Families & Households - Case Study: Ethnic Minority Families

What particular family type is most common among Black Caribbean and Black-African people?

In England and Wales, they a higher proportion of lone-parent households. In 2012, over half of families with dependent children headed by a black person were lone-parent families.

What did Mirza (1997) argue why lone-parent families is higher among Black people?

She argued it reflects the high value that black women placed place on independence. African-Caribbean women are more likely to be employed than African-Caribbean men. It is possible that pregnant black women rationally weigh up the cost and benefits of living with the fathers of their children and conclude that black men are unreliable as a source of family income and are potentially a financial burden.

What did Berthoud (2003) suggest that the attitude of young Caribbean women was?

It is one of 'individualism' - they choose to live independently.

What did Chambelain & Goulbourne's (1997) study of African Carribbean mothers in Leeds suggest?

It is often supported by an extended kinship network when bringing up children. Interestingly, African Caribbean definitions of kinship often extend to 'fictive kin' (i.e. fictional/made up family), including family friends and neighbours as 'aunts' and 'uncles'.

What the research by Platt (2009) indicate about African-Caribbean people?

They are more likely than any other ethnic group to intermarry with members of another ethnic groups, especially white people. The number of mixed-race or dual-heritage partnerships mean s that only a minority of African Caribbean men and women are actually married to fellow African Caribbean people and only one-quarter of African Caribbean children live with two black parents. Some sociologists that these types of families have their own unique problems, such as facing prejudice and discrimination from both White and Black communities.

What particular family type is common among Asian families?

Bangladeshi (4.4 average persons), Pakistani (4.3) & Indian (3.0) households tend to be larger than those of other ethnic groups. They sometimes contain three generations, but most are nuclear. Larger household sizes are partly a result of the younger age profile of British Asians, since a higher proportion are in the childbearing age groups compared with the population as a whole. They also have a low divorce rate, a higher number of children, and individuals marry at an earlier age.

Why is it common to reflect the value on the extended families in Asian cultures?

It was important for practical considerations, such as the need for assistance when migrating to Britain. Ballard (1982) found that extended family ties provided an important source of support among Asian migrants during the 1950s and 1960s/ In this early period, houses were often shared by extended families. Although, most Asian households were now nuclear, relative often lived nearby.

What are more likely among Muslim, Sikhs and Hindus with extended families.

They are more likely than any other ethnic or religious groups to live in extended family units. A distinctive feature of South Asian families is that elderly men and women commonly live with one of their sons. But most young families do not live in the same house as their paternal grandparents - because they may be dead, living in the country of origin or living with another member of their family.

What did Lievesley (2013) note about Asian extended families?

He noted that extended families containly eldlerly relatives are much more likely in British Asian communities e.g. the 2011 Census shows that 42% of Asian men and 68% of Asian women aged 85 and over lived in multi-generational extended households, compared with only 12% of white men and 19% of white men in the same-age group.

What are Arranged Marriage?

A marriage planned by and agreed by the families or guardian. The families looks for a 'good match' and the prospective bride and groom must be constant to the marriage. It is practiced by a significant majority of Asian people (as well as Orthodox Jews) still practice arranged marriages.

What did Robert Epstein (2011) suggest in his research about arranged marriages?

He concluded that arranged marriages tend to be more stable as time goes on, while love marriages are more likely to deteriorate. He found that those in arranged marriages tended to feel more in love the longer they spent together, whilst those in love marriages felt less in love over time.

How did Epstein compare arranged marriages with love marriages?

He claimed that arranged marriages are generally more successful than love marriages, because those who arrange such marriages carefully check for compatibility in terms of beliefs, values, interests, and goals (not that dissimilar to internet dating). With love marriages, he argued that those who marry for love are blinded by passion and lust, and consequently fail to think seriously about issues of compatiblity.

How does Epstein compare the divorce between arranged marriages and love marriages?

Love marriages are less likely to consult extended kin for advice and more likely to believe that relationship problems mean their romantic dreams and marriage have come to an end. Whilst divorce rates for British Asians are lower than other ethnic groups, there has been a dramatic rates are lower than any lower than other ethnic groups, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of British Asian divorcing over the last few years.

What are a forced marriages?

A forced marriage is one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage.

How do the government respond to Forced Marriages?

The Government set up a Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) in 2005. In 2019, the FMU gave advice or support in 1,355 cases related to a possible forced marriage. Between 2011 and 2018, the FMU provided advice and support in an average of 1,359 cases per year.

What are the actual extent of forced marriages in the UK?

The actual figure could be as much as 8,000, but victims are reluctant to come forward because they at the authorities.

Why might forced marriage victims be reluctant to come fowards?

They may be reluctant to bring shame upon themselves or thier families by not fulfilling what they see as a family duty, and they may be fearful of their consequences - failure to obey may result in 'honour crimes' such as abduction, acid attacks, mutilation and even murder.