Families and Households

Individualization thesis

The concept that individuals have greater free will in making family choices in late modernity.

Liquid love

Bauman's idea that relationships in late modernity are fragile and often based on consumerist transactions.

Negotiated family

A term used by Beck to describe relationships where the terms are not fixed but negotiated between partners.

Living Apart Together (LAT)

A type of relationship where partners are in a romantic relationship but do not live together or are not married.

Divorce extended family

A term used by Stacey to describe the support networks that divorced individuals create with friends and former partners.

Postmodern family diversity

The increased variety of family types and structures due to greater acceptance of different lifestyles and relationships.

Insecurity in relationships

A characteristic of late modern relationships where emotional security is often compromised by social changes and individual values.

Critique of Individualization thesis

The argument that not everyone has complete free will and that social structures can strongly influence family choices.

Globalization's impact on family structure

The way in which global migration patterns and career movements affect traditional relationship dynamics.

Stacey's study significance

Stacey's research highlights how relationships among divorced women adapt and form new family-like support systems.