PLANRegistration / R U O K ?What’s the point?Look backWhat do you think?Family StructuresActivities : Individual / Group Blocks and HighlightsHappy or Sad?What have you learned?What’s next?

What’s the point ?

By the end of this session you will have a better understanding of:

• A range of family structures

• Advantages of some

• Disadvantages of some

Look Back

Thinking back to last week, write down

everything you can remember about

SQ3R

3 minutes

Families – What do you think ?

• What are the best kind of families to be in?

• What are the worst kind of families to be in?

• Should you treat people from different families equally?

• What can help people stop discrimination? (thinking and acting like some people are better than others)

5 minutes

Family Structures

What are they?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living within each?

10 minutes

Extended FamilyMore than two generations of a family living in one household or nearby many aunts and uncle

The family extends beyond a grouping of just parents and children

Most often in farming and third world societies

Common in Greece for financial reasons

Less common in Britain since the introduction of contraception

Advantages of Extended

sharing the care of it’s young, sick and elderly

in times of crisis there may be other family members who can share the responsibilities

there may be sharing of skills and /or household tasks

there may also always be someone to spend time with or go out with.

Disadvantages of Extended

you may be expected to lend a hand when it is inconvenient

you might feel you do more than your fair share

there may be times when you want to have friends outside the family

there may little chance of privacy or time to be alone with your partner and children

there may be times you would like to make a decision without involving the whole family

Nuclear Family

sometimes described as the modern family. Most people now have fewer than 3 children

comprises parents and the children they are responsible for

no extended family group and no other family living with or nearby them

In the 60s many people moved around the country for employment and new towns were built to provide housing for the workers in new factories

Advantages of Nuclearmay be more mobile, because of this people are able to look for better pay and conditions and as there are fewer children they may have an improved lifestyle

this type of family maybe freer to follow their own wishes and make decisions without consulting other family members, so they can focus on their own lives and children

financially and socially they can focus on their children as their priorities. This can mean children are given a great deal of encouragement and attention

the family may well have more living space, although people can only live where they can afford to

Disadvantages of Nuclearin times of crisis there may be no support network

There may also be a lot of strain put upon the other adult in the family if there is illness or unemployment

tensions or arguments have nowhere to go, no one to turn to

the nuclear family is seen as isolated, ie. has no family nearby

if this family has to depend on others they may feel resentful that their independence is threatened

parents’ focused attention can cause a lot of pressure on the children

One Parent Family

one adult living with a child or children.

This maybe because of divorce, separation, death, or choice.

It is the sole responsibility of the lone parent to look after the child or children.

Advantages of One Parent

being able to make decisions without asking anyone else

great delight can be obtained from the achievements of your children and pleasure in knowing you are totally responsible for their upbringing

knowing you can be independent and stand on your own two feet is a great achievement

many lone parents have no other adult to distract him or her from putting all their energies into the care of their children.

Disadvantages of One Parentthere is no one to share the joy and troubles of family life with on a day-to- day basis

if living far away from other family members there may be no support for childcare or illness

the lone parent maybe lonely, ie. socially isolated

dividing your time between children may be very difficult, eg. one child may need to be at Brownies at the same time as the swimming lessons start for another

lack of money maybe a big issue and some families may live in poverty

it is hard work as the lone parent is totally responsible for all the decision-making and physical work.

Reconstituted Family

Two adults form a new family. One or both of them may have children from other relationships and they may then have joint children, so it can be a mix of parents, step parents, step children, half brothers and sisters, remarriages, and children born out with marriage.

Advantages of Reconstituted

may well be positive changes, such as financial benefits, the company and instant family, two interested adults and an improvement in living space and lifestyle.

Disadvantages of Reconstituted

may be difficulties such as jealousy, lack of money (because of child support payments), children having different fathers, mothers and grandparents.

may be a lack of space, children being treated differently by parents and other family members.

Communes and kibbutzim

Communes and kibbutzim are alternatives to the family being seen as relations by blood or marriage, living together in one household.

Some people choose to live together in a group sharing work, care and other responsibilities, known as a commune.

A structured experiment in childcare being carried out by many adults rather than just birth parents took place following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Whilst parents worked to build and establish the country the children were looked after collectively in a kibbutz.

Travelling FamilyTravelling people move around the country in large extended family groups.

Some of these are Romany travellers who have centuries of history and culture around their way of life.

Others work and travel with fairgrounds and settle only fleetingly whenever the ‘shows’ come to town.

A third group has been taking this road due to their refusal to accept the inner city alternatives on offer or the traditional structures of society. They are a more disparate group who are often termed New Age Travellers. Often this last group may have come from and may revert to the more traditional structures previously outlined but at least temporarily they have chosen to reject the constrictions society has placed on their groupings and living arrangements.

Activities

One (10 minutes)

Individual – Did you get it?

Try to remember the definitions of each type of family and any advantages and disadvantages. List these.

Activities

Two (10 minutes)

Group – Let’s use it!

Christmas Carousel • You will each be given post-its.• Each table will have a task at it.• Each group will move round when they here

‘jingle bells’.

Blocks (5 minutes)

Use blocks to explain the structure of different family types.

Nominate a group representative to demonstrate this to the class.

Highlight (5minutes)

Now highlight the keywords

on pages 42, 43 & 44.

Happy or Sad

• Group one will list as many advantages as possible

• Group two will list as many disadvantages as possible

• An example is provided – you have only 5 minutes.

Have you any questions about:

– Any of the family structures covered

– Advantages covered

– Disadvantages covered

What have you learned ?

1. Self-test– Name 6 different types of family structure.– List the advantages and disadvantages for

extended family– List the advantages and disadvantages of one

parent family

2. What’s the point?– Tick if you agree that you understand more about– A range of family structures– Advantages of some– Disadvantages of some

What’s next ?

Future steps:• Cultural influences on child rearing • Nature or Nurture?• Other circumstances affecting parenting• Test yourself

Homework:• Typed description of the support available from

families – see forward plan for tips.

Thank You