post mod Flashcards
Hareven
Life course analysis
focuses on the meanings of the responses people give in these sort of studies on individual family members and how they make choices.
She recognizes flexibility and variation in people’s family lives and turning points such as the decision to have a baby or come out as gay.
A03: Strength
Focuses on what family members consider important rather than sociologists. Suitable for today’s society where there is more family diversity and family structures.
Cheal
We no longer live in a ‘modern’ world with predictable ordered structures, instead we have chaotic postmodernism – fragmented family structures more choice in lifestyles and family arrangements.
As a result, family life has become extremely diverse and there is no one universal family type.
Weeks
discusses the gay model of family which involves more kin networks based on friendships rather than blood or children.
rapaport and rapaport
Five types of family diversity
They suggest diversity isn’t as wide as other Postmodernists suggest. They identify just 5 types of diversity:
Cultural diversity – e.g. Afro-Caribbean families have a higher proportion of female –headed families
Life-stage diversity– e.g. differences between newly-wed couples with children, retired couples and widowers etc.
Organizational diversity– differences in way roles are organized e.g. joint or segregated conjugal roles
Generational diversity – different attitudes and experiences e.g. views of divorce or cohabitation
Social class diversity– differences due to income and child-rearing practices
criticism: Chester
Doesn’t see family diversity as being significant
Only important change is change from traditional nuclear family to ‘neo-conventional family’
Smart
By focusing on people’s meanings, Smart focuses on otherpersonal/intimate relationships that are not conventionally family…
- ‘chosen families’
criticism: Beck
Risk society
tradition has less influence & people have more choice, HOWEVER, we now have to weigh up the risks.
