Theories of diversity

Question 1

Functionalists theories of the family

Answer 1

The nuclear family is the only one which contributes to the maintenance of order in society
Murdock : Family carries out the functions of reproduction, sexual , economic and socialisation .
Parsons: Family carries out socialisation and stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 2

New right perspectives of the family

Answer 2

Murray :
lone parents are spongers who deliberately get pregnant to receive money
State welfare offers perverse incentives
Absence of a father figure can breed ill behaviour in young boys

Benson :
Concerned over the growth in people cohabiting rather than marrying
Thinks cohabiting couples are less committed and less stable .
This can lead to single parenthood

Question 3

New Right evaluation

Answer 3

Feminists criticise as they see the new right as anti diversity and anti equality
There is limited evidence to support their claims that people deliberately become lone parents for benefits

Question 4

Neo conventional families

Answer 4

Chester :
Recognises that more people are moving away from the notion of the NF
Unconvinced that diversity is the norm
Those couples who do not conform to the full definition of the NF as being neo conventional. Eg both parents are dual careers .
He claims little has changed about the family in terms of structure and experience

Question 5

Evaluation of neo-conventional families

Answer 5

Chester ignores that there are social changes such as the rise in same sex couples
Chester downplays the significance of social changes

Question 6

The Rapoports

Answer 6

Diversity today is very common there are 5 types :

• Organisational (division of labour )
• Cultural diversity ( differences between ethnicity and religion )
• Class diversity (differences in different socioeconomic groups)
• Life stage diversity ( recognises families and households are not static )
• Generational diversity ( the time a person is born will shape their attitudes to their family )

Question 7

Evaluation of the rapaports

Answer 7

Society is still dominated by nuclear families .

The majority of individuals will live in a nuclear family at some point

Question 8

Postmodernism and freedom of choice

Answer 8

Stacey : family diversity has benefitted women in particular
Studied Californian women and found that women generally have greater power to shape the family life around their own needs .
Women didn’t play traditional roles and were happy to divorce and move on if their needs weren’t met
New trend of divorced extended family - keep in touch

Question 9

Evaluation of stacey

Answer 9

Study wasn’t representative , it was only a small sample of society

Question 10

Individualisation thesis

Answer 10

Beck and giddins :
traditional structures such as gender and class have lost influence over people .
In the past there was pressure to conform to traditions eg marriage
People are disembedded from tradition
People have the freedom to choose how to live their lives and construct their own biography

Question 11

Evaluation of the individualisation thesis

Answer 11

Many traditional structures continue to be influential eg religious backgrounds may conform to marriage
Most people still pursue conventional roles suggesting very few are truly disembedded from tradition

Question 12

Giddens Choice and Equality

Answer 12

Women now have far more power due to contraception and legal rights .
The main basis of family tradition has been removed .
Men and women have far more choice to choose lifestyles and relationships .
Adults today seek pure relationships
Love today is confluent
LGBT couples are gaining power in society
They are pioneers paving the way for complete choice as they have no traditional gender scripts .
Their family is based on genuine equality not conforming to roles

Question 13

Evaluation of Giddens

Answer 13

Feminists argue that women still have the dual burden
When women marry they still tend to take on the bulk of traditional roles eg having children
Changing laws eg same sex marriage imposes conventional lifestyles on gay couples

Question 14

Beck : negotiated family

Answer 14

We live in a world of threat and risks to our safety and wellbeing
People no longer have the stability of fixed norms and values
This greater risk has being brought about due to gender equality and greater individualism
Women no longer accept what patriarchy dictates , they expect equality
People worry about their own needs
This increases negotiation in families as everything has to be decided .
Negotiation means everything is more likely to break down
the family today are zombie families - alive onnthe outside but dead on the inside

Question 15

Evaluation of Beck

Answer 15

Feminists would argue that the husband still have power over the wife in all situations
Overstates how selfish people are today eg many women are of the pivot generation who are more selfless than ever

Question 16

The personal life perspective

Answer 16

People are free to choose who counts as family eg friends , fictive kin , pets and deceased relatives
Emergence of IVF and sperm donors means that blood ties are less significant .
Family can be whoever we choose it to be

Question 17

Evaluation of the PLP

Answer 17

People are still curies to know who their blood relatives are
In the eyes of the law and society pets aren’t considered as family

Question 18

The connectedness thesis

Answer 18

Finch and Mason : We live in a wider web of connections and we have to factor these in when we make decisions
For example when a relationship is breaking down it is unlikely couples will just walk away because their love isn’t pure , the couple is likely to factor in on how their breakup will effect their children or others
Wider structures such as class and gender shape the choices we make
Other lifestyles are tolerated but for most gay people coming out is still a big deal as its not accepted as normal
Following a divorce , women are more likely to get custardy of the children

Question 19

Evaluation of the connectedness thesis

Answer 19

Downplays the extent to which people challenge social conventions today
Fails to recognise the impacts of movements eg feminism for women and stonewall for the LGBT community and the extent of freedom they have given