Family (DIVERSITY)
General
Diversity has increased, less nuclear family, lone families and cohabiting more common, functionalists and new right reject this.
Parsons - Functionalism
Diversity has increased, less nuclear, more reconstituted, lone parent and cohabiting families.
However, he argues that nuclear is the only functional family type.
The New Right
Nuclear is the only 'natural' family type. Others produce problems (lone parents create dependency culture) - generous benefits encourage deviant family types.
The Rapoports
Believe moved away from nuclear into a range of different types. Rapoports see diversity as positive response to people's needs and wishes.
5 types of family diversity include: organisational, cultural, social class, life-stage, generational.
Chester - Functionalism
Increase in diversity, but nuclear is still dominant. Change from conventional family (segregated conjual roles) to neo-conventional family (symmetrical family structure).
Giddens - Postmodernism
Society has become ‘disembedded’ from traditional family structures, leaving us free to choose how we live our lives. Led to the ‘pure relationship’ - exists to satisfy each partner's needs.
Beck - Postmodernism
Beck states that equality and individualism have created the ‘negotiated family’ which varied according to the members wants.
Smart - Personal Life Perspective
Smart believes that we are not disembedded individuals, but we make decisions about relationships within a ‘web of connectedness’.