Family diversity Flashcards
(14 cards)
- Give 2 modernist sociological theories
marxism and functionalism
Why is the New Right an anti-feminist perspective?
The New Right is anti-feminist because it believes that feminism has undermined traditional gender roles and the family structure, leading to social problems.
Provide 1 reason that the New Right give for lone-parent families being negative for society
They believe lone-parent families, especially those headed by women, lead to poor outcomes for children, including higher rates of poverty and crime.
What did Benson’s study into cohabitation find?
Benson found that couples who cohabit before marriage are more likely to separate than those who marry first, suggesting marriage is more stable.
- How is the connectedness thesis different to the individualisation thesis?
The Individualisation Thesis argues that in postmodern society, individuals have greater freedom to make choices about their lives, with less influence from traditional social structures like family, class, or gender roles, making them more independent “free agents.” In contrast, the Connectedness Thesis suggests that people’s choices are still heavily shaped by social networks, relationships, and broader societal contexts, meaning individuals are not fully autonomous. While the Individualisation Thesis emphasizes personal freedom and autonomy, the Connectedness Thesis highlights the ongoing influence of social ties and structural factors that constrain individual decisions.
what thiesis did Giddens and beck speak about and describe it
Giddens and beck spoke about individualization thesis. they explore the effects of increasing individual choice upon family and relationships. s beck put it, life course has been replaced by a “do it yourself biography”(construct our own lives)
who proposed the negotiated family. describe what they said about the negotiated family.
beck proposed the negotiated family. They do not conform to traditional family norms, but decide what is best for them by negotiation. it is more equal than the patriachal family, but less stable because individuals leave if their needs are not met (more family diversity).
then she goes on to talk about zombie families
what does beck say about zombie families in relation to the negotiated family
argues that ain todays uncertain risk society, people turn to the family to find security but the family is risky. beck describes the family as a zombie family. it appeares alive but it is dead, it cannot provide security as it is unstable.
what is a criticism of individualisation theisis
ignores the importance of structural factors such as social class inequalities and patriachal gender roles influencing our choices.
who proposed connectedness theisis and what did they say?
smart. argues that we live in a network of existing relationships and historical contexts and are all connectected. this shapes our choices and family patterns. social structures such as class, gender and cultural norms limits our choices e.g. men are generally better paid than women giving them greater freedom and choice in relationships.
what is the neoconventional family and who was it coined by?
chester- dual earnier family in which both spouses go out and work and not just the husband. he argues this has increased family diversity, but not a major change. nuclear family still remains ideal to most people and family is a life cycle. therefore, statistics on household structure is misleading. the only difference between the conventional and neoconventional family is joint conjugal roles
what does stacy argue about postmodern families
argues in postmodern familier there is greater freedom and choice, this has benefited women. it enabled them to free themselevs from patriachal oppression and to shape their family arrangments to fit their need. an example of this is “divorce extended family”. members are connected by divorce rather than marriage (women have more choice)
what does morgan argue following staceys argument about postmodern families
argues we shouldent make large scale generalisations about family life, like functionalists do. sociologists should focus on how people create their own diverse family lives, and who they call family.
describe the individualisation theisis
argues that traditional social structures such as class, gender and family have lost their influence over us. in todays society there are fewer fixed roles to follow and people can choose their own life course;
