Parent-Child Relationships

Question 1

What are the 3 changes to parent-child relationships that have occurred through time?

Answer 1

• smaller family sizes
• lone parent families
• reconstituted families

Question 2

What effect have smaller families sizes had on children?

Answer 2

The total fertility rate has fallen from 2.4 to 1.6. Women are now prioritising having a career, therefore delaying having children. She then has fewer children, as she is less fertile or has less time.
Cost of having children is greater. Economic burden for families. This can lead to child-centred ness or loneliness.

Question 3

Why have lone parent families emerged?

Answer 3

25% of families are lone parent.
-declining stigma
-rising divorce rate
-choose to be single, older women who are financially stable.
Feminists argue this rise has come from female empowerment.
New right argue this a decline in moral standards, perverse incentives and a dependency culture.

Question 4

Evaluation of the new right view on lone parent families?

Answer 4

64% of families receive benefits.

Question 5

How have reconstituted families occurred?

Answer 5

10% are step families. Product of rising divorce rates.

Question 6

According to Ferri and Smith (1998), what role have reconstituted families had on society?

Answer 6

Found that step families are no different to nuclear families. Did find that they are more likely to live in poverty.

Question 7

According to Allan and Crow (2001), what role have reconstituted families had on society?

Answer 7

Found step families are more prone to conflict and tension as there is a distaste against step parents and their biological parents.

Question 8

According to McCarthy et al (2003), what role have reconstituted families had on society?

Answer 8

Dismiss all the concerns and believe that each family is individual and faces their on problems