Families and households- mock revision

1942- Beveridge Report- led to NHS and implementation of welfare state, meant that the pooerest in soc. had support

1969 Divorce Reform Act- meant couples could divorce due to marital breakdown w/o finding fault

1975 Sex Discirmination Act- illegal to discriminate on grounds of sex

1970- Equal Pay Act- men and women given the same amount of pay

1991- **** within marriage made illegal 

2004 Civil Partenership Act- Gay couples given the same rights as heterosexual married couples

2014 Same Sex Marriage Act

Child Support Agency (CSA) 1991- attempt to make fathers pay maintenance for their children (To discourage men from having children outside marriage/ divorced)

Many benefits cut to encourag efathers to go out and provide

Privatisation of healthcare for elderly- falling burden on family (mainly women)

Failed to make childcare free/cost less- forcing women to stay home and take on expressie role

Criticism-

Each reform seemed to undermine a womans position in soc. by reinforcing gender roles

Policies seem to blame single-parent families for breakdown in soc.

More maternity pay and leave, introduced paternity leave 

Free childcare for 2 1/2 yr olds- easier for women to return to work

The New Deal 1998- helped parents enter paid work, training or education.

Winter fuel for elderly- reducing potential for illness

Evaluation-

Accused of being Nanny State

Overly generous, make people dependent on welfare state + Gov.

Link-New Right underclass Murray

Nuclear family- Favoured by funct., NR.

Traditional gender roles, mother + father married with children.

(2013) 18.2 million families w/ married coupels

Cohabitation- 

Partners live together but unmarried, w/ or w/o children

Make up 2.9 million households (2013)

Stutchberry + Wilson- found they aren't as stable as married couples, but only due to social class.

NR this type of family contributes toi breakdown of nuclear family.

Reconstitued Family Increased w/ divorce (39% from 2003-2013) 

Extended Family- Nuclear fam, w/ addition of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc

Common amongst ehnic groups (Such as Indian or Eastern European)

Beanpole Family- Developed by Brannen

Multi-gen family w/ few children + grandparents play important role

Brannen concerned w/ lack of siblings in childhood 

Single-Parent Families- One parent looking after children

Grown over 40 yrs

Same-Sex families-

5-7% of households

Dunne- there is an absence of gender scripts

Living Apart Together- couples working in different locations

Choice: maintaining independence while at the same time being in a relationship

Migration: one partner works abroad

Globalisation: people work in different countries

Single Parent Households

29% of households

Product of divorce (mainly men), may be in relationships or co-parent

Feminists- positive for women as they are independent from men

Considerd as Interpretivivist in its apporach

2013- 

Identifys increase in family diversity due to change in attitudes, fluidity and CHOICE

Modern sociological pers. dont apply as we're now in a postmod. soc.

Beck- Risk soc.

W/ greater choice comes greater instability in the family. See in increase in dovorce rates

Stacey- Postmod. Feminist women have more choice and benefit from this due to increase in choice

Giddens- Soc. is more individualistic and expect emotionl fulfilment from relationships

Confluent Love

Postmod's argue globalistation and migration has impacted the family (LAT families and Multicultural marriages)

Criticisms-

Ignore impact of social class and gender has on the family

Don't offer solutions to problems in the family such as domestic abuse or poverty