Globalisation and ethnically diverse families

Question 1

Thomas Eriksen (2007)

Answer 1

• Migration patterns means migrants to the UK have hybrid-identities. Hybrid-identities- see themselves as country of origin, destination and cultural factors.
• Migration is a political issue in the UK
• The state deals with immigration in two ways:
Assimilation approach - enforcing British values, when someone enters the UK they must read a life in the UK handbook and they teach british values.
Multiculturalism approach - accept immigrants to maintain identity and culture. it can be enjoyed by the british people.

Question 2

Patterns of migration

Answer 2

• Since 2000, there has been a 33% increase in world migration.
• There is a super-diversity of migration as there are many migrants from different places.
• Almost half of all migrants are women.

Question 3

Ghazala Bhatti (1999)

Answer 3

Research of 50 British-Asian families in southern England.
* found that close and regular contact with extended kin remained important.
* Cohabitation is rare due to religion.
* Nuclear and extended family seen as most desirable.
* family members were happy to adhere traditional stereotypes (men as worker, women as childcare)
Bhatti underestimates the fact that change is happening, there has been a 7% increase in lone parent families

Question 4

Black-Caribbean families

Answer 4

• in 2000, 50% of Caribbean families with depending children were lone parent.
• Black-Caribbean people are the least likely to marry and most likely to divorce.
• Tradition for them is that culture is matriarchal (female dominated)
However, sociologists should avoid generalisations, lone parent hood is far more common in Jamaica, whereas Antigua and Barbados, nuclear families are the norm

Question 5

Mixed-race families

Answer 5

• Mixed race families are a by-product of the postmodern society, tackling racism.
• The growth of mixed race families is reflected in the growing life-course that individuals pursue.

Question 6

Robert Chester (1985)

Answer 6

Chester claims that the nuclear family structure remains strong, but roles have changed:
• more women going out to work
• more men looking after the children.
He calls the nuclear family today the neo-conventional family.

Question 7

Jeffrey Weeks (2000)

Answer 7

There has been a long term shift in attitudes towards family life since the 1950s.
There has been a growing acceptance about family diversity, especially for under 35s.
Cohabitation and same sex marriage are now socially acceptable.
Family patterns are still fairly traditional.