2. Family Diversity The nuclear family is not the only way that families are organised. A range of different family types exist in Britain today.

3. The thinkers of the concept of the ‘golden age’ of the family can be grouped under the label New Right. These often assume that there was a time when husbands and wives were totally committed to each other, and the children respected their elders. Many of these think that the decline of the family started in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. They particularly think that the introduction of the contraceptive pill and the legalisation of abortion are to blame for the amount of diversity in Britain today.

5. Nuclear Family This is made up of two parents, one of each gender, and their dependent children. The nuclear family makes up 39% of families in Britain today.

6. Lone parent or One parent Family This has one parent, usually female, and dependent children. Approximately 1.7 million families are lone parent in Britain, making up 25% of households. It is estimated that a third to ½ of all children will spend some time in a one parent family.

7. Lone parent or One parent Family 90% of these are headed by women, and 60% of this are ex married (either divorced, separated or widowed) Contrary to popular opinion, most single parents are not teenagers – they make up just 3% The average age of a single parent is 34.

8. YearTotal Households One-PersonPercent 2000105,480,10127,230,07525.8 1999103,827,00026,606,00025.6 1998102,528,00026,327,00025.7 199598,990,00024,732,00025.0 199396,391,00023,642,00024.5 199091,947,41022,580,42024.6 198586,789,00020,602,00023.7 198080,776,00018,296,00022.7 197571,120,00013,939,00020.0 197063,401,00010,851,00017.1 196557,436,0008,631,00015.0 196052,799,0006,917,00013.1

9. Reconstituted Families. This is made up divorced or widowed people who have remarried and their dependent children. These are on the increase due to the rate of divorce. They are also unique in the fact that the children are likely to have close ties with the new family of both natural parents.

10. Gay Family This is where the adults are of the same gender. Due to new legislation, they will soon have similar rights to that of heterosexual couples. Increasing numbers of gay and lesbian couples are having children via surrogate mothers and artificial insemination.

11. Cultural Diversity There are differences between ethic backgrounds and religious beliefs as well. Research carried out in 2000 found that only 39% of British born Afro – Caribbean adults under the age of 60 are in a formal marriage. This is compared to 60% of white adults.

12. Cultural Diversity There is also a tradition in the Afro – Caribbean community of women living independently from their children’s father. This means that half of the Caribbean families with children are lone parent. The research in 2000 also found that Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities are most likely to live in nuclear families.

13. Cultural Diversity About 33% of Asian families – mainly Sikhs and East African Asians – live in extended families. The East African Asian extended families are likely to contain more than one generation, whilst Sikh families are organised around brothers and their wives and children.

14. Cultural Diversity Marriage in Asian families is mainly arranged and because of this, there is very little inter marriage between other religions or cultures. Relationships between Asian parents and their children are very different from white families. Children tend to respect religious and cultural traditions and they feel a strong sense of duty to their families, especially to their elders.

15. Conclusion There is no doubt that the nuclear family is still very common. However the increasing number of other family types, like single parent families, show a steady but slow move away from the nuclear ideal.

16. Sociology for AS-level – Stephen Moore, Steve Chapman, Dave Aiken. www.unmarriedamerica.org/CensusHouseholds