Topic 6: Family Diversity Flashcards
Why do the New Right reject cohabiting couples
Shows a breakdown of the traditional family. Since they are not married, they can just walk out
Why do the New Right reject lone-parent families
Welfare dependency culture
Socialisation isn’t taking place properly if one gender is present.
Why do the New Right reject same-sex couples
Naturally they can’t procreate and they don’t reinforce traditional norms and values
Lacks primary socialisation
Evidence of family diversity today
Penny the Polar Bear in Peppa Pig, with two mums (fictional)
Chester - neo-conventional family
Family diversity is overexaggerated. The nuclear family is still the norm and married couples still head households
Neo-conventional family is where both parents earn money, making the family more symmetrical.
Rappoport and Rappoport - five types of family diversity
Cultural
Life course
Organisational
Generational
Social Class
What is cultural family diversity
The way ethnicity and religion affects family structures
E.g: Divorce is still negative in some Asian communities. They tend to be more traditional and patriarchal
What is life course family diversity
The ways families msy change as they go through their life cycle
E.g: At 40, you are going through a midlife crisis.
What is organisational family diversity
Differences in family structures, roles and relationships and how they are organised
E.g: conjugal roles and symmetrical family
What is generational family diversity
Refers to intergenerational attitudes and values of different groups on family structures, roles and relationships
E.g: Older generations would not agree with divorce, but younger generations do
What is social class family diversity
Refers to the way social class affects family life
E.g: if you are middle class you can have babysitters to look after the children
Working class are just about managing
Arguments in favour of family diversity (6)
Allows and empowers women to do family based on their needs
Women have more independence, choice and freedom.
Women are able to free themselves from oppression and patriarchy
Promotes individualism
Highlights that the family is evolving
Morre relevant contemporary view on society
Arguments against family diversity (7)
Diverse families cannot perform the four functions (Murdock)
Diverse families may not be able to support the warm bath theory
Other families are unnatural and dysfunctional
Diverse families are harmful to society, it will affect the stability
Inadequate socialisation
Welfare dependency
Family diversity is exaggerated and the nuclear family is still the norm but he introduced the neo-conventional family.
What is the life course analysis
Focuses on the meanings that people give and it aims to understand how individuals contsruct their family life.
There is flexibility and variation in family lives and decisions we make.
Strengths of life course analysis (5)
Postmodernists will say that people have their own choice, not chosen by structures or society.
Produces qualitative data which is more rich and meaningful
Web of connectedness
Allows us to understand that family life is fluid and diverse
Highlights that there is no such thing as a perfect family
