FAMILIES & HOUSEHOLDS - POSTMODERNIST VIEW OF THE FAMILY

STARTER - What does CLOGS stand for?

C - cultural

L - life cycle

O - organizational

G - generational

S - social class

What is modernity, postmodernity and late modernity?

Modernity - era of industrial society

Postmodernity - condition of globalized media-saturated society (completely changed)

Late modernity - advanced stage of modern society

What is the modernist view of the family?

A structural top down view of the family

They believe that the family shapes the behavior of its members - they perform the functions society requires

What is the postmodernists view of the family?

They reject the main assumption made by functionalists and Marxists ok the structure of society

What do postmodernists believe the postmodern era consist of?

Individualism and insecurity

What does the greater sense of individualism and insecurity mean?

Individualism - in the modernist age, it was easy to identity peoples social class and wealth etc

But in modern day it has become harder due to individualism

And with individualism, comes more insecurities as people can now choose how they wish to dress and indentify

Examples of tradition in the modern era

People would be married in heterosexual coupes and have the same job for their whole life

Life was predictable

What year do sociologists believe we moved into a postmodern era?

1960s and 1970s

What do postmodernist describe society as? Why?

Fragmented - individuals are less connected to the norms and values of the past

The idea of working together for a greater good suggested by functionalists has been replaced by what? (Postmodernists)

Individualism

What are there now broader groups of?

Ethnic groups are broader - For example Asian-British or Black-British where these groups have their own distinctive culture

What factors do you think caused this change over time?

• Shakespeare (men were women in plays) - 16th/17th century

• Rich bourgeoise men - dresses

• Popular culture (actors/artists) - 1960/1970s

• The rise of social media - 2015

• COVID - 2020

Do postmodernist believe there are multiple family types?

There is no longer 1 single dominant stable structure - such as the nuclear family

Family strives have become fragmented as individuals have the freedom and choice

What is an advantage of postmodernism?

They have greater freedom to plot their own life course

What is a disadvantage of postmodernism?

Due to greater freedom in choice of relationships, leads to greater risk of instability as the relationships are more likely to end

What are the 7 ways that postmodernist has changed the family? (The first 4)

1. The rise of consumer culture and individual choice - choose what goods to buy and what relationships to be in

2. Technological changes and media saturation - online dating sites

3. Changes to work - work is more pressure so less time for relationships

4. Changing gender norms - LGBTQ+

What are the 7 ways that postmodernist has changed the family? (The last 3)

5. The decline of religion - securalusation - less social pressure to get married higher rates of divorce

6. Globalization - ethically mixed marriages are more common

7. Rapid social change, risk and uncertainty - instability in society affects relationships

How have dating sites led to a rise in serial monogamy?

• more choice makes it easier to cheat

• creates more secrecy

• creates a disconnection to reality

• value of the relationships decreases

• people can share false information

• an ego boost

• “window shopping”

What is globalization?

The interconnectedness of societies throughout the world

• country without boarders

• advancements in tech, travel, trade, communication

To summarize, postmodernism is based on the idea that there is more individual choice, leading to more diversity, and different family types

These include?

• more people staying single

• more short term serial monogamy

• more cohabitation than marriage

• more people regarding friends as part of their families

• more ethnic diversity in families

• changing gender norms - increase in LGBTQ+

• higher rates of divorce - more single parent families and stepfamilies

What family type did Judith Stacey come up with?

The divorce - extended family

Did she find that women or men were the driving force behind family changes?

• women have more freedom to shape their family

• women are the driving force behind changes in the family

She also said that women rejected the traditional housewife role and had chosen extremely varied life paths

What was the family type that Tamara Harevan came up with?

Life course analysis

What does this mean?

Sociologists should be concerned with focusing on individual family members and the choice that they make throughout life regarding family arrangements

What does these choice consist of?

• when they decide to raise children

• choosing sexuality

• moving into sheltered accommodation at an old age

What important changes can happen in a persons life?

• moving house

• getting married

• death

• employment

• moving out

• illness

• having children

• life changing accident

Who are the 2 late modernists?

Anthony Giddens

Urlich Beck

What are some criticism of latemodern views of the family?

• even though people have more freedom, there is still a structure

• postmodernists over empathise the amount of choice people have when it comes to relationships

• most people want to be in a stable long term relationship but the social pressure of later modern life makes this impossible

• feminist disagree with them - traditional gender roles which disadvantage women

What is Giddens and Becks thesis called?

The individualization theisis

How did they come up with this?

Explores the effects of increasing individual choice upon families and relationships

What does this thesis argue?

That traditional social structured such as glass, gender and family have lost their influence over it

They say peoples lives were defined by fixed roles that prevented them from choosing their own life course

According to individualization thesis, we have become what?

Freed or disembedded from traditional structure leaving us with more freedom to choose how we lead our lives

What does disembedding mean?

We no longer need face to face interactions to maintain relationships with others

• emails, messaging, eBay

Beck states that the "standard biography" of life course that people followed in the past has been replaced by what?

"Do it yourself biography" - this means there are no specific paths or jobs for men and women etc

What does Giddens call the perfect relationship?

The 'pure relationship'

This relationships are no longer bound by traditional norms

How can this relationship survive?

As long as both partners feel it is in their own interests to do so

Couples stay together because of love not because of tradition

So can be ended by either partner due to it being a permanent commitment

What circumstances could lead to a pure relationship ending?

• cheating

• change

• death

• loss of love

• children

• not meeting expectations

• lying

• abuse

• different paths in life

What does Giddens see same sex relationships as?

Leading the way towards new family types and creating more democratic and equal relationships

Why is this?

Giddens view that is because same sex relationships are not influenced by tradition as heterosexual ones are

What did Westin find about the support in terms of 'families of choice' for same sex couples?

Creates more support from friends, former lover and relatives

What type of society does Beck think we live in?

A risk society

What does this mean?

Risks are now man made (technological, manufactured), and in the past most dangers were natural (earthquakes, droughts)

Other examples of risks?

• threat of war

• climate change

• technology

• crime

So due to life being predictable in the past, what was expected of people?

People were expected to marry for life

Men - breadwinners, disciplinarian, financial decisions

Women - looked after the house, provided care

The patriarchal family has been undermined by how much trends?

2

What was the first trend called and what did this mean?

Greater Gender Equality

This has challenged male dominance in all parts of life- women now expect equality both at work and in marriage

What was the second trend called and what did this mean?

Greater Individualism

Peoples actions are influenced more by calculations of their own self interests than by a sense of obligation to others

What do Urlich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Grensheim call this new family that do not conform to the traditional family norms?

"Negotiated family"

What is the perspective called influenced by Interactionist ideas?

The personal life perspective

What does this perspective argue?

They argue that to understand families, we most look at the family through the eyes of an individual in that family - put ourselves in their shoes

What approach does this perspective take?

A bottom up interpretivist approach

What does the personal life perspective look beyond?

The traditional family relationships based on blood or marriage ties

Why may some people feel inclined to help out friends rather than family?

• friends are chosen

• friends may understand you better

• may live with your friends

• family become dependent

• families take you for granted

• families appreciate your more

What are different types of relationships?

• relationships with friends

• fictive kin - close friends to treat as family (auntie, not related)

• gay and lesbian chosen families - supportive network

• relationships with dead relatives

• relationships with pets

• clients/patients

• neighours

• colleagues

• internet families

• maids/cleaners

What do some people feel are more important than genetic bonds?

Social relationships

What is another situation where you may not be completely related, but they class as family?

Donor conceived children

Evaluations of personal life perspectives?

• helps us to understand how people construct and define their family rather than being based off genes

• could be taking too much of a broad view - ignores families based on blood or marriage

Unlike functionalists, what do the personal life perspective recognize?

That being related is not always positive

• abusive or unhappy relationships