Chester (1985) and the neo-conventional family

Chester’s views on family diversity

• Rise of family diversity in recent years is neither significant or negative

• Important change: move from PNF (‘conventional family’) as dominant to the ‘neo-conventional family’

The conventional family

• Nuclear as described by the NR and Parsons (patriarchal)

The neo-conventional family

• Dual earning symmetrical family, similar to that described by Young and Wilmott

4 major changes in family patterns and diversity

• Very little, extent and importance has been exaggerated

• Most people still don’t choose to live in alt. family types long-term (e.g. lone parent)

• Nuclear family still seen as an ideal that most people aspire to and spend a major part of their lives in

  • Although people aren’t part of it at any one time, this is due to the lifecycle

    • E.g. single-person households could be elderly widows (were part of NF for many years before), divorced men (were part of a NF family) or young people who are yet to be married (will be part of a NF in the future)

• Statistics about households are misleading and don’t show this as are simply a snapshot

8 pieces of evidence of lack of major changes in family patterns

1. Most adults live in a household headed by a married couple

2. Most adults marry and have children

3. Most children are raised by their biological parents

4. Most marriages are ended by death, not divorce

5. Most divorced people remarry

6. Most cohabitants treat it as a pre-marital temp. stage

7. Most couples get married before they have children

8. Most births outside marriage are jointly registered and the parents bring the child up as a couple

Actual change to family patterns

• NF still dominant but now neo-conventional, not conventional (Parsons → Young and Wilmott)