Week 8: Individualisation

Question 1

What are some positives of individualisation?

Answer 1

Freedom to educate yourself
Freedom to choose occupation
Freedom to choose life partner
Freedom to choose where to settle
Freedom to choose religious beliefs

Question 2

What are some negatives of individualisation?

Answer 2

Loss of connection to family
Loss of family traditions and culture
Too many choices can lead people to become “stuck” or confused and unable to make a choice
Family conflict

Question 3

In traditional societies peoples ‘life course’ was directed by?

Answer 3

the family
class
religion
gender
nation.

Question 4

What is individualisation?

Answer 4

a historical process that increasingly questions and tends to break up people’s traditional rhythms of life

Question 5

The three factors of individualisation?

Answer 5

break-up of highly standardised life trajectories
destandardisation of life courses
weakening of institutionally-sanctioned standards of behaviour.

Question 6

How has family changed since individualisation?

Answer 6

The pre-industrial family was bound together by non-negotiable obligations, and people depended on their families. People lived within the framework of families because they needed to, and families were the basis of the structure of society.