perspectives of family diversity

giddens

• romantic love

• plastic sexuality

• reflexivity

• confluent love

• pure relationship

giddens - romantic love

marriage used to be very formal arrangements which required the woman to remain a virgin and monogamy was then maintained for life before modernity

giddens - plastic sexuality

sex is now for the purpose of gratification rather than to have children (recreational). as a result virginity is no longer expected or prized.

giddens - reflexivity

the process in which individuals reflect on previous experiences and imagine outcomes of possible choices in order to make decisions. reflexivity is being used in relationships, we now think in self-interest - explaining the move from romantic love to plastic sexuality.

giddens - confluent love

relationships are now contingent on meeting certain expectations (love, sex, loyalty etc) , partners understand if they aren't met the relationship will end.

giddens - pure relationship

an equal and mutually satisfying arrangement which meets the demand's of one's self-identity. confluent love is caused by the desire for this relationship. it's part of the 'project of self'

giddens - reflexive project of self

individuals are able to craft and revise their own identities - our identities are a constantly evolving and adapting project.

beck and beck-gernsheim

• risk

• individualisation thesis

• negotiated family

beck and beck-gernsheim - risk

relationships are now very vulnerable and prone to coming to an end

beck and beck-gernsheim - individualisation thesis

relationships are now a matter of individual choice

beck and beck-gernsheim - negotiated family

families that are continually being reorganised/restructured and often abandoned with new arrangements being sought.

(postmodernist) stacey

divorce-extended family

(postmodernist) stacey - divorce-extended family

families with a complicated structure - consisting of children, step-children, grandchildren and even step-grandchildren from previous marriages and relationships. this is due to divorce and feminism

Pam and Dotty

case study of 2 women in america who got married in the 1960s to w/c men. both were unhappy married, inspired by feminism, divorced. both tried a number of relationships. dotty took back her abusive husband only when she could control the relationship (when he was sick). pam remarried in a non-traditional, non-patriarchal arrangement. ended up in complicated households with numerous children, stepchildren, grandchildren and stepgrandchildren.

(personal life perspective) smart

connectedness thesis

(personal life perspective) smart - connectedness thesis

individuals have immensely strong attachments to loved ones and are so embedded in personal lives that include a network of parents, siblings, children, friends and wider relatives. these relationships are strong due to memories, sexual/emotional attachment and lived experiences.

(personal life perspective) budgeon

criticisms of the individualisation thesis

(personal life perspective) budgeon - criticisms of the individualisation thesis

argues that gidden's is a neoliberal view that falsely claims we live in an age of freedom and choice. many have cultural, social and family pressures to conform to. e.g women and the working class are subject to patriarchy and capitalism.

finch and may

criticism of negotiated family

finch and may - criticism of negotiated family

argues that negotiated family ignores the extent that families are often unequal and patriarchal with an adult male dictating roles and arrangements. yearnshire's research supports this as it shows how hard it is for women to even report abuse let alone walk away from a marriage and a family.

(new right) morgan

criticism of alternative families/families of choice

(new right) morgan - criticism of alternative families/families of choice

argues that these choices are disruptive for children and result on them lacking a male role model.