Postmodernism and Family Diversity Flashcards
Describe postmodernism and it’s effect on families
- Postmodernist argue we don’t live in ‘modern’ society with its predictable structures (nuclear family) and society has entered a postmodern stage
- In postmodern society, there’s no single, stable family structure. Instead, family structures have become fragmented into different types and people have more choice in their lifestyles and family arrangements
How has postmodernity benefited women in the family?
Stacey argues that more freedom and choice has benefited women and has enables them to be free of oppression and shape their family arrangements to meet their needs
Describe the ‘divorce-extended family’ in postmodern society
A new family structure is, what Stacey calls, the ‘divorce-extended family, whose members are connect by divorce, not marriage. The key members are female and may include former-in laws, or a man’s ex-wife or his new partner
Describe a study that supports the ‘divorce-extended family’
- In one of Stacey’s case studies, Pam Gamma had married young, divorced and cohabited before re-marrying and her 2nd husband had also been married before.
- When the children of Pam’s 1st marriage were in their 20s, she had formed a divorce extended family with the women cohabiting with her 1st husband, they helped each other financially and domestically
Describe the individualisation thesis
- It argues that that traditional social structures (class, gender etc) have lost influence over us so people today have fewer fixed roles to follow, leaving us with more freedom to choose how we lead out lives.
- e.g. Beck says the life course that people followed in the past has been replaced by the ‘do-it-yourself biography’ that individual construct for themselves
How has choice and equality affected the family?
- Giddens argues that recently the family and marriage has changed due to more choice and equality between men and women.
- This is due to how contraception has allowed sex and intimacy, meaning reproduction isn’t the main reason for a relationship, and women have independence due to feminism and greater opportunities
- This means that couples today can define their relationships, rather than acting out roles
Describe a pure relationship
- Giddens argues this relationship is based on choice and equality and is typical of today’s late modern society
- The pure relationship exists solely to satisfy each partner’s needs so the relationship will survive only so long as its in both parents’ interest. They stay together because of love and happiness rather than for tradition or children
- Individuals are then free to enter and leave relationships as they see fit
What is a negative impact of choice on relationships?
Giddens notes that with more choice, relationships becomes less stable. e.g. the pure relationship is a ‘rolling contact’ that can be ended by either partner, this leads to more family diversity with more lone-parents, stepfamilies and more
Describe the view that same-sex couples are pioneers for new family types
- Giddens argues same-sex couples aren’t influence by tradition like heterosexual couples are. So same-sex couples can develop relationships based on choice.
- This has led to same-sex couples actively creating family structures that serve their own needs, rather than having to conform to norms.
Describe a ‘risk society’
Beck argues we live in a ‘risk’ society, where people have more choice so we are more aware of risks. This is because making choices involves calculating the risks of different option, contrasting when people’s roles were fixed by tradition
What are the two trends that have undermines the patriarchal family?
- Greater gender equality, has challenged male domination in all spheres and women expect equality at work and in marriage
- Greater individualism, where people’s action are influenced by their own interests than by a sense of obligation to others
What family type has the undermining of the patriarchal family lead to?
Beck argues the ‘negotiated family’ don’t conform to the traditional family norm, but vary due to the wishes of their members, who decided what’s best for them by negotiation.
What is a disadvantage of the negotiated family?
Although it is more equal than the patriarchal family, it’s less stable. As the individuals are free to leave if their needs aren’t meat, this instability leads to more family diversity by creating lone parents and more
What is the zombie family?
- In today’s uncertain risk society, people turn to the family to find security but the family relationships are now subject to more risk than before.
This leads to the ‘zombie family’ as it appears alive, but is dead. People want it to be a haven of security but today’s family can’t provide this due its own instability
Describe a criticism of the individualisation thesis
- The personal life perspective agree that there’s more family diversity by they disagree with Beck and Giddens’ explanation of it.
- They argue the individualisation thesis exaggerates how much choice people have about family relationships today. e.g. May notes Giddens’ and Becks’ view of the individual is ‘an idealised version of a white, MC man’.
- So, they ignore how not everyone has the same ability as this privileged group to exercise choice relationships
Describe the connectedness thesis
- Personal life sociologist, Smart, proposes this alternative that argues we’re social beings whose choices are always made ‘within a web of connectedness.’
- So, we live in a networks of existing relationships and societal structures that influence our choices in relationships
Describe a study that supports the connectedness thesis
- Finch and Mason found that although individuals can somewhat negotiate the relationships they want, they’re also embedded within family connections that restrict their freedom of choice
- These findings challenge the pure relationship, as it shows that we can’t just walk away from the partner, as they are other connections.
How does the connectedness thesis emphasise class and gender?
- It argues that these wider structures, in which we are embedded, limit our choices about the kind of families we can created
- e.g. after divorce, gender norms dictate that women should have custody of the children, which limits their opportunity to form new relationships. By contrast, men are freer to start new relationships and
