Postmodernism& family diversity

what do postmodernists say about family structures?

we no longer have predictable, orderly structures like the nuclear family - we are now in a new, chaotic postmodern phase without a dominant family type

what does this mean for individuals?

they have more choice in lifestyle, relationships and family arrangements - this goes much further than what Rapoports say

what do they say about the 2 key characteristics of postmodern society?

• Diversity and Fragmentation

• Rapid Social Change

explain Diversity and Fragmentation?

society has a lot of subcultures and people can ‘pick and mix’ identity/lifestyle -e.g. sexual orientation more freely expressed

explain rapid social change?

new technology/media has accelerated pace of change and made life less predictable- e.g. families have become less stable but individuals have more choice about relationships/ families

what is the summary of the postmodernist argument then?

They say we not cannot generalise about family life in the way modernist sociologists have

what does Stacey say on this?

freedom and choice has mainly benefitted women - free selves from patriarchal oppression and shape family to meet needs

what research did she do?

used life interviews to conduct case studies of postmoder families - found women and main agents of change (e.g. rejecting traditional expressive role, returning to education as adults, divorcing and re-marrying)

what new family structure does she think we have?

the divorce-extended family - members connected by divorce rather than marriage and key members usually female - e.g. former in-laws, man’s ex-wife and new partner

what does she think this illustrates?

diversity of postmodern families and how their shape depends on choices - e.g. choices about whether to divorce, cohabit, come out etc.

what is a method to investigate how people create their own diverse family lives/ practices and who came up with it?

Life Course Analysis

Hareven

what does it involve?

the use of in-depth, unstructured interviews to explore meanings individuals assign to relationships and choices (e.g. the choice to have a baby)

what are the 2 major strengths of the LCA?

1. Looks at meanings assigned by individuals to their lives, relationships and choices

2. Suitable for late/postmodern families where there is lots of choice and diverse family structures to be explored

what is is called when postmodernist ideas have been applied to understanding family life?

The individualisation thesis

Beck & Giddens

what does it say?

traditional social structures (e.g. class, gender, family) have lost influence over us. In the past, lives were defined by roles that stopped people choosing own life course – e.g. everyone expected to marry and take up traditional gender role

what does it say we’ve now become?

‘disembedded’ (freed) from these structures/roles so we have freedom about how to lead lives

what life course replaced what?

the ‘Standard biography’ (life course) replaced by the ‘do-it-yourself biography’ that individuals ‘write’ themselves

what does Giddens say about choice and equality?

Family/marriage have been transformed in recent decades by more choice/equality between men and women

what are the 2 reasons Giddens says this transformation has happened because of?

a) Contraception has made sex about intimacy as well as just reproduction

b) Women have gained independence due to feminism

how has family changed from historically does she say?

Historically, family relationships held together by external factors (e.g. laws, stigma) but now couples can define own relationships rather than acting out roles defined by law/tradition – e.g. having children before marriage, readily accessing divorce

whats the pure relationship?

based on choice/equality and not held together by law, religion, social norms or children but by love, happiness and sexual attraction

what is the key feature of the pure relationship?

they satisfy both partner’s needs

what do relationships then become like?

a ‘rolling contract’ that can be ended at any time by either partner – unlike traditional marriages seen as a permanent commitment

what does this lead to?

family diversity – e.g. single-parent families, one person households, reconstituted families

explain same-sex couples in postmodern society?

seen as ‘leading way’ to new family types with more democratic, equal relationships

why do they have more freedom?

Same-sex relationships not influenced to same extent by tradition (despite being stigmatised and criminalised) – allows them to be built on choice and negotiation rather than traditional heteronormative gender roles

who says we live is a risk society?

Beck

what does this mean?

tradition has lost influence and people are aware of risks – choices involve calculation of risks and rewards from different options available

how does Beck think the patriarchal nuclear family has been undermined? (2)

1. Greater gender equality in all spheres (public and private)

2. Greater individualism (actions more to do with self-interest than sense of obligation to others)

what does Beck say replaced the patriarchal nuclear family?

negotiated family – does not conform to traditional family norms but varies to meet wishes of members

what does he say about the negotiated family?

the negotiated family are more equal but less stable than patriarchal nuclear family – people free to leave if needs not being met

the negotiated family creates family diversity – single parents, one-person households, remarriages etc.

what other family type does Beck talk about? explain it?

Zombie family

in uncertain risk societies, people turn to family for security but family relationships are uncertain too so cannot provide this

Beck describes family as a ‘zombie category’ as they appear to be alive but in reality are dead

what dies the PLP say on family diversity?

they agree there is now more family diversity but criticise the individualisation thesis (IT) for exaggerating how much choice people actually have about family relationships

how do they criticise Beck and Giddens?

they say their view of ‘the individual’ is based on a white, middle-class man with privilege to exercise choice most people do not have

what do they put forwards instead then?

the connectedness thesis

what is this?

suggests we are not isolated individuals with limitless choice but social beings who make choices in a ‘web of connectedness’

what does PLP say on the power of structures?

Class, gender, age and ethnicity limit choices about relationships, identities and families we can create for ourselves

what do they continue about these structures?

says structures that once controlled our lives/affected our choices (e.g. traditional norms, class, gender) are not disappearing but being re-shaped – e.g. women have gained important rights around divorce, employment etc. but do not ‘have it all’

so overall, what are they saying?

PLP suggests a trend towards choice/diversity but structural factors (e.g. patriarchy, class inequality) continue to restrict choices and shape family lives