P2 Families and Households - Family Diversity Flashcards
What are the stats of child bearing?
- 47% of all children are born outside of marriage (births are jointly registered)
- Women are having children later
- Women are having fewer children
- More women are remaining childless
What impact might childbearing be having on family patterns according to Lewis?
Marriage, sex and parenthood are no longer linked
What is the cause of single parenthood?
- Divorce
- Separation
- Death of a spouse
- Greater independence
What does Ellis Cashmore argue about one parent families?
1 in 8 families are single parent
Majority are working class in poverty
Cashmore believed that children living in single parent families was perfectly adequate
What are the figures for single parenthood?
More than tripled from 2% in 1961 to 7% in 2005
Approximately 1.75 million lone parent families in Britain
90% of single parent families are headed by women, women are seen as the expressive leader, courts favour women, men are less willing to give up work to take care of children
What are views on single parent families according to New Right?
They argue that children lack discipline and can be emotionally disturbed. New right sociologists are concerned about the cost to the state (believe that the state males it easier for single parents e.g council housing and benefits)
What does Charles Murray (new right) argue?
The result of overgenerous welfare system, created “perverse incentive” and a “dependency culture”
What does Ford and Millar argue?
They argue that many experience poverty, debt and hardship. This may also be the cause of single parents. Motherhood is a desirable goal when unemployment is high
What are criticisms of new rights theory?
- New right may be criticised by feminists for not considering that single parenthood may be preferable to domestic violence that can be inflicted
- Also welfare is less than generous (poverty)
- Many nuclear and cohabiting families, the father has nothing to do with the child’s upbringing
- Home office argues there is no difference in crime rates between the lone or dual parent families
What are feminists views on single parent families?
- Feminists overemphasis on nuclear family leading to negative labelling of single parents by teachers, social workers, police etc.
- May be used as scapegoats to explain inner city crime and educational underachievement
What does Cashmore believe about single parent families?
He argues that they choose to live on welfare in order to avoid abuse
Why are there more lone parent families?
- Greater economic independence of women
-No longer reliant on the financial support of men
2.Improved contraception, changing male attitudes and less shotgun weddings
- Men feel less responsibility to marry due to unintentional pregnancy - Reproductive technology is available to women
- Women can bear children without a male partner - Changing social attitudes
- Women are less afraid of the social consequences
What are reconstituted families?
Divorced or widowed people who have remarried with children from a previous marriage
How many people live in reconstituted families in 2003?
726,000
What did De’Ath and Slater argue about the challenges of reconstituted families?
- Children may feel torn between families
- Tense relationship with step parents
- This can cause a strain on marriage of parents
- If new children are introduced this could lead to conflict and envy
