The Personal Life Perspective

Question 1

What theories does the personal life perspective criticise?

Answer 1

Structural theories from the modernist era eg functionalism and Marxism

Question 2

What does the personal life perspective assume?

Answer 2

That the dominant family type is the nuclear family

Question 3

What is the personal life perspective?

Answer 3

Recognises how families and households have moved away from traditional ideology and headed towards a more intimate and meaningful experience for individuals

Question 4

Why is the personal life perspective criticised for focusing on the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 4

• research is ethnocentric as there is an overwhelming focus on white middle-class families
  -it is assumed that the nuclear family is the dominant family type, diverse family types are largely overlooked by structural theories
  -structural theories portray families as passive and solely influenced by external societal factors
  -broader social trends and meaningful non-familial relationships are ignored

Question 5

What does the personal life perspective aim to research?

Answer 5

Individual choices and the influences whine them when it comes to family formation and general life experience

Question 6

Name 3 personal life perspective theorists:

Answer 6

-giddens
-beck
-Bauman

Question 7

What did giddens,beck and bauman argue?

Answer 7

People can make their own choices about their lives and relationships, free from societal pressure and influence