Family's and Households : family diversity Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is meant by family diversity?
➡️ The idea that there is no longer one dominant family type — a variety of family structures now exist in society.
What are the 5 types of family diversity identified by Rapoport & Rapoport (1982)?
Organisational – division of labour (e.g. joint vs segregated roles)
Cultural – ethnic/religious differences (e.g. extended families in Asian communities)
Social class – differences in child-rearing, income, family structure
Life stage – families at different stages (e.g. young newlyweds vs widows)
Generational – older and younger generations have different attitudes to family
What is organisational diversity?
➡️ Differences in the structure and roles within families
E.g. dual-earner vs traditional breadwinner-housewife households
What is cultural diversity in families?
➡️ Differences due to ethnicity and religion
E.g. Black Caribbean families more likely to be lone-parent
South Asian families more likely to be extended and patriarchal
What did Ballard (1982) find about South Asian families?
➡️ South Asian families tend to be larger, extended, and based on traditional gender roles
What did Berthoud (2001) say about Black families?
➡️ African-Caribbean families in the UK are more likely to have lone mothers
➡️ Emphasise independence of women
What is life stage diversity?
➡️ Family structure changes over a person’s life course
E.g. newlyweds → parents → empty nesters → widows
What is generational diversity?
➡️ Older and younger generations have different attitudes to issues like divorce, cohabitation, and same-sex relationships
What do Postmodernists argue about family diversity?
➡️ Family life is characterised by choice, freedom, and individualisation
➡️ There is no single dominant family type in postmodern society
What is Beck’s “negotiated family”?
➡️ Families today are based on negotiation and equality
➡️ But they are also unstable, as people leave if their needs aren’t met
What is Giddens’ “pure relationship”?
➡️ Relationships are based on emotional satisfaction, not tradition or obligation
➡️ Leads to more family diversity, but also instability
What do Smart and May (personal life perspective) argue?
➡️ Reject the idea of diversity as “chaos”
➡️ People create chosen families (e.g. friends, same-sex, stepfamilies)
➡️ Focus on the meanings people give to family relationships
What are chosen families, according to Weeks (1999)?
➡️ Especially among LGBTQ+ people, family is based on choice, support, and friendship
➡️ Not always biological or marital
What is the New Right view on family diversity?
➡️ Opposes most forms of family diversity
➡️ Sees the nuclear family as natural and best
➡️ Lone-parent families = cause of social problems (e.g. crime, dependency culture)
What did Murray (New Right) say about lone-parent families?
➡️ Believed they encourage welfare dependency
➡️ Lone mothers cannot properly discipline children
➡️ Creates an underclass
How do Feminists respond to the New Right view?
➡️ Family diversity can empower women
➡️ Lone-parent families may be safer or healthier than patriarchal nuclear families
➡️ The nuclear family often reinforces gender inequality
What is the Chester (neo-conventional) view?
➡️ Most people still live in nuclear-like families, just with modern twists (e.g. dual earners)
➡️ Diversity is exaggerated – most people aspire to marriage and family
What is a reconstituted family?
➡️ A family where one or both partners have children from previous relationships
➡️ Also called a blended or stepfamily
What are some consequences of family diversity?
✅ Greater freedom and choice
✅ Reflects changing norms and values
❌ More instability and insecurity (Beck)
❌ Challenges to traditional socialisation roles
