Family Diversity Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is Modernism (1950s)?
Life was predictable. Things were well structured and mapped out: we had a clear identity.
We had firm beliefs through rigid socialisation into gender, class, religious, ethnic roles etc.
How did Modernism work?
e.g If you were a women you followed this life plan:
- Give up paid work at marriage.
- Get married in early 20’s and have children.
- Be in a heterosexual relationship.
- Meet your husbands needs.
What do postmodernists argue society is now based on?
- Confusion.
- Lack of structure.
- Incessant choices.
Our identities are not fixed, we live in a pic ‘n’ mix society that is fragmented. You create who you want.
What is an example of this postmodernist stance?
e.g The emergence of stay at home fathers.
They may engage in typical expressive roles, such as childcare and grocery shopping, whereas the wife may take on a more instrumental role participating in domestic tasks such as DIY.
What are Giddens two theories around family diversity?
- Individualisation thesis.
- Confluent love.
What is the Individualisation thesis.
The Individualisation thesis refers to the process where increasing rapidity of social change and greater uncertainty forces individuals to spend more time and effort deciding on what choices to make.
How has the Individualisation thesis impacted family?
This has impacted family as there is greater family diversity, more joint conjugal roles, more women in paid instrumental role and smaller families.
What is the confluent love theory?
Confluent love is theory that individuals are now looking to create meaningful relationships based on love and respect.
If a relationship is beneficial, the relationship will continue. As soon as it is not, individuals will seek an alternative
How has the confluent love theory impacted family?
Confluent love theory has impacted family as there an increase in cohabitation and single parent families.
We also have higher divorce rates, and there is also a growth of same-sex marriages in contemporary societies.
What is Becks theory around family?
The negotiated family.
The idea that families do not follow traditional patterns anymore, instead they work on compromise.
People are ‘reflexive’ they look at society and base their decisions off of what is going on.
How has the negotiated family impacted family?
This has had an impact on family since gender equality means both partners must work and spend longer building careers. This means the average person has less time to spend making a relationship work.
People now have a ‘risk consciousness’ - they see half of all marriages end in divorce and so are less willing to take the risk and get married.
What are the positive criticisms of the Postmodernist perspective?
- It recognises that structures are not as powerful as they once were when shaping families.
What are the negative criticisms of the Postmodernist perspective?
- Exaggerates amount of choice on offer.
- Giddens and Beck are from male-stream - given they’re privileged white, male and middle class status, they ignore the reality not everyone can choose their family based on their gender and class background.
- Despite diversity of family choice, most people still harbour to the norm of the nuclear family
What is Chester argument?
Neo-Conventional families
- The New Right and functionalists exaggerate increase in family diversity.
- The major change was to Neo-conventional where both partners work.
- The nuclear family is still the most desirable type - most people revert back to a nuclear family, and many types are still like nuclear family.
What is Rappaport and Rappoport’s five family diversity types?
- Cultural.
- Life Course.
- Organisational.
- Cohort.
- Social Class.
What is cultural family diversity?
Differences in family types based on ethnicity or religion.
(E.g Chinese families are typically one child families, Afro-Caribbean families typically single parent).
What is life course family diversity?
Different stages of life may have different divisions of labour or different family types.
(E.g newly married couples may be more equal, couples with children may impose the triple shift on women).
What is organisational family diversity?
Different divisions of labour within the home and paid work.
(E.g symmetrical families, dual income, single parent).
What is cohort family diversity?
The differences in family lifestyles between generations.
(E.g divorce or symmetrical families are more likely in a modern family due to societal attitude changes).
What is social class family diversity?
The roles that partners adopt based on their social class.
(E.g roles are more equal in middle class couples than working class couples).
