The Sociology of the Family Revision Session

The Life Course Most peoples life has 4 stages: Childhood where we are dependent on others and socialisation takes place Full time employment and adult responsibilities, marriage and family Children are grown up so have less responsibilities but may have to look after parents. Active and independent past own retirement. Old Age – dependent on others Generation: people born at approximately the same time.

Families and Households Household: The people who live in a dwelling (home). They may or may not be related. Family – the people you are related to. Main types of family: Nuclear Family: 2 parents and their children Extended family: Includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – a family is said to be extended if three or more generations live together Lone Parent Family: One parent and his or her dependent children

Other types Empty Nest Family: Originally a nuclear family, where the children have grown up and left home – “flown the nest”. Reconstituted Family/ Blended Family: A new family that has been created following a divorce and re-marriage, containing step-parents and step-children. There are different types of relationships between couples too: Monogamy: Being married to just one other person at a time. Serial Monogamy: Having several marriage partners one after the other (not at the same time).. Bigamy: Having more than one marriage partner at a time where it is a criminal offence. Polygamy: Having more than one marriage partner in cultures where it is allowed. Can be: Polygyny: Man be married to several wives Polyndry: Woman being married to several husbands (much rarer)

Family over time The family has changed over time: Pre-Industrial Family was nuclear as most people died before they became grandparents. Industrial Family (1750-1900) – tended to be extended as people were moving to the growing towns and cities where there was limited housing Today – Privatised nuclear families common – closeness between husband and wife, parents and children, weaker ties with extended family. But also Family Diversity The family tends to adapt to meet the needs of its members in that type of society. Family also varies according to social class.

Family Diversity In the past, 1 type of family was dominant in each time period – that type of family was so popular as it met the needs of that society the most effectively. Social changes have meant that there is no longer the typical family. These changes include: Family Breakdown Legal rights for cohabiting couples Legal rights for Gay couples (now they are able to get married) Multi-cultural nature of society (Afro-Caribbean families often Matrifocal – female dominated; Asian families may be extended)

Diversity within Families Not only have the types of families changed, but the roles people do in them have changed to. Rise in Lone-Mothers means that families are no longer patriarchal Some families have become Symmetrical (Young and Willmott) There are now house-husbands instead of men always being the breadwinner. In Blended families, there may also be issues of step-siblings and step-children, or children living in two homes. While the media may portray the nuclear family (Cereal Box Family) as most typical and many people live in a nuclear family at some point in their lives, there is so much diversity that it is very hard to talk about there just being one type of family in modern Britain

Is the family a good thing? No, it has a ‘Dark Side’ Domestic Violence Child Abuse Psychological Damage Exploitation of Women – ‘Double Burden’/‘Double Shift’ Yes, it provides: Socialisation Emotional Stability Financial Security Reproduction and Sexual Activities Identity Functionalists: See a Nuclear Family as essential in modern Britain for providing socialisation and a ‘warm bath’ (emotional Support) Feminists: See family as Patriarchal and harmful for women – They say this is why ¾ of divorces are initiated by women

Do Children Need 2 parents? YES According to functionalists, only a family with both parents would provide the right environment to successfully socialise children. Functionalists also argue that lone-parent families are dysfunctional (create problems) eg underachieving at school, more likely to misuse drugs/alcohol, more likely to be unemployed. As most lone-parent families are headed by mothers, boys miss out on a positive male role model, therefore they will not be able to become good fathers and husbands themselves. Children raised in lone-parent families are more likely to be scared of commitment and separate when they have children, carrying on the pattern. The New Right argue that Lone-Parent families become reliant on state benefits. This creates an underclass of people who do not want to work for a living. NO Lone-parent families can provide the right environment to raise children (financially stable and warm and loving). It is better for children to only live with one parent who loves them, than in an unhappy or abusive two-parent family Lots of children from two parent families can do badly at school or misuse substances etc, not just those from lone parent families. Many single mothers are ‘scapegoats’ (unfairly blamed) for society’s problems. The overwhelming majority of single parents did not become pregnant to live on state benefits – it was not deliberate at all. The opposing arguments are too moralising and out of touch with the realities of life today.

The Rise of Cohabitation Reasons for this include: Secularisation (decline in religious belief) Changing attitudes – living together before marriage no longer seen as wrong Increasing legal rights for cohabiting couples Marriage seen as very expensive REMEMBER: For many couples, cohabitation is only a temporary stage and tends to lead to marriage

The divorce rate has risen massively… Now 40% of marriages end on divorce. Reasons for this: Secularisation Changing social attitudes – divorce no longer seen as morally wrong Changing Laws – divorce easier and cheaper now Women’s increasing financial independence – no longer need a man for security People have high expectations Feminists also argue that women seek divorces now because they sick of being exploited in the family However, divorce rate is now slowing down – though this is likely to be connected to the fact that the marriage rate is also slowing down.

Does this mean the decline in marriage for good? The fact that divorce and cohabitation are rising and the marriage rate is decreasing suggests that marriage is a lot less important However, Many people still value marriage as the ideal Many people who divorce will eventually re-marry – they obviously don’t think it is a bad thing Cohabitation often seen as a trial marriage Changing relationships between husbands and wives shows that marriage is adapting to suit needs of modern Britain

Alternatives to the Family ‘Singlehood’ people who live on their own – often only a temporary phase Communes – group of people who live together and share property and family responsibilities (eg Kibbutz)