postmodernism & family diversity

what does Cheal say about postmodernism & family diversity?

society has entered a new chaotic postmodern stage and there is no longer a single dominant stable family structure

what does Stacey say about postmodern families?

greater freedom & choice has enabled women to free themselves from patriarchal oppression and shape their family structures to meet their needs

what did Stacey find?

women in California often created new family types to better suit their needs e.g., divorce-extended family

what does Morgan argue about postmodern families?

its pointless to try and make large scale generalisations about the family

who came up with the individualisation thesis?

Giddens

what is the individualisation thesis?

traditional social structures have lost much of their influence and individuals have less fixed roles to follow

what does Beck say about the individualisation thesis?

the standard biography that people followed in the past has been replaced by the DIY biography that individuals construct for themselves

what is a life course analysis?

using in-depth, unstructured interviews to explore meanings that individual family members give to relationships and choices they make at various points in their lives

why have the family and marriage been transformed according to Giddens?

• contraception allowed sex & intimacy rather than reproduction

• women gained independence and greater opps in education and work

what is the pure relationship?

a relationship that exists solely to satisfy each partner’s needs

how does the pure relationship create family diversity?

• more lone-parent families

• one person households

• reconstituted families

what does Giddens see as leading the way towards more equal relationships and democratic relationships?

same-sex relationships

why are same-sex relationships more diverse?

they are not influenced by tradition the way that heterosexual couples are

what did Weston find about same-sex couples?

created supportive families of choice among friends, former loves & biological kin

what did Weeks find about same-sex couples?

friendship networks functioned as kinship networks for gay men and lesbians

what do we now live in according to Beck?

risk society

what does Beck say the patriarchal family was undermined by?

• greater gender equality

• greater individualism

who came up with the negotiated family?

Beck & Beck-Gernsheim

what is the negotiated family?

does not conform to the traditional family norm but varies according to the wishes & expectations of their members who decide what is best for themselves by negotiation

what is the zombie family?

a family that appears to be alive but in reality is dead as it is too unstable to provide a safe haven for its members