Postmodernism Family

Question 1

Giddens: choice and equality

Answer 1

•More choice in family/ marriage leading to equal relationships
•contraception more common allowing sec to be about intimacy
•women have independent

•before- marriage was controlled by laws having stigmas against divorce and sex/children outside of marrige
• now- couple are free to define their own relationship than laws/traditions

Question 2

Giddens: pure relationships

Answer 2

•pure relationship- based on existing to satisfy partner needs
•intimate relationships are based on individuals not laws, religions and social norms
•based on sexual attraction and happiness and if not fulfilled they would leave

Question 3

Giddens: same sex couple as pioneers

Answer 3

•new family types and more democratic relationships
•not influenced by traditions the same as heterosexuals
•negotiate their personal relationships and create structure for their own needs

Question 4

Beck: the negotiated family

Answer 4

•we live in a “risk society” where there is less influence and more choice

Society is more aware of risk because of choices and able to calculate the risk and awards

•not like before as people were in fixed roles in traditions and ridged social norms

Question 5

Beck: negotiated family (patriarchy)

Answer 5

•despite the patriarchal nature of nuclear family it did provide stability and predictions of family life

Patriarchal challenges-
•greater gender inequality- women challenge men’s domination and want equality
•greater individualism- actions are influenced by self calculations of their own interests

This lead to negotiated families where members do what’s best for them with negotiations

Question 6

Beck: negotiated family
Evaluation

Answer 6

•despite negotiated family allowing more choice compared to the patriarchal family it results in less stable families

•as people are allowed to leave freely if their needs are not met leading to family diversity

Question 7

Giddens: pure relationship
Evaluation

Answer 7

•HOWEVER- this can lead to instability due to less commitment

•more diversity in families (lone parent families)

Question 8

Beck: the zombie family

Answer 8

•in ‘risk society’ people turn to family for support but the family itself is in greater risk

•zombie family- family which appears to be alive but is dead (being together for the sake of the family)

Question 9

Criticism of the individualisation thesis: EVALUATION

Answer 9

•exaggerating the amount of choice people have about family relationships today
•BUDGEON- the ideology that people have complete freedom but people are still limited due to norms
- people are not ‘free-floating’ independent individuals
- they ignore the importance of structural factors such as social class and gender inequality which limits and shapes our relationship

Question 10

The connectedness thesis:
EVALTION

Answer 10

•SMART- argues that we are social beings who’s choice are made within ‘a web of connectedness’
-we live in a net work of existing relationships and personal history this influences our range of options

• FLINCH AND MASON- individuals negotiate the relationship some connections are embedded within family which restricts freedom of choice
- ‘pure relationships ’ are not always pure as family is included (eg. Spectated family seeing eacother due to kids, couples sharing friend groups and seeing each other)