Families and households: Section 2 Changing patterns Flashcards
(135 cards)
1
Q
What was Murdock’s definition of the family?
A
The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting couple.
2
Q
Advantages of Murdock’s definition of family?
A
Importance of having children/continuation of society.
Economic co-operation.
Acknowlegdes adoption.
Common residence so accepts cohabiting couples.
3
Q
Weaknesses of Murdock’s definition of family?
A
Doesn’t acknowlege same sex couples or single parent families.
Families don’t need to live together.
Stresses importance of children.
Sexual relationship not required.
4
Q
What was Gidden’s definition of the family?
A
A group of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume responsibility of caring for the children.
5
Q
Advantages of Gidden’s definition of family?
A
Genderless.
Provides children with a rolemodel.
No gender roles for the caring of children eg. mother primary carer.
6
Q
Weaknesses of Gidden’s definition of family?
A
Doesn’t accept adoption, couples with no children or single-parent families.
Parents may be unable to care for children.
Family doesn’t have to be biologically related.
7
Q
What was Weiss’s definition of the family?
A
A small kinship structured group with the key function of socialisation of the newborn.
8
Q
Advantages of Weiss’s definition of family?
A
Continuity of society.
Encorporates different family types.
Promotes primary socialisation.
9
Q
Weaknesses of Weiss’s definition of family?
A
Main function of family isn’t reproduction, serves other purposes.
Assumes children, what about childless families?
10
Q
Define the cereal packet family.
A
Husband and wife with a son and daughter, the man is the bread winner and it is seen as the ‘perfect’ family.
11
Q
Is the cereal packet family on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Down as society is more accepting of diverse families and there is more policy enabling different types of family.
12
Q
Define the traditional nuclear family.
A
Husband and wife with children.
13
Q
Is the nuclear family on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Down as society is more accepting of diverse family types.
14
Q
Define cohabitation.
A
Unmarried couples living together.
15
Q
Is the cohabition on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Rise as there are less expectations and pressure to get married.
16
Q
Define reconstitued families.
A
Step families eg. step-siblings due to remarriage.
17
Q
Are the reconstituted family on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Rise as divorce is more normalised via the divorce reform act.
18
Q
Define the extended family.
A
Family including grandparents and aunts/uncles living together.
19
Q
Is the extended family on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Rise as there is a higher life expectancy due to the NHS and Beveridge report.
20
Q
Define the lone/single parent family.
A
One parent with children.
21
Q
Is the lone/single parent family on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Rise as there is more divorce, child support and individuals are more finacially independent due to the equal pay act.
This is the fastest growing family type in the UK.
22
Q
Define same sex families.
A
Couples of the same sex with children due to adoption, surrogacy etc.
23
Q
Are same sex families on the rise or coming down and why?
A
Rise as society is more accepting due to changing laws and views.
24
Q
Define household.
A
People living togther they may be related. Eg. students, nanny, lodger etc.
25
Define single person household.
Living by yourself.
26
What is the census?
Office for national statistics conduct it every ten years to give a picture of the people and households in England and Wales. It asks questions about you, your household and your home.
27
What is the population according to the 2021 census?
59,597,300 which is the largest population ever recorded.
28
How much had the population grown since 2011?
More than 3.5 million-6.3%
29
What was the percentage of men and women in England and Wales in the 2021 consensus?
51% women
49% men
30
How much had households increased from the 2011 to 2021 consensus?
6.1%
31
What was the average number of people in a household in the 2021 consensus?
2.4 people
32
How many people lived in households in the 2021 consensus?
98.3%
33
What percentage of households were lone person in the 2021 consensus?
31%
34
What percentage of marriage was to the opposite sex in the 2021 consensus?
99.4%
35
Did divorce increase in the 2021 consensus?
Yes 9% to 9.1%
36
What is the marriage rate?
number of marriages per 1000 which allows for cross cultural comparison and comparison over time.
37
What is a trend?
Observable pattern over time.
38
Trends in marriage in 2019 from ONS
219,850 marriages 6.4% decrease since 2018
Religious ceremonies were less then 1 in 5 which is lowest ever on record
Marriage rate for opposite sex couples lowest on record since 1862
39
Why are people waiting to get married later?
In education/employment for longer
Families and careers
Decline in traditional manual work for men
Higher material aspirations so people may wait to buy a house first
40
What is the long-term decline in marriage rates a likely consequence of?
Increasing numbers of people delaying marriage, choosing to cohabit.
41
Richard Bethoud ethnic marriage theory?
75% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are married by 25 compared to just over 50% of white women. British African-Caribbean women are least likely to wed. Only 39% of under 60s married compared to 60% of white adults.
42
Reasons for changing attitudes to marriage?
Changing attitudes towards marriage with less social pressure
Secularisation (marriage is a religious concept)
Declinign stigma attached to alternatives to marriage- in 1989 70% believe couples should be married to have kids by 2012 only 42% thought so
Changes in position of women
Fear of divorce
43
Monogamy
Only 2 people in relationship
44
Polygamy
Relationships with multiple partners
45
Matrifocal
Women and children in household
46
Patrifocal
Men and children in household
47
Matriarchy
Women in charge/hold authority
48
Patriarchy
Men in charge/hold authority
49
When were heterosexual couples allowed to enter a civil partnership?
2019
2005 for homosexuals
50
Cohabitation
Unmarried couple in a sexual relationship living together.
51
Relationship between marriage and cohabitating
Marriage is falling as cohabiting is increasing
52
Growth of cohabitation stats
9/10 heterosexual couples cohabiated before marrige in 2017. 2019 they were the second largest family type at 3.5 million.
15.3% to 18.4% from 2009 to 2019
53
Reasons for the increase in cohabitation
Decline in stigma-1983 42% said premarital sex isn't wrong at all whereas 74% held this view by 2019
Young people more likely to accept cohabitation
Increased career opportunites for women (more financially independent)
Secularisation
Better contraception
Increase of marriage break ups
Building societies, banks and landlords no longer show interest in marital status
54
Kiernan: we can't generalise about cohabitating couples
Argues it's difficult to generalise as it includes people about to marry, those who oppose marriage and those testing out a relationship. Different types and few people see it as an alternative for marriage rather testing the waters.
55
Chester and Coast: cohabitation-a step towards marriage
75% of cohabiting couples expect to marry each other, suggesting it's a temporary 5 year stage with 60% of cohabitating couples marry after their first child. It means different things to different people
56
Macklin: the relationship between cohabitation and marriage is complicated
Covers a diverse range of partnerships
Trial marriage
Same sex relationships only allowed to marry in 2014
Social policy now treats all couples more equally
Chosen families "friendship as kinship"
57
New right view of cohabitation?
Source of concern as they claim it is less stable then marriage. Morgan 2000 claims cohabitating couples are less happy and less fulfilled. More likely to be abusive, faithful, stressed and depressed.
Murphy says kids are likely to achieve less at school, higher risk of disease.
58
How does Kiernan disagree with New Right regarding cohabitation?
Disadvantages may be as couples cohabitating are more likly to be socially disadvantaged and poor initially.
59
What household has had the most dramatic change?
Lone person households-2019 15% of adult population UK 27.8 million compared to 1999 6.8 million.
60
Who are accountable for increase in lone person households?
Men aged 65-74
45-64 year old women
61
Why are older men and women living alone?
Increasingly aged population
Rise in divorce and unmarried people
Increasing male life expectancy
62
By 2033 how many people will be single?
30% of adult population
63
Reasons for ageing population?
Increase in elderly household- problematic as elderly more liekly to be ill and rely on welfare state and families.
64
What did the 2021 census say about old people (over 65)?
Outnumber under 15 year olds for the first time ever.
65
Why might an ageing population be considered a ticking time bomb?
More money going out of economy then in.
66
Reasons for increase in lone person household?
Ageing population
Women more finacially independent
Expansion of higher education
Changes in social attitudes
Increase in divorce
67
What might feminists say about increase of lone person households?
Good as finanical dependence on men is decreasing, hopefully abuse is also decreasing.
68
Living apart together
People in commited relationships but not married or cohabitating.
69
Public attitudes towards living apart together?
20% believe it to be their ideal relationship
Duncan and Phillips 2013 found 1/10 adults are LATs which may reflect a trend towards less formalised relationships.
70
What are the 3 types of marital breakdown?
Divorce
Seperation
Empty shell marriages
71
What is divorce?
Legal termination of marriage
72
What is seperation?
No longer live together, a legal seperation may be obtained but often couples split up in an unoffical way.
73
What is an empty shell marriage?
Couple remain legally married and cohabit but the marriage has broken down.
74
Stats on marital breakdown
Only for divorce, no accurate stats for sperations or empty shell marriages. So a society with low divorce may have high speration.
75
Britian and divorce laws
Recent changes have made obtaining divorce far easier eg.Divorce Law Reform Act.
76
What does an increase in divorce rates not reflect?
Growth in marital breakdown but more that divorce is cheaper and simplier to get.
77
According to Structural Functionalists what is the result of a growth in marital failure?
Changes in wider society
78
Explain Ronald Fletcher: The value of marriage-rising expectations of marriage?
Recent growth in marital breakdown is stemmed from marriage being more valued so people are less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage. So a higher divorce rate may reflect the fact marriage is regarded positively.
79
What has influecnced high expectations of marriage?
Media
Religion
Rise in feminism and equality
80
Explain Allan and Crow: No fulfilment = divorce?
Disagree with romantic love ideology. They believe today marriage is not viewed as a binding contract but a relationship in which individuals seek personal fulfilment and encourages divorce if couples can't find it.
81
Explain W Goode: Expansion of islated nuclear family?
The expansion of the isolated nuclear family produced by industrialisation has created more cases of marital failure. The isolated nuclear body now carries a heavier emotional burden so it has become more fragile and suffers from emotional overload. This results in increased level of conflict between husbands and wives so causing more divorces.
82
Explain C Gibson: Freedom and choice for women?
In the past more women were full time housewives so it was ahrd to leave unhappy marriages. Today due to the expansion of paid employment and educational provision for women means they can enjoy the advantages of paid employment. More financial independence means they are freer to leave. The philosophy of consumer choice has spread to marriage.
83
Explain W Goode: Secularisation?
The process of secularisation (decline of religion) in western industrial societies has been responsible for marital breakdown. It has created a moral climate in which stigma attached to divorce has eroded. Churches used to strongly denounce divorce but many have softened their approach. Religio itself has lost its grip on people the belief couples should stay together is gradually wearing away.
84
Brief history of divorce laws
1921-3000 divorces
1961-27000 divorces 3x higher than 1921
1969-divorce reform act made divorce easier and cheaper
1984-minimum period before divorce was reduced from 3 to 1 year
2014-same same marriages legalised
85
Explain N Hart (Marxist): Conflict between spouses and changes in the position of women?
In Capitalist societies theres been an increased demand for female labour. Simultaneously, capitalists control media rasing the expectations of families for consumer goods. Encouraging women to work 53% of women working in 1971 to 72.7% in 2020. Yet working wives still expected to do housework and be subservient to their husbands. Women generally earn less. Triple shift (Duncan and Marsden) when women do paid work, domestic work and emotional work. Hoschild argued women don't feel valued and frustrated as they have most of the domestic burden. Conflict between spouses result in increased divorce.
86
Explain Ulrich Beck 1992 and Anthony Giddens 1992: modernity and individualisation?
Postmodernists argue traditonal norms such as a duty to remain with the same partner lose hold over individuals. We are free to pursue our own interests this is known as individualism thesis. Relationships are more fragile as individuals are unwilling to remain with a partner if it fails to deliver personal fulfillment. Instead they seek a pure relationship which exists soley to satisfy each partners needs and not a sense of duty, tradition or kids. Higher divorce rates normalise divorce and strengthens the belief marriage exists to provide personal fulfilment.
87
New Right view of increasing divorce?
Symptom of crisis in the family. Many see a direct connection between divorce, one parent families and anti-social youth behaviour. They argue for a tightening of divorce laws and a return to traditional family values.
88
Feminists view of increasing divorce?
High divorce rate is desirable and shows women are breaking free from oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family.
89
Postmodernists and Individualisation thesis view of increasing divorce?
High divorce as giving individuals the freedom to end relationships when they no longer meet their needs. Beck and Beck Gernsheim argue people especially women are comparing their relationships to idealised ones shown in the media. People have more choice and are under less pressure to conform and may choose to end an unsatisfactory relationship. Beck Gernsheim says high rates of remarriage indicate most people still want to find love and a good relationship.
90
Functionalists view of increasing divorce?
Divorce rates are a result of people's changing expectations of marriage. People expect more and may become disappointed. Many go on to remarry showing that marriage is a social institution which still goes on.
91
Interactionists view of increasing divorce?
Aim to understand what divorce means to people. Morgan 1996 argues we can't generalise the meaning of divorce as everyone's experience is different. Mitchell and Goody provides an example when one interviewee said the day her father left was the best day of her life whereas another said she never recovered.
92
Personal life perspective view of increasing divorce?
Accept divorce causes problems such as financial difficulties and lack of daily contact between children and non-residential parents.
93
Carol Smart (post modernist feminist) view of divorce?
Divorce has become normalised and that family life can adapt to it without disintergrating. Rather than seeing divorce as a social problem we should see it as 'just one transition amongst others in the life course.'
94
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK?
Class and income
Unemployment
Age
Marital status of parents
Different cultural backgrounds
Occupations
95
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: class and income?
J Haskey argues there is an inverse relationship between social class and marital breakdown. Higher the social class the lower the rates of divorce and vice versa. Low income puts strain on couples (financial pressure.)
96
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: unemployment?
C Gibson argues unemployed have a higher chance of marital breakdown. The upset and financial burden puts strains on marriage.
97
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: age?
C Gibson argues individuals who marry younger have higher divorce rates. There may be more economic pressures on younger couples as age influences earnings.
98
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: marital status of parents?
Stats indicate children of divorced parents are more likely to divorce themselves. Children may have less of an aversion to divorce.
99
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: different cultural backgrounds?
If couples are from different social classes, different ethnic groups or different religions they may have different cultural expectations for their marriage and this could lead to conflict.
100
What are the reasons for divorce in the UK: occupations?
N Hart states husbands who have jobs requiring them to work away for long periods of time increases likelihood of divorce. Long periods apart leads to conflict and reduces interdependence. There is also an increased chance in meeting someone else whilst away.
101
Birth rate
number of children born per thousand
102
Death rate
number of deaths per thousand
103
Fertility rate
number of live births per female
104
Immigration
number of people moving into a country
105
Emigration
number of people moving out of a country
106
Net migration
total number of people moving in and out of a country
107
Trends in child bearing
Women are having children later, between 1971 and 2012 the average age at birth of first child has risen by more than 4 years to 28.1. In 2017 this had risen to 30.7 years.
Women are having fewer children with the average number of children in 1964 being 2.95 but in 2019 it fell to 1.65.
108
Key data from article regarding birthrates
Falling fertility rates will cause shrinking populations and countries will dramatically age.
Fertility rate needs to be above 2.1 to prevent a shrinking population.
1950 a global average of 4.7 kids but in 2017 it was 2.4 children.
Pop. expected to peak at 9.7 billion but fall again.
Fertility rates falling due to more education and work for women, better contraception and women's choice.
Inverted age structure.
183 out of 195 countries have a fertility rate below the replacement level.
109
Expanations of changes in fertility rates: birth control?
Less stigma
More readily available so lowers fertility rate
110
Expanations of changes in fertility rates: educational opportunities?
Womens in education for longer so having less/no children.
111
Expanations of changes in fertility rates: attitudes towards family life and gender roles?
Less expectations to have a family.
More equal opportunities so more choices.
112
Expanations of changes in fertility rates: career opportunities?
More career aspirations and less time off.
More opportunities
113
Explain Suzanne Whiting: changes in modern family sizes?
100 years ago women were having more kids now the two child family is most common. However the total number of births is increasing due to foreign born women. Women are increasingly delaing childbirth. 2010 nealry half of babies wer born to mothers 30 and above. Socio-economic class doesn't affect family size but ethnicity does. Black and Asian families having more kids then white and Chinese families.
114
Explain lone-parent families
Made up 14.9% of families with children in 2019. Lone parent mothers most common 86% and number of lone parent fathers increasing by 22% from 1999 to 2019.
115
What do stats about lone parent families not do?
represent changes in family life
reveal the amount of time individuals live in such families
116
Differences between one and two parent families?
Not very significant, children who live in single parent families may spend lots of time with the other parent and in some two parent families one parent may be vastly responsible for childcare. So the family types may display characteristics of the other.
117
How does minimal differences between one and two parent families weaken structural functionalists and the new rights view of family?
More similar to traditional nuclear family then differences.
118
What are the causes for growth of lone parent families?
death of one spouse
divorce
seperation
births outside marriage/cohabitation
adoption by a single person
119
Explain D Morgan: expanding career opportunities for women?
Growth of matrifocal families has been caused by women having expanding opportunities to develop life outside of marriage and independent to men. Women can now bring up their children without the aid of a male breadwinner.
120
Why are matrifocal families more prevelant today?
Divorce
Feminism
Reduction in stigma
121
Explain C Murray: growing availability of welfare payments?
Murray and the new right suggest he growing availability of welfare benefits has encouraged lone family types. The generous welfare state has created perverse incentives (rewarding irresponsible behaviour) resulting in a dependency culture in which people assume they will be supported by the state. Murray believes the soultion is to abolish welfare benfits.
122
Weaknesses of Murray: growing availability of welfare benefits?
Number of reasons why the welfare state is responsible for the increase in one parent families. Eg. housing authorities in Britain according to J Perry don't discriminate in favour of single parent families. Those who are reliant on benefits are more likely to live in poorer housing. This reduces Murrays argument as there aren't incentives for single parent families.
123
Explain the decline in stigma attached to lone parent families?
It could be argued the recent increase in the number of one parent households has been aided by the decline in social stigma hwich could also be related to the decline of religion.
124
Explain Renvoize or Cashmore: single by choice?
Believe lone parent families are female headed as mothers are single by choice. They don't wish to marry or cohabit or wish to limit the fathers involvement. Renvoize found professional women could support themselves and their children. Cashmore foundsingle parenthood had benefits for women.
125
Conclusion of lone parent families?
In recent decades the number of lone parent families has increased significantly. Such families has added to family diversity in Britian along with other family types. R and R Rapoport stated the plurality of family forms is due to people choosing to live in varying family types.Changes should be welcomed in the Rapoports which asserted because the tolerance of family plurality is an important aspect of human rights in any democratic society.
126
Intro to step families?
Account for over 10% of family types with dependent children in Britain. It is the fastest growing family type increasing from 39% from 206000 households to 28600 in 2013. Mutli-family households only represent 1% of all households. They can be stressful due to conflict between setp family members.
127
Stats on make up of step families?
85% of step families have atleast one child from a woman's previous relationship. 11% have atleast one child from a mans past relationship and 4% have children from both parents previous relationships.
128
What did Elsa Ferri and Kate Smith find regarding step families?
Similar to first families in all major aspects and the involvement of step parents is positive but step families are at a greater risk of poverty.
129
What did Allan and Crow find regarding step families?
Also face problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with non-residential parents causing conflict. However Jane Ribbens McCarthy et al believed there is so much diversity these families should be talked about as plural, some may have tensions but not all.
130
Why is divorce and separation a reason for increase in the number of stepfamillies?
Increase in remarriage
Less stigma eg. divorce reform act
131
2013 marriage foundation stats
45% of first marriages end in divorce but only 31% of second marriages do.
132
Functionalist view of divorce stats?
Sign people are seeking to improve the quality of their relationships.
133
What is the effect of reconstituted families?
Parenting practises eg. co-parenting
134
Co-parenting
Seperated parents work together as parents
135
