Postmodernism and family diversity: Flashcards
Identify when society entered a postmodern phase
Late twentieth century following the 50s and 60s
Define postmodernism
Postmodernism is a term that refers to new ways of thinking about thought – to new ways of understanding ideas, beliefs and knowledge, rather than to new ways of living and organising social affairs
Rapid social change and Diversity and Fragmentation.
What do postmodernists believe about society?
Postmodernists believe that knowledge itself needs to be understood in a different way to modernists sociologists such as Functionalists and Marxists.
They believe there is a lack of structure to society, greater diversity, and incessant choice – we are no longer bound by societal structures such as class or gender.
How does postmodernist theory differ to modernism:
Postmodernist theory differs to modernist theories. Modernist theories believe the nuclear family is dominant, that behaviour is determined by social structures to perform functions for society; human behaviour is therefore structured and predictable.
Cheal (1993)
In postmodern society there is no longer one single dominant stable family type i.e. the nuclear family. Instead, family structures have become fragmented into many different types as individuals have much more choice. This has led to greater family diversity and less predictability.
What did Stacey find about postmodern famillies?
Stacey’s research found that greater freedom and choice had benefited women and had enabled them to free themselves from patriarchal oppression and create families that benefited their needs.
Stacey conducted life history interviews with families in Silicon Valley, California.
She found that women rather than men were the reason for changes in the family.
Women rejected the traditional housewife role and had chosen extremely varied life paths (some choosing to return to education, becoming career women, divorcing and remarrying).
Stacey identified a new type of family “the divorce-extended family” – members are connected by divorce rather than marriage, for example ex in laws, or former husband’s new partners. This is characterised by choice.
Divorce extended famillies:
members are connected by divorce rather than marriage, for example ex in laws, or former husband’s new partners. This is characterised by choice.
Postmodern famillies: (Stacey)
Postmodern families are diverse and are shaped by the active choices people make about their lives and how they want to live it – whether people want to marry, get divorced, cohabit, live in same-sex relationships, or even be in polygamous relationships (more than one partner), it is their choice, and no one family is greater than the other.
Morgan - family practices:
Generalisations about the family cannot and should not be made (like Functionalists, New Right, Marxists and Feminists do). Rather, a family is simply ‘what people do’ rather than a concrete ‘thing’ or structure.
He uses the concepts of family practices to describe how we create our sense of ‘being a family member’ through actions such as feeding children or doing DIY.
Similarly, he argues that things like the family, friendships, and other forms of relationship have become less clear-cut and the boundaries between them blurred because today’s society is more fragmented.
Harevens life course analysis:
“Life Course Analysis”
Using unstructured interviews, it explores the meaning that individual family members give to the relationships they have, and the choices that they make throughout life regarding family arrangements. For example, when they decide to raise children, get married, get divorced, or come out as gay.
This approach recognises that there is flexibility and variation in people’s lives - it doesn’t stay the same.
The individualization thesis:
While not accepting everything postmodernists says about the nature of society today, Late modernists Giddens and Beck have been influenced by postmodernism.
In particular, they explore the effects of increasing individual choice upon families and relationships. Their views have become known as the ‘individualisation thesis’.
They argues that traditional social structures such as class, gender and family have lost much of their influence over us. Individuals in today’s society have much more choice over their lives.
We have become ‘disembedded’ from traditional roles, leaving us with more freedom over how to live our lives.
In the past, people’s lives were defined by fixed roles that largely prevented them from choosing their own life course. E.g. everyone was expected to marry and to take up their appropriate gender role.
What is a pure relationship?
one in which a couple choose to stay together because it meets their emotional and sexual needs, and it only lasts as long as each partner gains sufficient benefits to make its continuance worthwhile, and not due to external pressures such as from kin or social norms.
Giddens links confluent love and the pure relationship,
Chambers points out that pure relationships are not necessarily forever and do not involve long term commitment, stability and permeance
Confluent love:
an active and conditional love involving the active building of trust and emotional intimacy between two people, and is conditional in the sense that it only lasts as long as it meets the needs of both partners. Love guides people rather than practical necessity
What does Beck-Gernsheim suggest about the growth of indiviualisation?
It is no longer clear who or what is part of the family, i.e. people no longer talk about a husband and wife but a couple ect. even the concept of parenthood has blurred due to surrogates, artificial insemination and sperm banks.
Ulrich Beck- risk society:
Beck (1992) argues that we live in a risk society where traditions have little influence over lives, as our lives are now characterised by choice. Due to the amount of choice we have, we are also aware of the risks and rewards certain choices have (we have developed a ‘risk consciousness’).
Beck argues family diversity is not simply a matter of freedom of choice – people are ‘reflexive’ – they look at society, see the risk of choices i.e. marriage, and then they may choose not to get married but instead cohabitate.
Personal decisions are informed by what they see going in society; leading to greater family diversity.
