T6; FAMILY DIVERSITY - MODERNISM + THE NUCLEAR FAMILY

What have perspectives like functionalism + NR been described as?

• modernist

What does modernist mean?

• see society as fairly fixed, clear-cut + predictable structure

What do modernist func + NR believe the best type of family is?

• one best; nuclear family that slots into clear/modernist society helping maintain via performing essential functions

FUNCTIONALISM - What does PARSONS say about the relationship between a nuclear family + society? How does the family meet society’s needs? (workforce + 2 functions) Why does this mean they are able to generalise a type of family? In turn, how do they view other types of families?

• there’s a functional fit

• meets needs via geographically + socially mobile workforce and performing the 2 ‘irreducible’ functions, therefore able to generalise a type of family to find in mod society - NUCLEAR W/ TRAD DOL:

  • primary socialisation of the child

  • stabilisation of the adult personalities

• therefore, other types of family = abnormal, dysfunctional + deviant because less able to perform functions

What is the NR persp on family? What do they believe similar to functionalists? How does liberal feminist OAKLY critic this?

• conservative + anti-feminist, oppose family diversity

• Like functionalists, believe one correct type of family: Trad/conventional patriarchal nuclear family w/ married couple + dependant children, clear-cut trad DOL

  • See this family = natural + based on biology

    • wrongly assume biological, cross-cult studies show great variation in roles

How do feminists criticise NR correct family?

• conventional = pref by NR because = patriarchal + oppressive, fundamental cause of gender inequality

  • prevents women from working → financially dependent → denies equal say in decision-making

What do NR believe family is the cornerstone of? How does liberal feminist OAKLY critic this?

• of society; a place of refuge, commitment + harmony

• NR view = reactionary, against feminist campaigns for equality

What family diversity do NR oppose? What do they argue it causes?

• cohab, gay, lone

• argue decline of nuclear trad fam + diversity → social problems

What type of family are NR particularly concerned with? Why and give 3 specific arguments to support? Criticism?

• Lone-parent

• Harmful to children; argues that:

  • can’t disiplince children

  • leave boys w/o role model → edu failure, delinquency + social instability (LIKE MOHIYANN’S ideas in Edu)

  • family more likely to be poor → burden on welfare state + taxpayers

• CRITIC - no evidence of higher delinquency

What do the NR believe is the main cause of lone-parent households?

• collapse of the relationship between cohabiting couples

What did BENSON analyse to highlight how marriages are more stable? Why is this important? How are marriages more stable? CRITIC - S____? , criticism - diversity of cohab?

• analysed data of parents w/ babies:

  • found in 1st 3yrs of babies life, the rate of breakdown = higher in (20%) cohab vs (6%) married

• provide stable environment to bring up children in

• requires deliberate binding commitment

• CRITIC - SMART; poverty cause of breakdown in cohab rather than choice not to marry

• CRITIC - NR belief of lack of commitment = challenged, cohab can be temp phase

What is the evidence to supp view that family + society are broken? What do they argue we need to do to prevent social disinterg + damage to children? What do they argue undermines the conventional family? In turn, what does BENSON believe the government should do?

• rise of cohab → allows partners to avoid commitment + responsibility → broken

  • argue return to trad values e.g marriage → prevent social disinterg + damage to children

  • regard laws + policies e.g easy access to divorce, gay marriage + welfare benefits = undermine the conventional family

• BENSON therefore args. gov = encourage couples to marry via policies to supp marriage

Who outlines the idea of NEO-CONVENTIONAL families?

CHESTER

What does CHESTER regard family diversity as? What does he consider the most significant and only change?

• recognises the increase but doesn’t regard it as negative

• move from dominance of trad/conventional nuclear family → neo-conventional family, no other major change

What is a neo-conventional family and what it similar to?

• dual earner family similar to the symmetrical family as posed by WILLMOTT + YOUNG

What do most people still aspire to have and why according to CHESTER?

• Nuclear family

• alternatives = not long-term

why does CHESTER believe statistics on household compositions are wrong?

• not being part of nuclear family at any one time = because of life-cycle mainly e.g many people in on-person households were once in nuclear families or will be in the future e.g widows, divorced, young

  • therefore just a snapshot of single moment in time

CHESTER’S view suggests little has changed, what continued patterns does he identify? In turn, what does he believe is exaggerated and what similar view does he hold with functionalists? What does he regard as the only difference now?

• most ppl = in household headed by married couple

• most adults = married + children w/ 2 natural parents

• most marriages = until death, most divorcee = re-marry

• cohab = increase, but phase, most = marry if have children

in turn, the extent + imp of family diversity = exaggerated, like func = see nuclear as also dom, only diff = shift to neo-conv

Who differs from CHESTER in regards to the importance of diversity? What do they argue?

• THE RAPOPORTS; central in importance in understanding family types today

  • diversity reflects higher freedom in choice + acceptance of diff cultures

What do the RAPOPORTS say that we have moved from the dominance of? In turn, what have families adapted to?

• traditional nuclear family to a range of different types

• pluralistic society (cultures = lifestyles = diverse)

what do the RAPOPORTS see diversity as?

• positive response to people’s different needs + wishes, not abnormal/deviant from assumed norm of a ‘proper’ nuclear family

what are the 5 types of family diversity recognised by the RAPOPORTS?

• Organisational diversity → differences in family role org e.g joint/seg conjugal role

• Cultural diversity → diff cult, religious etc = diff fam structure e.g higher % of black fem-headed lone fams, extended in hindu + asian households

• social class diversity → differences in structure due to income diffs

• life stage diversity → differ according to stage in life cycle e.g young recently married, couples w/ grown up children, widows living alone

• generational diversity → older/younger gens = diff attitudes + experiences therefore have diff attitudes of morality of divorce etc.