Changing Patterns of the Family

Question 1

Is Marriage, cohabitation and divorce increasing or decreasing?

Answer 1

• Marriage is decreasing
• Cohabitation & divorce are increasing

Question 2

List for reasons for the change in marriage, cohabitation and divorce patterns

Answer 2

• Changes in the law
• Changing attitudes / reduction of stigma
• Secularisation
• Changing position of women

Question 3

Are same sex relationships increasing or decreasing?

Answer 3

Increasing

Question 4

List 3 reasons for the increase in same sex relationships

Answer 4

• Changes in the law
• Secularisation
• Changing attitudes / declining stigma

Question 5

Are single-person households increasing or decreasing?

Answer 5

Increasing

Question 6

List 5 reasons for the increase in single-person households

Answer 6

• Increase in divorce
• Increase in life expectancy
• People choose to cohabit later
• Alternative lifestyle choice
• LATs

Question 7

What does LATs stand for?

Answer 7

Living Apart Together

Question 8

Are LATs increasing or decreasing?

Answer 8

Increasing

Question 9

Name 4 reasons for the increase in LATs

Answer 9

• Growing individualisation and choice (pure relationships, confluent love)
• Divorcees fear another break up, so live separately
• Difficulties in relocating & finding work
• Internet means it is easier to maintain contact over long distances

Question 10

List 3 changes in parent-child relations

Answer 10

• Increase in lone-parent families
• Increase in reconstituted / step families
• Changes in child-bearing patterns (Beanpole families, Child-centred families, Dual-earner families).

Question 11

Name 4 reasons for the change in parent-child relations

Answer 11

• Women’s changing position
• Changing attitudes to relationships
• Changes in the law & increase in divorce
• Increase in life expectancy & decline in birth rate

Question 12

List 3 changes to the pattern in families and households due to ethnic differences / migration

Answer 12

• British Asian families: More likely to be extended or nuclear, have more children, and marry. Lower divorce rates (though increasing) and less likely to live alone in old age.
• Black Caribbean families: More likely to be lone-parent households and less likely to marry.

Question 13

How have changes in the law affected divorce?

Answer 13

Divorce Reform Act 1969 made divorce much easier to get– no longer have to prove “marital offence” & decreased time to 2 years.

Question 14

How have changes in the law affected marriage?

Answer 14

Rising divorce rates has led to a fear of divorce – this may explain the decrease in marriage (scepticism around marriage lasting).

Question 15

How have changes in the law affected cohabitation?

Answer 15

Due to fear of divorce, people more likely to cohabit rather than marry.

Question 16

What is an evaluation for changes in the law being the main cause in the changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation?

Answer 16

It is unlikely that people are put off marriage by a fear of divorce. Other factors, such as changing attitudes and women’s financial independence brought about the change in the law.

Question 17

How have changing attitudes and declining stigma affected divorce?

Answer 17

Decline in stigma attached to divorce as societal norms have changed it has become normalised.

Question 18

How have changing attitudes and declining stigma affected marriage?

Answer 18

No social expectation to get married now, little stigma attached to alternatives to marriage

Question 19

How have changing attitudes and declining stigma affected cohabitation?

Answer 19

No stigma attached to cohabitation, many see it as normal & sensible “testing the waters.”

Question 20

What is an evaluation for changing attitudes and declining stigma being the main cause in the changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation?

Answer 20

Declining stigma may not have occurred equally across all social groups e.g. some ethnic groups / religious communities still attach a negative stigma to divorce.

Question 21

How has secularisation affected divorce?

Answer 21

• People are less influenced by religious teachings on divorce (where until recently it was disapproved of).
• Churches have softened views on divorce

Question 22

How has secularisation affected marriage?

Answer 22

Religious marriage has become less important as many people have no religion today, therefore it has little significance.

Question 23

How has secularisation affected cohabitation?

Answer 23

Increased as no longer seen as a “sin” to have sex before marriage. People with no religion more likely to cohabit.

Question 24

What is an evaluation for secularisation being the main cause in the changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation?

Answer 24

Ignores growing religious communities in the UK such as Islam and Eastern European Catholics

Question 25

How has the changing position of women affected divorce?

Answer 25

- Women’s increased financial dependence – no longer need to rely on male for support so can leave unhappy marriage. - Women who work are more likely to divorce as they experience the triple shift

Question 26

How has the changing position of women affected marriage?

Answer 26

- Women do not need to marry for financial security as they have better career prospects now. - Feminist ideas of marriage as patriarchal may dissuade some women from marrying.

Question 27

How has the changing position of women affected cohabitation?

Answer 27

Increased as women no longer need to marry for financial security.

Question 28

What is an evaluation for changing position of women being the main cause in the changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation?

Answer 28

- Ignores differences in social class of women – middle class more likely to have financial independence to seek divorce. - High rates of re-marriage suggest feminist ideas not widespread.

Question 29

How has the rising expectations of marriage affected divorce?

Answer 29

Couples are less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage. Individualisation, the pure relationship and confluent love (Giddens).

Question 30

How has the rising expectations of marriage affected marriage?

Answer 30

Lower marriage rates as people are unwilling to commit legally to something that may not fulfil them forever.

Question 31

How has the rising expectations of marriage affected cohabitation?

Answer 31

Increased cohabitation to test the waters to check that their partner will meet their needs.

Question 32

What is an evaluation for the rising expectations of marriage being the main cause in the changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation?

Answer 32

- Are people really more individualistic? - PLP ‘connectedness thesis’ as criticism of Giddens

Question 33

Explain how changes in the law have led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 33

Gay couples now have many more rights and protections in their relationships than before due to laws.

Question 34

Give 3 examples of changes in the law which have led to an incease in same sex couples

Answer 34

- 2002 Adoption Act: Gay couples could adopt - 2004 Civil Partnership Act: Rights similar to marriage - 2013 Marriage Act: Gay marriage

Question 35

Evaluate the idea that changes in the law has led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 35

Despite laws, gay couples still face discrimination from many sections of society e.g. may find it harder to adopt.

Question 36

Explain how changing attitudes and declining stigma have led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 36

- Much wider acceptance of gay relationships. - Gay rights activism, celebrity couples, increased awareness of homophobia contributed to decline in stigma.

Question 37

Give an examples of changing attitudes and declining stigma has led to an incease in same sex couples

Answer 37

British Social Attitudes Survey found in 2016 64% of the population described same sex relationships as “completely acceptable” compare to 17% in 1983

Question 38

Evaluate the idea that changing attitudes and declining stigma has led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 38

Declining stigma has not occurred across all sections of UK society, some religious and ethnic communities are less accepting of gay relationships.

Question 39

Explain how secularisation have led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 39

- Traditional religious arguments against homosexual relationships have less influence as more people today are atheists. - Church of England has softened its view.

Question 40

Give 3 examples of how secularisation has led to an incease in same sex couples

Answer 40

- 37% of the population described themselves as having “no religion” in the 2021 census. - Archbishop of Canterbury "publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcomed same-sex couples in church"

Question 41

Evaluate the idea that secularisation has led to an increase in same sex couples

Answer 41

Decline in religion has not occurred across all sections of UK society – some religions are increasing (Islam), which may lead to less tolerance in some communities.

Question 42

Explain how increase in divorce has led to an increase in LATs

Answer 42

Divorcees do not want to risk repeating the same mistakes and so prefer to maintain their own space and independence. LATs could be evidence of Giddens’ “pure relationship” based on mutual satisfaction and emotional support, rather than financial or care commitments.

Question 43

Explain how growing individualisation has led to an increase in LATs

Answer 43

Growing individualisation and choice means that people are more likely to seek out new partners as and when it suits them.

Question 44

Explain how changes in the labour market has led to an increase in LATs

Answer 44

Changes in the labour market mean that it is more difficult for partners to find employment in other areas and so remain in their own home.

Question 45

Explain how the internet has led to an increase in LATs

Answer 45

Internet, mobiles, social media make it easier for partners living apart to stay in contact over longer distances.

Question 46

Explain 4 changes in child-bearing

Answer 46

- Women are having fewer children now than they did in the 20th Century - More women are also choosing not to have children - Women are choosing to have children later - There are now more children born in the UK outside of marriage, than within marriage.

Question 47

Give 3 reasons for the changes in childbearing

Answer 47

- Changing position of women & the feminisation of the economy - Changes in attitudes to relationships - Decline in stigma around cohabitation

Question 48

Give 4 reasons for the increase in lone-parent families

Answer 48

- Changing position of women / women’s increased financial independence - Changing attitudes to relationships – confluent love / pure relationships - Less stigma attached to lone parenting - Increase in divorce due to changes in the law

Question 49

What is the feminist view about the increase in lone-parent families?

Answer 49

Reflects female empowerment

Question 50

What is the New Right view about the increase in lone-parent families?

Answer 50

- Growth of welfare state has led to an increase in lone-parents (e.g. council houses for young mothers) - This has led to a dependency culture and a social underclass of unemployed. - Young mothers are inadequate socialisation agents – boys lack discipline and turn to anti- social behaviour / crime. - Removal of benefits would reduce lone-parent families.

Question 51

What does Ferri and Smith argue about the increase in reconstituted families?

Answer 51

* Reconstituted families are similar to intact families. * Stepparents often contribute positively to childcare and childrearing. * These families face a higher risk of poverty. * Financial strain can occur when men support both stepchildren and biological children from a previous marriage.

Question 52

What does Allan and Crow argue about the increase in reconstituted families?

Answer 52

Reconstituted families are more likely to experience tension and conflict, with people being unsure of their responsibilities towards their step relatives

Question 53

What does McCarthy et al argue about the increase in reconstituted families?

Answer 53

- Reconstituted families are all different – each will experience differing degrees of tension and conflict to one another. - Tensions in reconstituted families are often no different from those in ‘intact’ families.

Question 54

What 3 patterns did Bethoud identify for then patterns in British Asian families

Answer 54

- Living alone is rare - Most common family type is nuclear, followed by extended (vertically extended, including grandparents). - More likely to have more children

Question 55

What 4 reasons did Ballard point out for the patterns in British Asian families

Answer 55

- On-going acceptance of traditional values - Continued importance of arranged marriage - Cohabitation still frowned upon - Continued obligation to older relatives

Question 56

What pattern did Quereshi identify for changing pattern in British Asian family life

Answer 56

Increasing number of lone-parent families reflecting increased acceptance of divorce amongst younger couples

Question 57

What family type do Black British Caribbean families have a much higher rate of?

Answer 57

Lone-parent families

Question 58

What 3 things does Berthoud point out about for the higher rate of lone parent families in Black British Caribbean families

Answer 58

- Culture of modern individualism – women empowered to raise their children independently, not socialised into the idea of marriage. - Higher rates of separation and divorce - Lack of financial contribution from fathers = easier to raise a child alone that also support father / partner.

Question 59

What 2 reasons does Reynolds point out about the higher rate of lone parent families in Black British Caribbean families

Answer 59

- Matriarchal culture within the black community of supportive women which collectively raise a child / children. - “Visiting relationships” – fathers may play an active role but not live with the mother and child

Question 60

Changes in parent child relationships over the last 50 years have brought about a number of family types such as

Answer 60

- Lone parent - Reconstituted - Beanpole - Child-centred - Dual earner