Family Diversity

Question 1

What does family diversity refer to?

Answer 1

Refers to the variety of family structures in society today

In particular looks at family structures that differ to the traditional nuclear family

Question 2

What is the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 2

A two generation family consisting of parents (male and female) and their children

Heterosexual marriage, where men perform the instrumental role and women perform the expressive

Question 3

What is the traditional nuclear family sometimes referred to as?

Answer 3

Sometimes referred to as the cereal packet family

Question 4

What are three features of the cereal packet family?

Answer 4

Consists of first time married parents with their own natural children

Man and wife perform the traditional roles

Question 5

What is an ideology?

Answer 5

An ideology is a misleading view based on value judgements that hide reality

Question 6

How does the cereal packet family reinforce the ideology of the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 6

The traditional nuclear family is the typical and best family structure, a view which is very strong today particularly with the new right

However, nuclear family isn’t always a positive experience and may not be the best family structure for its members

Question 7

Why would the new right support the ideology of the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 7

The new right are a conservative political perspective that argue the traditional nuclear family is both desirable and positive for individuals and wider society

Traditional nuclear family also have traditional values in family life which the new right favour as apart of the conservative values

Question 8

How would the ideology of the traditional nuclear family be criticised by postmodernists?

Answer 8

Argue society has changed and we now live in a postmodern society where people are increasingly rejecting traditional ideas about the family which postmodernists would support because they argue individuals should be able to choose their lifestyle according to their own personal needs

Question 9

How would the ideology of the traditional nuclear family be criticised by radical feminists?

Answer 9

They argue society is patriarchal and men are the enemy and therefore would argue that women are unhappy in heterosexual marriages as they suffer from ‘sexual terrorism’

Question 10

What are three reasons why lone parent families have increased?

Answer 10

Divorce rates increased

Impact of feminism

Changing attitudes

Question 11

What are two reasons why most lone-parent families are headed by the mother?

Answer 11

More likely to get full custody

Women more financially independent - don’t need to marry

Question 12

How would the increase in lone parent families be viewed by postmodernists?

Answer 12

View in a positive way because they would argue that as we live in a postmodern society, individuals should be able to choose how they live their lives and they would also argue that lone parent families have become more socially acceptable

Question 13

How would the increase in lone parent families be viewed by radical feminists?

Answer 13

View in a positive way because they would argue in order for women to have equality to men they should live separately and by doing so women would also be more protected from ‘sexual terrorism’ they may experience in a heterosexual marriage

Question 14

How would the increase in lone parent families be viewed by the new right?

Answer 14

View in a negative way because they would argue lone parent families aren’t beneficial to individuals or wider society

Would argue lone parent families headed by females are particularly not beneficial to children because this leaves boys without a father figure for discipline which could lead to unsocialised young boys

Question 15

What is a reconstituted family?

Answer 15

A family consisting of couples where either one or both partners bring children from previous relationships creating a new family

Question 16

What is one reason that there has been an increase in reconstituted families?

Answer 16

Increase in re-marriages as although divorce rates are increasing marriage still remains popular and individuals are still searching for ‘the one’ they want to spend their life with

Question 17

Why might the new right have a positive view towards reconstituted families?

Answer 17

May argue that by bringing two families together to make one this provides the children with a father figure as well as a mother

May therefore argue that reconstituted families perform some of the same functions as the nuclear family

Question 18

Why may the increase in reconstituted families have led to the decline of the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 18

More individuals are choosing to have children without being married and becoming lone parents which means there’s a decline in traditional nuclear families

However, this means there’s an increase in reconstituted families because more lone parents may be getting married

Question 19

What are three reasons why there’s been an increase in families headed by same-sex couples?

Answer 19

Changes in laws - Civil Partnership 2004, same-sex marriage 2013

Changing attitudes

Secularisation - religion less influential

Question 20

How would families headed by same sex couples be viewed by radical feminists?

Answer 20

Positive view because radical feminists such as Greer claims that men and women should live separately and she promotes ‘political lesbianism’ as all heterosexual relationships are patriarchal

Would support same sex couples, in particular female same sex couples

Question 21

How would families headed by same sex couples be viewed by postmodernists?

Answer 21

Positive view because they argue we now live in a postmodern society where individuals can make their own choices about how they live there lives

Would support same sex couples because they argue the traditional nuclear family has declined and there is much more family diversity

Question 22

How would families headed by same sex couples be viewed by the new right?

Answer 22

Negative view because they see the traditional nuclear family as superior to all other family types and argue the traditional nuclear family is beneficial for individuals and wider society unlike other family types

New right critical of same-sex couples, believe they are unnatural and don’t provide children with a male or a female role model to socialise them effectively

Question 23

What is a modified extended family?

Answer 23

Where the extended family members live apart, but are in regular contact and provide support to each other

Question 24

What is a beanpole family?

Answer 24

A multi-generational extended family that consists of great grandparents, grandparents, parents and children

Question 25

What are two reasons why the number of beanpole families are increasing?

Answer 25

Life expectancy is increasing

People have fewer children - fewer aunts, uncles etc.

Question 26

What are three reasons for the increase in single-person households?

Answer 26

People more financially independent

Result of divorce - decide to live alone

May live alone but still be in a relationship - may co-parent

Question 27

Why might radical feminists argue women benefit more than men from living in a single person household?

Answer 27

They argue that only when women live alone will women have equality to men and they will also be more protected from men and domestic abuse

Question 28

What are LATs?

Answer 28

People who are in long term relationships, but choose to live apart from each other

Question 29

Why may there be an increase in LATs today?

Answer 29

Individuals have a lot more choice and may want to maintain independence by living alone while also being in a relationship

Question 30

How does the Neo-conventional family differ to the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 30

In the neo-conventional family both parents work whereas in the traditional family only the male works

Question 31

Why might the roles of household members differ?

Answer 31

Number of ways roles in households may differ

With stepfamilies, some step parents may be more significant than others and be more involved

With co-parenting relationships where the families aren’t necessarily living together, parenting responsibilities are still shared

Question 32

Why might older people be less likely to cohabit or divorce than younger people?

Answer 32

Older people have typically chosen more traditional relationships and families are less likely to change how they currently live and what their relationships are like

Question 33

How might family structured and roles differ between MC and WC families?

Answer 33

Relationships in MC families will be a lot more equal as both parents are very likely to work in professional fields meaning they are both financially independent iff they split up

Whereas WC there is greater instability as only one parent may be working meaning there is greater financial dependence