Family Diversity-Postmodernism

Question 1

Diversity & Fragmentation

Answer 1

This is the concept that society is increasingly becoming fragmented, this means that there is now greater diversity and culture meaning there is more of a collection of subcultures rather than a single culture which was common in modern society.

Question 2

‘Pick and mix’ society

Answer 2

This is a society in which member can ‘pick and mix’, creating their identities and lifestyles from a wide range of choices e.g. different ethnic and youth subcultures, sexual preferences, and social movements such as environmentalism, all offer sources of identity from which we can choose

Question 3

Personal choice

Answer 3

This is the idea that individuals have much more freedom of choice in aspects of their lives which would have been relatively constrained in the past.

Question 4

Rapid social change

Answer 4

This is the concept that new technology and the electronic media have dissolved old barriers of time and space, this makes life more chaotic and less predictable.

Question 5

Judith Stacey(1998) perspective of family

Answer 5

Stacey argues that greater freedom and choice has benefitted women, it has enabled them to free themselves from patriarchal oppression and to shape their family arrangements to meet their needs.

Question 6

judith stacey(1998) Study/research

Answer 6

Stacey used life history interviews to construct case studies of postmodern families in Silicon Valley, California. She found that women have been the main agents of change in the family, for example, many of the women se interviewed had rejected the traditional housewife role, returned to education as adults and improved their job prospects.