sociology of personal life Flashcards
(33 cards)
who discusses the standard life course in the past?
Alan and Crow
what did Alan and Crow describe as the standard life course?
standard life course consisted of being born and raised by married parents who live together, education, leave home, start their own family
who says that individuals now have greater freedom and there is no ‘typical family’?
Lewis
give examples of diversity in families?
Increase in divorce
Decline in the idea of marriage as until death do us part
Fewer marriages
Cohabitation
Lone parenthood
Women becoming mothers older and having fewer children
Gay parents
Ethnic diversity
who says that we should study the sociology of personal life rather than of the family?
May
who said that relationships outside the family can affect those within the family?
Gabb
what does Chambers say is the central explanation for the changes in ideas about commitment to family and relationships?
individualisation
apart from Chambers, who developed the individualisation thesis?
Giddens, Beck, Beck-Gernsheim and Bauman
what does Beck-Gernsheim describe individualisation as?
individualisation is the processes of traditional social bonds which have strongly regulated people’s lives losing their meaning and influence
what does Bauman say about individualisation?
due to individualisation, kinship networks are weak and focus has moved from the family to the individual
what is the cause of individualisation? sociologist?
Beck-Gernsheim - the cause of individualisation is modern medicine which has allowed sexuality and reproduction to be separated from each other
evidence suggesting that women have higher expectations of marriage?
⅔ divorces being initiated by women
how many divorces are initiated by women?
2/3
Who argues that growing individualisation has led to love rather than economic necessity guiding relationships?
Beck-Gernsheim
In individualised society, what guides relationships?
Love
what is confluent love?
active and conditional (lasts only as long as it meets both of their needs)
who says that relationships based on confluent love are not permanent and don’t involve commitment enforced by external pressures?
Giddens
How important is love in an individualised world?
Beck and Beck-Gernsheim - individualisation has led to greater insecurity and love is the only place in which people can connect with others emotionally and physically
People are on a constant search for love
Giddens - people marry and divorce for the sake of love - they engage in an endless cycle of hoping, regretting and trying again
Growth of confluent love → forming and breaking relationships on their search for love → diversity in families
who says that individualisation has led to insecurity and a search for love?
Beck and Beck-Gernsheim
how does confluent love lead to family diversity?+sociologists
people are on a constant search for love (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim) so they form and break relationships (Giddens) which creates family diversity
who says that people marry and divorce for the sake of love - they engage in an endless cycle of hoping, regretting and trying again?
Giddens
How are same-sex couples pioneers?
Giddens believes that same-sex couples act as pioneers in producing more equal relationships as they base their relationships on choice rather than traditional gender roles
Weston - same-sex couples created supportive ‘families of choice’ among friends
Who argues that same-sex couples act as pioneers and why?
Giddens believes that same-sex couples act as pioneers in producing more equal relationships as they base their relationships on choice rather than traditional gender roles
who argued that same-sex couples create supportive families of choice?
Weston
