Pros And Cons Of Family Diversity Flashcards
Why is family diversity a good thing according to postmodernists like Stacey?
-Stacey: changes in the position of women have increased family diversity
-Women- main agents of change- rejection of trad stay at home role and created family suited to work, education, divorce and remarriage
-Divorce extended family: connected by divorce rather than marriage e.g former in laws
-Illustrates postmodern families diversity and choice- LGBT, divorce, cohabit
-Morgan: pointless making generalisations of family
-Functionalists and New Right: believe nuclear family is essential for society to function and socialise children
Why is family diversity a good thing according to postmodernism belief of individualistic thesis?
-Giddens and Beck: not accepting of postmodernism but use ideas
-Past: class, gender prevented people from choosing their own life course,
expected to marry and take up appropriate gender role
-Today: ‘disembedded’ from trad roles
-Beck: ‘standard biography’ replaced by ‘do it yourself biography’- ind construct for themselves
-Smart: thesis wrongly assumes people are ‘disembedded’ but actually choices made within social context
-May: class, gender and ethnicity haven’t disappeared
Why is family diversity a good thing according to postmodernists Beck ‘Negotiating family’?
-Argues roles and expectations varies depending on the needs of each family member
-‘Negotiation’ between themselves and needs of family e.g teen carer for disabled parent
-More freedom in family life yet uncertainty in expectations of parents and family members
-‘Risk society’- family ties are unpredictable and flexible- undermine trad roles as not followed as much
-New Right: negotiated family is a negative thing- goes against trad nuclear family
Why is family diversity a good thing according to postmodernists ‘Connectedness Thesis?
-Smart: instead of us being ‘disembedded’ with unlimited choice, we are social beings with a ‘Web of connectedness’
-Live in networks interwoven personal history and choices
-Finch and Mason: found although there is negotiation of choice they are embedded within obligation that restrict choice
-Challenges ‘pure’ relationships
-Men generally netter paid than women- more freedom and choice
-Relative powerlessness- women trapped in abusive relationships
Why do Functionalists say there isn’t that much family diversity?
-Despite apparent increases in some F.D, couples still end up getting married eventually
-Traditional nuclear family is essential for society to continue
-New Right: represents the breakdown of traditional nuclear family
Why does Chester argue there isn’t that much family diversity?
-Sees nuclear family as being dominant but recognises change to ‘neo-convential family’- both spouses go to work and DOL is more equal and shared
-So called family diversity is about the life cycle than choosing to live in new family
-LPH are older widows
-Cohabitation merely a stepping stone
-Most still marry, have kids and live neo conventionally
-Chandler and Bejin- see cohabitation as an alternative- many don’t get married or break up before marriage
