Postmodern perspective on the family Flashcards
What is the postmodern view on the family?
Postmodernists argue that the family structure is no longer structured and orderly as funct would suggest, the nuclear family is starting to disappear and family structures are becoming varied, not constrained to old values and traditions as individualism starts to increase
What are the two characteristics of a postmodern society?
- diversity and fragmentation- this refers to the idea that society is becoming increasingly fragmented, where people create their identity and choices including sexual preferences, social movements and evironmentalism.
- Rapid social change- new technology and communication has transformed the lives of people including patterns of work, as a result family life has become very diverse and there is no longer a dominant family type
Who is Stacey and her postmodern perspective on the family?
Stacey has introduced the theory of the divorced extended family, where women have more choice than ever to shape their family lives to meet their needs and free themselves of patriarchal oppression. she found that members of the family are connected by divorce rather than marriage example, n laws, or former husband’s new partners.
What was Stacey’s theory ?
The theory of the divorce extended family- members of the family’s are now connected by divorce rather than marriage eg ex partners, this shows how times have changed from a traditional standpoint on the family to a more expressed free structure
What is Hareven’s postmodern perspective on the family
life course analysis.
- Hareven’s approach on life course analysis is the concern with individual family members and the choices they make regarding family arrangements throughout life . this recognises that there is flexibility and variation in peoples lives eg choosing sexuality , moving in a home at old age etc
What are some criticisms of the postmodern perspective on the family life?
- Late modernists would suggest that even tho there has been an increase in individual choice there is still an element of structure to peoples lives that shape their decisions
- Radical feminists would criticise the postmodern perspective specifically Stacey, pointing out that women are forced to remain in the norm because of the traditional gender roles that disadvantage women
What is the late-modern theory on the family?
Late modernists would agree with postmodernists on the view that people have an increased choice in terms of relationships and family arrangements, but people are not as free as postmodernists suggest there are still shared experiences and patterns that shape our family structure and are the consequences of living in a late modern society
Who is Beck and what is her perspective on the family?
Beck is a late modernists theorists that argues that people see a risk in getting married, this is not solely the result of individual freedom , but the shaping of society
- Beck also argues that there is an Increased individualisation that has become the social norm in achieving individual desires rather than social commitments which is also why marriage is less likely
Who is Giddens and what is his perspective on the family?
Gidden is a late modernist theorist that build on Becks idea of increased individualisation and this has resulted in Pure relationships.
Explain Giddens theory of pure relationships and choice.
- Giddens argues that the family and marriage has been transformed by greater choice and equality between men and women regarding relationships. this has been characterised by three general characteristics
1. The basis of the family and marriage has changed into one where couples can operate freely when defining their relationships rather than conforming to traditions such as the nuclear family, which is why more couples are choosing to cohabitate rather than get married
- The typical relationship in society today is the Pure relationship where exists solely to meet the partners’
needs and is likely to continue only so long as it succeeds. Couples stay together because of love,
happiness of sexual attraction rather than tradition a sense of duty or for the sake of the children - Relationships become part of the process of self-discovery or self-identity trying
different relationships become part of establishing who we are part of our journey of self discovery.
What does Giddens note about teenagers?
however Giddens notes that with more choice, personal relationships inevitably become less
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stable and can be ended more or less at will by any partner! Joy! For example most teenagers
(57%) think that their relationships will only la
What are becks concepts?
- Risk consciousness- Fewer people are getting married because of the risk of divorce, individuals are more interested in individual desire than social commitment
- Risk society and negotiated family - where traditions have less influence on family structures and choices which has resulted in more individualisation
Explain the concept of THE RISK SOCIETY and the negotiated family.
