impact of demographic changes on the families and households (exam prerp) Flashcards
Funtionalists argue a declining birth rate creates smaller families with better child development.
Functionalist sociologist Harper argues that a fall in the Infant mortality rate leads to a fall in the birth rate because, if many infants die, parents have more children to replace those they have lost. Thereby increasing the birth rate whilst if infants survive, parents will have fewer of them.
Therefore lower birth rates and longer life expectancy lead to smaller families (such as the beanpole or nuclear family) which allows for more focused attention on children’s upbringing and better care for the elderly.
Postmodernists argue that demographic changes have led to greater diversity and individual choice in family forms.
Stacey argues that greater freedom and choice has benefited women by alloweing them to free themselves from patriarchal oppression and to shape their family arrangements to meet their needs.
They suggest that traditional family structures have been replaced by a variety of alternatives, such as cohabitation, single-parent families, and same-sex families. This is seen as a positive develop,ent of society , reflecting individual freedom and diversity.
The new right argues that alternate family stuctures damage the unity of the traditional family.
New right sociologist view the nuclear family (male provider and female houseworker) as naturally self-reliant. Charles Murray argues thataccepting and granting lone parent families wellfare benefits offers ‘perverse incentives’, rewards for irresponsible or anti-social behaviour. Therefore this leads to social breakdown such as when fathers see that the state will maintain their children, some of them will abandon their responsibilities towards their families.
Feminists argue that increased life expectancy disproprtionatley affects women.
Walker (2011) found that the average difference in disability-free life between the poorest and richest areas of England expectancy is 17 years.
The role of caregiver often unfailry falls upon the women despite them more likely to be the head of a lone parent family
