriage (since 1980 long-term co-habitation has increased)

Question 6

Give 2 reasons for the increase in gay partnership and parenting, including a statistic.

Answer 6

1) The introduction of the Civil Partnership Act (2004) allowed gay couples to register for a civil partnership giving the same rights as marriage
2) Secularisation changes norms and values towards homosexuals

Question 7

Give 3 reasons for the decrease in teenage pregnancy, including a statistic.

Answer 7

1) Children are more educated on safe sex than in previous years (rates for pregnancies under 16 have dropped since 1996)
2) Secularisation means that more types of contraception are more accessible
3) The increase in feminism means women are more likely to say no to sex

Question 8

Give a reason for the decrease in parenthood, including a statistic.

Answer 8

Due to Feminism and the Equal Pay Act (1970), women are more likely to focus on career and not on getting pregnant, therefore when they want to have children is around the age of 40 when fertility rates drop.

Question 9

Give 3 reasons for an increase in lone person households, including a statistic.

Answer 9

1) Due to the culture of masculinity, women are more likely to go to the doctors so outlive men by about 6 years, becoming widows
2) Rise in feminism so women believe they can provide for themselves due to the Equal Pay Act (1970)
3) Increase rate of divorce due to Divorce Reform Act (1969)

Question 10

Define ‘social/cultural change’ and give an example.

Answer 10

• The significant change of norms and values of a society overtime
• e.g. women gaining right to vote due to the suffragette movement

Question 11

Define ‘economic change’ and give an example.

Answer 11

• A shift in the fundamental structure of an economy

- e.g. the UK recession in 2008

Question 12

Define ‘religious change’ and give an example.

Answer 12

• The values and norms of a religion changes

- e.g. the amount of Christian people attending church are decreasing

Question 13

Define ‘legal change’ and give an example.

Answer 13

• Changing existing laws and making new ones

- e.g. Civil Partnership Act (2004)

Question 14

Define ‘the welfare state’ and give an example.

Answer 14

• The state giving protection for the health and well-being of its citizens
• e.g. the NHS

Question 15

Define ‘changing state of women’ and give an example.

Answer 15

• The change in attitudes, norms and values towards women

- e.g. Equal Pay Act (1970) allowing women equal pay

Question 16

Using 3 points, briefly explain why social/cultural changes may have increased family diversity.

Answer 16

1) Increased co-habitation: rise in feminism so women don’t want to be ‘tied down’
2) More lone person households: rise in feminism so women more independent
3) More homosexual parenting: it is more socially acceptable now to be homosexual

Question 17

Using 2 point, briefly explain why economic changes may have increased family diversity.

Answer 17

1) Increasing co-habitation: People may not be able to afford marriage
2) More bean-pole families: People may not be able to afford putting the elderly relatives into a care home

Question 18

Using 2 points, briefly explain why religious changes may have increased family diversity.

Answer 18

1) Increasing co-habitation: secularisation means people are less religious and so don’t have to marry to be in a relationship
2) More homosexual parenting: secularisation means less religious people are discriminating against homosexuals

Question 19

Using 3 points, briefly explain why legal changes may have increased family diversity.

Answer 19

1) More lone person households: Equal Pay Act (1970) means women can provide for themselves
2) More reconstituted households: Divorce Reform Act (1969) allows people to divorce due to irreconcilable differences and so people more likely to separate due to it being easier
3) More homosexual parenting: Adoption Act (2003) allows gay couples to adopt children

Question 20

Using 2 points, briefly explain why the welfare state may have increased family diversity.

Answer 20

1) Growing childlessness: the increased availability of contraception introduced by the NHS prevents pregnancies
2) More lone person households: due to the culture of masculinity, women are more likely to go to the doctors and so live an average of 6 years longer, becoming widows

Question 21

Using 3 points, briefly explain why the changing status of women may have increased family diversity.

Answer 21

1) Increasing co-habitation: women are less dependent on men and so don’t feel like they need to be tied down
2) Growing childlessness: because women are becoming more independent they are focusing on their careers and so have children later on when chance of conception is reduced
3) More lone person households: women don’t feel as though they need a male breadwinner and can provide for themselves

Question 22

Suggest 3 effects of divorce on children.

Answer 22

1) More likely to underachieve at school
2) More likely to use substance abuse
3) More likely to engage in criminal behaviour

Question 23

What are the views of the New Right in terms of family diversity

Answer 23

They believe that the nuclear family is the best and most functional family type and dislike lone parent families because they have the right to more benefits and so they see them as part of a dependency culture.

Question 24

Identify an important New Right sociologist and their beliefs on the underclass.

Answer 24

Charles Murray (1980s)

• the poor are responsible for their own poverty
• the generosity of the Welfare State encourages the underclass
• cut benefits to encourage self-reliance

Question 25

What did David Marsland argue in relation to the Welfare State?

Answer 25

That lone parents are “married to the state” creating a dependency culture.

Question 26

Describe Labour’s opposing view on austerity (cutting benefits).

Answer 26

Cutting benefits would affect children of lone parents the most, throwing many more of them into further poverty.

Question 27

What do feminists say about lone parent households.

Answer 27

They argue that they are demonised by the media and are sympathetic to the poor and so advocate giving more benefits to lone parents.