Family diversity

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What is cohabitation
Defined as living with a partner but not being in a civil partnership
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ONS on cohabitation
ONS predicted 5.9 million cohabitating people in the UK in 2012. Composed of 2.9 million opposite sex couples and 69,000 same sex couples.
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Childbearing inside and outside marriage statistics 2012
In 2012 39% of cohabitating opposite couples had dependent children compared to 38% of married couples.
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Childbearing inside and outside marriage statistics 1938
In 1938 4 of babies had unmarried parents whereas in 2012 it had risen to 47.5%. New right have suggested that these statistics are another nail in the coffin for the nuclear family.
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Reasons fro more cohabitating parents than married
Most cohabitating couples are fertile. Married couples with dependent children have on average more children than cohabitating couples suggests childbearing may lead cohabitating parents into marriage
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New right claim on cohabitation
New right claim that the rise in cohabitation is responsible for the decline in marriage and the nuclear family. They see this as a particular problem because they think that cohabitation is less stable than marriage.
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Cohabitation- Murphey
ONS data analysed by Murphy suggested that children whose parents cohabitated got the worst results in school, left education earlier and had a high chance of developing a serious disease.
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Beaujouan and Ni Bhrolchain study of cohabitation
generally critical of this new right position, argue that cohabitation has become a normal part of the life course. I.e. they note that about two thirds of people aged 25-44 have cohabitated at some point in their lives.
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Practical reasons for rise in cohabitation
Practical reasons for the rise in cohabitation are that people may be separated from a previous partner and awaiting divorce, in 2005 23% of cohabiting men were separated from a previous partner whilst 36% were divorced.
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One parent families statistics ONS
In 1961 only 2% of all UK households were made up of one parent families, by 2012 the ONS estimated that there was 2 million such families in Britain.
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One parent families- Kiernan and Homes
found that levels of it varied across ethnicities. Their research found that lone parenthood was most common among black and mixed race mothers particularly in deprived urban areas.
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One parent families- Haskey
fast growing group of female single parents made up of those who have never married or cohabitated. An increasing number of middle class career women are choosing to have children later thirties early forties and such women are bringing kids up alone
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New right and one parent families
See them as second rate and broken, such family types are caused by adults who put their selfish needs first, particularly critical of families headed by lone women as children lack male role model and are lacking in discipline and emotionally wrong
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New right and one parent families- Flouri and Buchan
Study of children from seperated or divorced families. Where fathers were still involved children were more successful educationally and less likely to be arrested or homeless
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Center fro social justice- Children from single parent families are more likely too
Grow up in poorer housing, bad behaviour, perform less well in school and become sexually active/pregnant at an early age
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Criticism of new right on single parent families- Mooney et al
Parental conflict is more important than parental seperation influencing children. Contrasted couples with conflict with one parent families, those wihtout conflict has better behaviour and emotional health in future
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Criticism of new right on single parent families- Ford and Millar
perverse incentive argument is also flawed when the quality of life of lone parents is examined, many experience poverty and debt. Their survey found that many single mothers attempted to protect their children from poverty by spending less on them
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Criticism of new right on single parent families- Feminist
maintain that one parent families are discriminated against becuase of familial ideology. Leads to negative labelling and a self fuffilling prophecy due to their stereotypes of being in a lower soico economic class
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Reconstituted families
Otherwise known as step families are one of the fastest growing family types in the UK. Main reason for this is increasing divorce and re-marriage. In 2013 ONS estimated that 8% of families in England and Wales were step families.
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De'Ath and Slater- Step parenting study challenges
Children can be pulled in two ways if parents relationship is strained, strained relationship between step parents and children may become normal, step parents resent step children as they are a symbol of previous sexual love
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Trend in singlehood post war
In 2013 7.7% of people were living alone. It now makes up thirty per cent of all households in England and Wales
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Trend in singlehood between men and women
Males are 58% of single person households because they are more likely than women to never marry. However, those aged 65 and over the pattern is reversed, this reflects female life expectancy.
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Single hood- Young people
There has also been a 19% fall in young people living alone, they live at home for much longer because they cannot afford to enter the housing market. This is along with rise in youth unemployment.
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Several explanations for rise in single person households
More women are gaining financial independence and leave children and marriage till alter, increase in divorce created both one parent and single households
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The life course- What is it?
Postmodernist sociologists argue that sociological study of the family should focus on the life course of individuals rather than the family. Includes childhood, adolescence and old age
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What does life course analysis focus on
Life course analysis focuses on the diversity of family practices that occur during the life course.
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Life course- Stacey
Stacey argue that family life is not about living in a static and un changing ideal type of family, instead it is a continual state of flux and change.
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Life course- No one perfect family type
If every family is different there cannot be criteria to judge other families upon, you should focus upon what family members regard important to find out how family dynamics give meaning to lives
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Life course- Weeks et al
the concept of the family is being used by non heterosexuals to denote something broader than the traditional version. He notes that the gay model of the family often refers to kin like networks of relationships mainly based on friendships not blood
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Personal lief- Smart
recommends the use of the term personal life instead of family because the alter concept is often associated with value judgment about idea or normal family types. The concept of personal life is much more natural and flexible, it includes diversity
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Perosnal life- Robert and Rapport
Robert and Rapport argued that the life cycle was the main cause of family diversity in modern society, rather than social change or declining morality.
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Type of family diversity- Structural
refers to variations in family size or organisation.
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Type of family diversity- Domestic
refers to variations in family size or organisation.
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Type of family diversity- Cultural diversity
to the impact of global migration on family structures and dynamics
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Type of family diversity- Class diversity
refers to social class variations in the quality of family relationships and lifestyles.
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Type of family diversity- Cohort diversity
refers to social class variations in the quality of family relationships and lifestyles.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

ONS on cohabitation

Back

ONS predicted 5.9 million cohabitating people in the UK in 2012. Composed of 2.9 million opposite sex couples and 69,000 same sex couples.

Card 3

Front

Childbearing inside and outside marriage statistics 2012

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Childbearing inside and outside marriage statistics 1938

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Reasons fro more cohabitating parents than married

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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