Family- Diversity and changing patterns Flashcards
(18 cards)
Chester
Doesn’t regard an increase in family diversity as very significant, or see it in a negative light. The only important change is the switch to a Neo conventional family- a dual earner family in which both spouses go out to work
Stacey
Studied the lives of two women in California
Pam- got a divorce after being exposed to ideas of feminism in the 70s
Dotty- split up with her abusive husband then took him back after he had a heart attack and could no longer abuse her
HOWEVER- Not representative, only 2 women
Giddens
The family has been transformed by greater choice and more equal relationships between men and women for two reasons:
- Contraception means sex can be about intimacy rather that reproduction ‘plastic sexuality’
- Women have more independence thanks to feminism and can now have an education and work
Weeks
Sexual morality has become largely a matter of personal choice and since the 1950s, the church has lost much of its power to influence the state and the individual, especially amongst under 35s. (Secularisation)
Age of first marriage
Rose by 7 years between 1978 and 2018, when it stood at 32 years for men and 30 for women.
In 2023 the number of births dropped by how much
14,000
De’ath and Slater
Children in reconstituted families may feel pulled in two directions, and might lead to rivalry and envy between step siblings which may place added strain on the relationship
Total fertility rate in the UK
1.44
For countries to maintain their population, what should the fertility rate be
Around 2.1
Murray
Welfare policies have undermined the nuclear family and led to a dependency culture where an ‘underclass’ live off benefits and have no aspirations. Teenage girls see pregnancy and single parenthood as a route to financial support and housing.
Beck
Rather than living according to tradition, we make choices based on the risk associated with them. Greater gender equality and a more individualistic society (peoples actions influenced by their own self interest rather than a sense of obligation to others) means the patriarchal family is in decline.
Sharpe
Interviewed girls in the 70s then again in the 90s and saw that their plans for the future and priorities in life shifted from getting married and having children, to prioritising their careers. This resulted in more women delaying marriage.
HOWEVER- Chester did not interpret declining marriage rates as a decline in the popularity of marriage, but a delay in the age of first marriage.
Morgan
Cohabiting couples were less happy and less fulfilled than married couples, and more likely to be abusive, unfaithful, stressed and depressed. Children whose parents live together also get worse results at school, leave education earlier and have a higher risk of developing illness.
Rogers and Pryor
Children from separated families are more likely to suffer behavioural problems, to underachieve at school, to smoke, to drink and use drugs during adolescence, to become sexually active, and, if female, to become pregnant at an early age. They are also more likely to experience poverty as adults.
What % of marriages end in divorce?
42%
Dunscombe and Marsden
Women who are married perform a ‘triple shift’. They go to work, do the housework and look after the children. Divorce is a result of dissatisfaction with patriarchal marriage.
Fletcher
Argues rising divorce rates show we have high expectations of our relationships. High marriage rates show that as a society we still view marriage in high regard.
Brannen
Beanpole families are becoming more common and families are more likely to have vertical intergenerational ties than horizontal intragenerational ties. This could be because of a cost of living crisis which means young adults are less inclined to move out due to expenses.
