Family Diversity-Changing Family Patterns

Official Social trends Statistics clearly show=variety=family types=increased=Britain since=mid 20th Century

The average size=households=getting smaller

Two=biggest increases=been=single persons households+lone-parent family households=explains why=average size=households=got smaller

Increase=proportion=families=reconstituted families. More step families=more divorce

Weeks,Donovan et al(1999) found=increase=number=gay/lesbian households since=1980's=due=changes=attitudes+legislation

Rise=number=people=cohabiting without marrying

Two overall patterns=increase=diversity=families=UK+Nuclear family=still=most common type=family,even though=proportions=nuclear families=going down

Organizational diversity= differences=way families=structured

Cultural diversity=differences=arise from=different norms+values=different cultures

Class diversity=different views=often held=different parts=society concerning families

life-course diversity=diversity caused=different stages people=reached=lives

Cohort diversity=diversity created=historical periods=family=lived through

Eversley+Bonnerjea(1982) found=middle class areas=UK=higher than average proportion=nuclear families

Inner-city working class areas=more likely=have=higher proportion=lone-parent households

lesbian+ Gay families=hidden=statistics.Official definition=couple=only included same-sex couples since 1998

Study=ethnic minorities=Modood et al(1997) found:White+Afro-Caribbean=most likely=divorced.Indians,Pakistanis,Bangladeshis+African Asians=most likely=married

Afro-Caribbean households=most likely=single parent families

South Asian Families=traditionally extended families=more nuclear families than=past

Extended Kinship links stay strong+often reach back=India,Pakistan+Bangladesh

2001=lowest number=marriages took place=UK since records began

Over=same period=time=increase=number=adults living=partner

Social tend statistics show=living=partner doesn't mean you won't get married.Third=people=cohabitation=partner went on=marry them

Majority=people=UK do marry+proportion=married at any one time=fallen

Men tend=die before women.Elderly widows make up=lot=single-persons households 

Steady rise=divorce rates=modern industrial societies

Divorce rates=number=people per 1000=married population=divorced per year

Actual divorce rates= UK rose=25.000=1961-146,000=1997

Proportion=population=divorced=any one time=1%=1971+9%=2000

Average length=marriage=ends=divorce=remained=same-12 years-1963,11 years-2000

Although divorce rate=increasing,divorced people=marrying again

Several social,political+cultural factors=explaining why divorce=increasing=UK:

Divorce=easier=obtain+more socially acceptable

Women=higher expectations=marriage+better employment opportunities=make then less financially dependent=husbands

Marriages=increasingly focused=individual emotional fulfillment