Postmodernist Perspective 7F Flashcards
What is urbanisation ?
The shift from a largely rural society where people lived in villages to an urban society where they lived in towns and cities
What is traditional/pre - modern society ?
A rural - agricultural society where there was little social change, a strong sense of community and religion dominated people’s view of the world
What is modern society ?
An urban - industrialised society with social and technological change and s belief in progress and science
What is a post modern society ?
change is increasingly rapid but uneven. Where people have lost faith and ability of science to bring about progress.
Information, technology and media play a central role
Individual identify becomes more diverse - no longer influenced by our immediate family and community, but also the wider world and media
What do critics of this theory say about change ?
Change in society has been exaggerated and we are still living in a modern rather than a post modern era. Eg: Marxists argue that society is still capitalist and class inequality remains its key feature
What two things do post modernists say structural approaches ignore
Now have greater choice about personal relationships - increases family diversity. No longer possible single or dominant type of family
Individuals ‘pick n mix’ their family types and the roles they play according to what suits them best
Hareven 1978
Must do ‘life course analysis’ - studying the course of someone’s life and identifying different family structures they live in throughout their life
We find there is flexibility and variation in peoples lives - decisions they make Eg: when to have a child, when to come out, when to move into sheltered accommodation
Two strengths of life course analysis
- Focuses on what family members consider important, rather than what sociologists consider important.
- Suitable for studying families in todays society rhsat are more diverse and are a product of people making decisions in their lives
what is late modernism
Disagree with postmodernist view that period of “modernity” is over and we are in a post modern era where ‘modern’ sociological theories are no longer useful
Argue society is in the later stages of modernity and it is still possible for sociological theories to analyse, explain and even help improve society
What does Giddens say ?
Family and marriage have been transformed through greater choice and a more equal relationship between men and women. Meaning couples are free to define their relationship themselves, rather than following roles determined by tradition
Eg: choosing to cohabit rather than marry
What is the ‘pure relationship’
Exists solely to meet the partners needs and is likely to continue so long as it succeeds in doing so.
Couples stat together due to love, happiness or sexual attraction, rather than a sense of duty, or sake of children
What negatives does Giddens give about his idea of the ‘pure relationship’
More choice - personal relationships are more likely to become unstable
Ended at will be either partner
What does Beck argue ?
We now live in a risk society where tradition has less influence and people have more choice.
We are more aware of risks as making choices involves calculating risks ans rewards of the different courses of action available
What does Beck say about about earlier society ?
Roles were fixed and people had less choice about their actions.
Despite it being a more oppressive and patriarchal time it provided a stable and predictable basis for family life by defining each members roles and responsibilities
What is a negotiated family ?
Replaced the clear guide to family life
Varies according to whispers and expectations of their members, who decide what is best for them by negotiation.
More equal family type but is less stable, as individuals are free to leave if their needs are not met
What does Beck say today’s family is and why ?
A zombie family - it appears to be alive but is actually dead
People want it to be a safe haven of security in an insecure world, but todays family cannot provide this because of its own instability
What does Stacey argue ?
Greater freedom and choice has benefited women. Free themselves from patriarchal oppression and shape their families to meet their needs.
Stacey recognises the growth of the “divorce extended family” where divorce creates half and step relationships which are result of active choices people make about their own lives
Strengths of postmodernist theory
Challenges traditional perspectives and brings a more individualistic approach to what the family means
Introduces the concepts of diversity and choice that may be more applicable to contemporary society
Weaknesses of postmodernist theory
Postmodern views are often assertions, not based on any real evidence
The idea of ‘pick n mix’ family arrangement is not the norm, as many people still marry and have children
How does Smart critics post modernists theory
Argues that our choices are made within a web of connectedness.
We live within networks of existing relationships and interwoven personal histories and these influence our range of options and choice in relationships.
Challenging the notion of “pure relationships”
