Ethnic differences in family patterns

• black Caribbeans and black Africans have a higher proportion of lone parent families

• over half of families with dependent children headed by a black person were lone parent families

• the rate of female headed lone parent black families has been seen as evidence of their disorganisation that can be traced back to slavery or high rates of unemployment among black males

• male unemployment and and poverty meant that men are less able to provide for their families which leads to higher rates of desertion or marital breakdown

• Mirza-higher rate of lone parent families among black people are not due to disorganisation but reflects the high value that black women on independence

• Reynolds-statistics are misleading as in many lone parents are stable and supportive but are in non-cohabiting relationships

• Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian households tend to be bigger (4.4, 4.3 and 3 people per household compared to 2.4 for black caribbean and white english)

• larger families due to younger profile of british asians since a higher proportion are in childbearing age groups with the population

• larger asian household reflect the value on the extended family I asian cultures

• Bollar-the extended family is a source of support among asian migrants during the 1950s and 1960s

• in early period of migration houses were often shared by extended families by later most were nuclear with extended family living nearby
  --> kinship networks continued to be a source of support

• sikhs, muslims and hindus are still more likely to live in extended families

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