Modernism - Family Diversity - Revision Cards in A Level and IB Sociology

Modernism and Nuclear Family

Perspectives such as functionalists and new right have been described as 'modernist'.
This means tey see modern society as having a fairly fixed, clear-cut and predictable future.
They see one 'best' family type: the nuclear family.
Other family types are seen as abnormal, inadequate and devient because they are less able to perform the functions required of the family.

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The New Right have a conservative and anti-feminist perspective on the family.
They are firmly opposed to family diversity.
They see the nuclear family as 'natural' and based upon fundamental biological differences between men and women.
The family is the cornerstone of society seen as a place for refuge, contentment and harmony.
They aruge the decline of the nuclear family and the growth of family diversity are the causes of many social problems e.g. higher crime rates and educational failure.
Feminists disapprove as the view is based on the oppression of women and prevents them working.

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Lone-parent families are unnatural and harmful, especially to children.
Lone mothers cannot discipline their children and are a burden on the welfare state.
Boys don't have an adult male role model = high rates of delinquency and threatens social stability.
Disapprove of women going out to work, women should care for family, should be their 1st and only priority.
Marriage is the essential basis for a stable environment to bring up children. Cohabitation and divorce creates instability making it easier for adults to avoid commitment and responsibility which has a negative effect on children.

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In contrast to traditional family, Chester describes the neo-conventional family as a dual-earner family where both spouses go out to work.
Apart from this change, Chester doesn't see any other evidence of major change.
He argues most people are not choosing to live in alternatives to the nuclear family on a long-term basis.
He suggests we live in a life-cycle and that when we aren't part of a nuclear family its not choice however, we usually end up in a nuclear family.
Plus, the nuclear family is still something people aspire to and is the ideal.

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Unlike Chester, Rapoports see family diversity as being important in understanding family life today.
They believe we have moved away from traditional family to a range of different types.
They believe family diversity represents greater freedom of choice and widespread acceptance of different cultures and ways of life.
Unlike the New Right, they see diversity as a response to people's different needs and not as abnormal or diviation from the assumed norm of the nuclear family.

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The Rapoports identify 5 types of family diversity in Britain today:
Organisational Diversity: refers to the differences in the way family roles are organised e.g. some couples have joint conjugal roles and 2 wage-earners whereas others have segregated con. and 1 earner.
Cultural Diversity: different cultural, religious and ethnic groups have different family structures.
Social class Diversity: differences in family structure are partly a result of income differences between households of different classes.
Life-stage Diversity: family structures differ according to the stage reached in the life cycle (newlyweds, widowers, uni etcc.).
Generational Diversity: older and younger generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflect historical periods e.g. they may have different views on divorce, cohabitation etc.

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