AS Sociology

Revision Session

New Right

New Right

Conservative Anti-Feminism Opposed to family

diversity Likes 'cereal packet'

family Dislike women outside

home Marriage essential for

social stability.

Name: Benson (2006) on family break down:

Married 6% Cohab 20% Closely

involved 74%

Neo-Conventional Family

Neo-Conventional Family

Name: Chester (1985) Doesnt see family diversity as significant. Move away from conventional family (New

Right) is the only important bit to Chester. Neo-convent family is dual earning with

both adults working. Similar to Young & Willmonts'

'symmetrical family'

FIVE Types of Family Diversity

FIVE Types of Family Diversity Name: Rapoports

1)Organisational Diversity

2)Cultural Diversity

3)Social Class Diversity

4)Life Stage Diversity

5)Generational Diversity

a. Cultural, religious ethnic all have diff. Structures.

b. How family roles are organised.

c. Older & younger have diff attitudes & experiences.

d. Key life events-- uni, marriage, first child, retired, widows etc...

e. Fam struct. Depends on income of household

Life Course Analysis

Life Course Analysis

Name: Tamara Hareven Focus on meanings people give to life events,

choices & decision.

Risk Society

Risk Society

• Name: U. Beck• Traditions have less influence on us.• More choice = risk• We are aware of that with greater choice

comes risk. Hence ‘Risk Society’• Gender equality: women expect equality in

workplace.• Individualism: actions out of self interest,

not obligation to others.

Choice and Equality

Choice and Equality

Name: Giddens Think Choice and Equality

Greater choice transforms family & marriage. Birth control (have kids when you want) Feminism= opportunities in work and education

Family Practice

Family Practice

Name David Morgan Experience of leaving home Becoming an adult.

Prefers concept of family practice –not family structure Its what we do– it’s a flexible idea (family) not a

rigid structure.

Postmodernism and Family Diversity

Posmodernism & Family Structure

• Name: David Cheal

– We no longer live in the modern world which is orderly and structured (like the nuclear family)

– Live in a chaotic post-modern stage.• Encourages family diversity

• No single type of family structure, but families plural

Divorce Extended Family

Divorce Extended Family

• Name: Stacey

– Greater choice freed women from patriarchal oppression.

– Women shape their families to their needs now.

Growing Acceptance of Diversity

Growing Acceptance of Diversity

• Long term shift since 1950s

• Sexual morality is a flexible personal choice.

– Sex before marriage.

– Baby outside marriage.

• Church and state have far less influence over us.

• Despite all this ‘progress’ family patterns remain traditional.

– Live as families/mum and dad/married/remarried.

Favouring Diversity

Favouring Diversity

• Who? Postmodernist & Feminists

• Reject New Right views

• Name: Weeks

– Whatever individuals decide is a family is a family.

– Family is not natural but socially constructed.

• Name: Stacey

– Brings about greater choice/diversity to families.

Downside…

• Patriarchy and Class inequality are still seen today and restrict people’s choices to shape their family life.

Against Diversity

Against Diversity

• Functionalists & New Right

• Believe there is one ‘right’ best family structure.

– Name: Parsons’ instrumental and Expressive female household.

• Argue it is biological and thus natural the differences between men and women’s roles. Each has what they are better suited to.