Is the Family in decline?

OBJ: Use the evidence that follows to provide an argument that answers the above question.

Relationship status
Singletons at 20. Married or cohabiting by 30. That is the trend colourfully depicted here.
Again, using figures from the 2011 Census, the book reveals how many people marry and then migrate from inner to outer London.





12 data maps that sum up London

What does the Rapoports say about family diversity?

Unlike chester, Rhona and Robert Rapoport (1982) argue that diversity is of central importance in understanding family life today. They believe that we have moved away from the traditional nuclear family as the dominant family type, to a range of different types. Families in Britain have adapted to a pluralistic society - That is, one in which cultures and lifestyles are more diverse.

In their view, family diversity represents greater freedom of choice and the widespread acceptance of different cultures and ways of life.

they identify five different types of family in Britain today:

1. Organisational diversity: This refers to differences in the ways family roles are organised. For example, some couples have joint conjugal roles and two wage-earners, while others have segregated conjugal roles and one wage-earner.
2. Cultural diversity: different cultural, religious and ethnic groups have different family structures. For example, there is a higher proportion of female-headed families among African-Caribbean households.
3. Social class diversity: differences in family structure are partly the result of income differences between households of different classes. Likewise, there are class differences in child-rearing practices.
4. Life-stage diversity: family structures differ according to the stage reached in the life cycle - for example, newly-weds, couples with children, retired couples whose children have left home, and widows or widowers who are living alone.
5. Generational diversity: older and younger generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflect the historical periods in which they have lived. For example, they may have different views about the morality of divorce or cohabitation.

 Source: AQA AS Level Sociology textbook, ISBN: 0954007956 

Life course analysis:

• Focuses on individual family members and how they make their choices in order to understand the family.

• Looks at the meaning that people give to life events and choices in order to understand how they construct their family life.

This can be called 'micro' sociology.

• Hareven (1978)
• There is flexibility and variation in peoples family life in terms of:
• Choices and decisions that are made.
• Sequence of events and turning points e.g. when to have a baby etc.

• Morgan (1996) Family Practices 
• Routine practices to create our sense of being a family member e.g. feeding the children (not...)
• Family practices are determined by our beliefs about rights and obligations within the family. 
• Concept of family practices helps us to see why conflict occurs - we hold different beliefs about each others responcibility
• Families are not concrete structures but are what people do.

• Morgan (2007)
• Networks such as family, friends and other kinds of relationship become less clear and boundaries between them become blurred.
• Structuralism  that sees the family as a clear cut institution is no longer relevent to help us to understand the family.
• But Structures within society will still affect individuals expectations of each other e.g gender roles.