The Rappoports on Family Diversity

Question 1

The Rapoports

Answer 1

• Rhonda and Robert argued the family was becoming a more diverse institution - rather being a conventional or nuclear family as other suggested
• Different types of family were changing and the Rapoport’s identified the changes that were occurring
• Used a range of secondary sources to establish five types of diversity in family life

Question 2

5 types of family diversity

Answer 2

• Organisational Diversity
• Cultural Diversity
• Social Class Diversity
• Life Course Diversity
• Cohort Diversity

Question 3

Organisational Diversity

Answer 3

• Refers to the organisation of the family structure and its support networks
• Some families may divide labour equally, others may have a main provider and a parent that stays at home
• Other families rely on assistance of relatives and friends
• Employment, martial status and the presence of non-biological guardians and parents all have different impact on family life

Question 4

Cultural Diversity

Answer 4

• In the UK, there was mass migration in the post-war period creating greater ethnic diversity in society
• Families from minority-ethnic backgrounds may have different structures, different ways of organising family life and different levels of support networks

Question 5

Social Class Diversity

Answer 5

• Assumptions of family were based upon middle-class ideals of family life
• Different forms of organisations between working-class families, middle-class families and those of upper classes
• Influence of employment, shared leisure time, childcare responsibilities and poverty can all shape the differences in social class experiences of family life

Question 6

Life Course Diversity

Answer 6

• They both point out that we do not live in the same family structure, family set-up or type of household for the whole of our lives
• Dependent upon what stage of our lives we are at, our family structure may be different
• Students, young professionals, middle-age and the elderly will usually have different structures and organisation to their living arrangements

Question 7

Cohort Diversity

Answer 7

• This refers to the intergenerational attitudes of different groups - e.g. boomers
• Each different cohort will have different sets of values that they might place upon family life
• Older generations might see more value in marriage, whereas younger generations might delay marriage or seek alternatives to married life altogether

Question 8

Evaluations of Rapoports

Answer 8

• Important research as diversity has grown in the years following their research
• Can be evidenced through the rise of different family types, growth of fictive families, rise of cohabitation and delaying marriage
  Research was conducted from existing research and other secondary sources