PARENTS AND CHILDREN

increase in SPFs

• SPFs make up 22% of all families & 1in 4 children live in an SPF.

• Over 90% of these families are headed by women. 

Increase in Divorce & Separationeasier to leave unhappy marriages. Consequently, the increase in family breakdown led to the increase in SPFs.

Decline in Stigma of Births Outside Marriage

1. The Welfare State

The New Right sees the growth of lone-parent families as resulting from an over generous welfare state which provides benefits for unmarried mothers and their children

Murray 1984 dependency culture

Immigration

Immigration to Britain since the 1950s has helped to create greater levels of family diversity. Black Caribbean and Black African people have a higher proportion of lone-parent households, with approximately 50% of families being headed by a lone mother. 

reconstituated famailes

Reconstituted families account for over 10% of all families with dependent children in Britain.

In 85% of step-families, at least one child is from the woman’s previous relationship, while in 11%there is at least one child from the man’s previous relationship. In 4%of step-families there are children from both partners’ previous relationship.

decrease in extended families tech

With the increase in communication technology, such as telephones, email, Skype, etc, as well as the fact we are more easily connected through transport links and it is far easier to maintain relationships with extended family members without having to live in the same house.

Wilmott (1988) argued that the extended family continues to exist, but as what he calls a ‘dispersed extended family’. This is where extended kin live further away but close links and support are maintained through communication technology

increased life expectancy

With people living longer, there has emerged a new type of extended family which is referred to as the

’beanpole family

This is a result of people living longer resulting in an increased number of generations in one family, but also due to smaller family sizes

Obligation to relatives extended family

Despite an overall decline in the number of people living with their extended kin, people still feel a sense of obligation to help and support extended family members.

Finch & Mason(1993) found that over 90% of people had given or received financial help from wider kin, and about half had cared for a sick relative.