Parents and Children

Outside

47% of all children are now born \--- of marriage (double that of 1986)
- This is due to a decline in stigma and increase in cohabitation

Later

Women are having children \--- - the average age to have a first child is now 28.1 years
- This is due to having more options in life available to them (not just motherhood)

Fewer

Women are now having \--- children. In 1964 the average number of children per woman was 2.95, compared to 1.63 in 2001
- This is due to having more options in life available to them (not just motherhood)

Childless

More women remain this (no birth)
- This is due to having more options in life available to them (not just motherhood)

Lone parent families

Makes up 22% of families with children
- 91% are headed by women
- 1 in 4 children live in one
- Children living with a lone parent is twice as likely to be in poverty

Separation

This and divorce has contributed to the rise of lone parent families and step-families

Stigma

The decline in this attached to having children outside of marriage has contributed to the rise of lone parent families

Female-headed

Lone-parent families lend to be this because:
- The widespread belief that women are naturally suited to an expressive/nurturing role
- Divorce courts usually give them custody
- Men may be less willing to give up work to care for their children
- They are single through choice

Perverse incentive

CHARLES MURRAY
- Sees the growth of lone-parent families as stemming rom an over-generous welfare state that creates this; rewarding irresponsible behaviour (e.g., having children without being able to provide for them)

Dependency culture

CHARLES MURRAY
Culture of individuals who rely on government welfare subsidies to support them and their children rather than working for pay

Abolish

CHARLES MURRAY argues that in order to end peverse incentives and the dependency culture, the state should \--- welfare benefits.

Stepfamilies

(I can't be bothered writing these separately. soz)
- Makes up 10% of all families with dependent children in Britain
- In 85% of these, at least one child is from the woman's previous relationship (11% from man's, 4% from both)
- Ferri and Smith (1998) found that these are at greater risk of poverty (because there are often more children, and the stepfather may have to support children from a previous relationship)
- They tend to face a lot of tension (maybe due to a lack of clear social norms regarding them)