Sociology

Family Diversity and Families social policy

?
  • Created by: Jack
  • Created on: 09-12-11 09:42

Family practises

Similar to Life Course Analysis, David Morgan (1996) came up with the concept of family practise. This is the concept of describing routines which gives people the status of being a family member.

Our family practises are influenced by the beliefs we have about our rights and obligations within the family. This allows sociologists to see where and how conflict happens in the family and between other as different beliefs clash.

Morgan, using this concept, says families aren't fixed things. He says they are based around members' choices. Morgan argues with the functionalists point of view saying nowadays networks such as families, friendships, and other kinds of relationships.

However Morgan concides that all these events take place in the context of a whole society and this could still influence membersexpectations and actions. For example gender norms still dictate males are the breadwinners and women the homemakers.

1 of 2

Gender regimes

Femists argue that social policy still reinforces a patriarchal society. Eileen Drew (1995) uses the concept of gender regimes to describe how social policies in different countries. She indentifies two regimes.

  • Traditional ' familistic' gender regimes
  • More equal 'individualistic' gender regimes

Familistic -These base their family policies on the assumption that the husband works to support the family while his wife stays at home  doing domestic work

Individualistic  - These base their family policies on the belief that husbands and wives should be treated the same. This means that each partner has a seperate entitlement to state benefits.

2 of 2

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Sociology resources:

See all Sociology resources »See all Families and households resources »