Family

Structures

1^st Generation

2nd Generation

Nuclear Family

Parent 1

Parent 2

Child(ren)

2 Generations

1^st Generation

2nd Generation

Vertically Extended Family

Grandparents

Parents

Child(ren)

3 Generations

3rd Generation

Horizontally Extended Family

Parents

Child(ren)

Brothers (Uncles)

Sisters (Aunts)

2 Generations

1^st Generation

2nd Generation

Modified Extended Family

Grandparents

Brothers (Uncles)

Sisters (Aunts)

Grandparents

Parent 1

Parent 2

Child(ren)

Parent 2

Reconstituted (Step) Family

Parent 1

Child(ren)

2 Generations

Parent 3

Parent 4

Child(ren)

Divorce,

Death,

Desertion

Re-marriage…

Parent 2

1^st Generation

2nd Generation

Single-Parent Family

Parent

Child(ren)

2 Generations

Broken-Nuclear Family

Parent 1

Child(ren)

Divorce,

Death,

Desertion…

Family

The majority of us have lived our lives within some kind of family set up, though our experiences may have been very different. Sociologists are concerned with why we have families in the first place.

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Those who take a positive view of family life argues that it offers:-

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• a haven in a heartless world
• a warm bath to sink into
• benefits to children and parents
• the most basic unit in society
• a sense of belonging in an impersonal world

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….and those who take a negative view argue that the family:-

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• is a source of tension and conflict
• exploits women and children
• is too inward looking
• is a violent institution

Family

Nuclear Family

This consists of mother, father and dependent children, usually 2 generations living together (mum, dad and the kids!). This includes adopted children

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Sometimes this is referred to as the ‘cereal packet family’ and is often seen as the norm across the world.

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However there is much debate in the UK about the decline of this unit in the last 30 years and the growth in popularity of other family and household forms.

Family

Extended Family

3 or more generations of the same family living together

Or close by with frequent contact

A modified version includes living away but having frequent contact via phone, email etc

Family

Single Parent Family

A family headed by 1 parent (90% are female headed)

As a result of divorce, separation, death of partner, choice, unplanned birth

Family

Reconstituted Family

Families made up of a result of divorce, separation and death of partners

Where at least 1 partner has children from a previous relationship

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Family

Beanpole Family

A nuclear family with 1 or 2 children keeping regular contact with grandparents

• A kind of slimmed down extended family network where vertical links are kept but horizontal ones (cousins etc) aren’t.

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Family

Singleton

A household where a person lives alone.

3/10 households are singletons

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Family

Same Sex Family

As it says on the tin – relationships between same sex partners

Civil Partnerships now allow same sex couples to have the same rights as married heterosexuals.

Family

Cohabitees

Couples who live together as ‘man and wife’ (or same sex) but are not officially married (or civil partnered)

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Family

LATs

Living Apart Together – Couples who have a ‘significant’ relationship but live apart.

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Family

The Life Cycle

Remember that as we go through our lives we may go through many different family forms and consequently the view of family life at any one time is simply a snap shot of that moment.

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Outline a possible family life course for Freddie over the next 90 years.

Family

Jorgensen et al identify3 main perspectives

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1. Traditional

The Functionalist perspective and New Right approaches tend to see the 'cereal packet', nuclear family image as the most desirable form of family life i.e. parents and kids living in blissful harmony. Consequently, single parents are often seen as a 'broken family’

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Perspectives On The Family

Jorgensen et al identify3 main perspectives

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2. Liberal

- this approach takes a pluralist perspective and assumes that there are a wide variety of family forms. Diversity is promoted as desirable - it would be a bit boring if we all lived in identical units!

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Perspectives On The Family

Jorgensen et al identify3 main perspectives

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3. Antifamily

• this perspective argues that the emphasis on 'family' ostracises large numbers of people who don't live in a conventional family….and often do not want to.
• Many people live alone and feel stigmatised as a result.
• Radical feminists and Marxists support this view and argue that the family unit exploits women.

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Perspectives On The Family

Starter task

Match the family type below to the correct picture A,B,C or D

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Same sex family

Extended family

Lone parent family

Nuclear family

Family A

Family B

Family C

Family D

Objectives

• To be able to explain the difference between a family and a household.
• Identify different family structures that exist in Britain today.

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Key definitions

• A household is the term used to describe the group of people living together in the same place e.g. a family, group of students, a couple fostering children, a lodger renting a room in a house.
• A family is all the people who are related to each other either through blood, marriage or adoption.

Write these down they are important!

Task: jot down your family tree include all the relatives you know in your own, your parents & your grandparents generations.

Different family structures

• There are many different family types that exist in Britain today. The 2 main family types people are aware of are extended and nuclear families.
• A nuclear family typically consists of a mother, father and dependent children.

What is an extended family?

• A family consisting of parents and children along with either:
• Grandparents – vertically extended (different generations)
• Aunts and uncles – horizontally extended

Remember to use colour and pictures when making notes to help revision.

Cultural and ethnic family groups in modern Britain

Family household structures in modern Britain

• The modern nuclear family – married or cohabititing couples with or without children.
• The reconstituted family – a family created as a result of divorced couples remarrying who may have children from their previous marriage.
• The lone parent family – the fastest growing family structure in Britain. Where one parent brings up 1 or more children

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Task: list 3 factors that lead to single-parent families.

The gay family

The lesbian family

These family types account for a small proportion of all families but have increased in number more recently as a result of The Civil Partnership Act of 2005 which legally recognised same-sex relationships.

Exam practice – homework task

• The exam paper for unit 1 is divided into 3 sections; 1= Studying Society, 2 = Education and 3 = Families.
• Each section will have sources that you will be asked questions about these will be for very low marks.
• Questions worth more marks will require you to explain, describe, identify and discuss (use the marks in the bracket as a guide to how much should be written).

Task answer the following:

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Explain what sociologists mean by

the reconstituted family (4 marks)

Family Types

By SOURABH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBdkq02CZ58

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUqkJFBkW_c

FAMILY TYPES

NUCLEUR FAMILY

• THE NUCLEUR FAMILY IS OFTEN REFFERED TO AS THE

“CEREAL PACKET” FAMILY. THIS IS DUE TO THE MEDIA’S SATURATED STEREOTYPICAL VIEW OF THE ‘CONVENTIONAL’ OR ‘MODEL’ FAMILY.

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• THE NUCLEUR FAMILY CONSISTS OF PARENTS OF OPPOSITE SEXES AND ONE OR MORE CHILDREN AND MAY BE MARRIED COUPLES OR COHABITING.

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• ANOTHER FORM OF THE NUCLEUR FAMILY IS THE RECONSTITUTED FAMILY AND INTERRACIAL FAMILIES WHERE THE TWO PARENTS WOULD BE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS.

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• THE NUCLEUR FAMILY HAS DECLINED IN PROPORTION BUT STILL MAINTAINS THE LABEL OF BEING THE ‘BLUEPRINT’ FAMILY AND IS THE FAMILY TYPE MOST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH FOR AT LEAST ONE STAGE IN THEIR LIFE.

EXTENDED FAMILY

• THE EXTENDED FAMIILY, AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, IS AN EXTENTION OF THE TYPICAL NUCLEUR FAMILY. THIS INLCUDES ALL RELATIVES OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY E.G. GRANDPARENTS AND COUSINS.

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• THIS TYPE OF FAMILY IS AS HIGHLY REGARDED AS THE TYPICAL NUCLEUR FAMILY, PARTICULARLY WITH FUNCTIONALISTS, AS THEY ARGUE THE GRANDPARENTS ARE THERE TO OFFER THEIR EXPERIENCE AND FURTHER SOCIALISE THE NEXT GENERATION.

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• MARXIST AND MARXIST FEMENISTS WOULD CRITIQUE THIS AND THE NUCLEUR FAMILY FOR BEING A SOURCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND OPRRESSION TO WOMEN.

SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY

• THE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY CONSISTS OF ONLY ONE PARENT AND ONE OR MORE CHILDREN.

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• THE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY IS OFTEN SEEN AS THE IMPLICATION OF A DIVORCED OR SEPERATED NUCLEUR FAMILY. IN OTHER WORDS SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES MOST OFTEN ARE CREATED, ORIGINALLY, FROM NUCLEUR FAMILIES.

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• FUNTIONALISTS WOULD CRITIQUE THIS TYPE OF FAMILY FOR BEING UNNATURAL OR TOO EASY, AS SINGLE-PARENTS OFTEN FIND COMFORT FROM THE WELFARE STATE.

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• SINCE THE EARLY 1970’S THE LONE PARENT RATE HAS INCREASED FROM 8% TO 26% (WITH DEPENDANT CHILDREN).

RECONSTITUTED FAMILY

• THE RECONSTITUTED FAMILY IS A FAMILY THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH SEPERATION OR DIVORCE BUT IS NOW BACK TOGETHER OR WHERE ONE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY HAS INTERTWINED WITH ANOTHER.

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• RECONSTITUTED FAMILIES ARE A CAUSE OF SEPERATION OR DIVORCE FROM PREVIOUS PARTNERS.

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• SOME, LIKE THE MARXIST’S HOWEVER, WOULD ARGUE THAT THE FAMILY MAY ONLY BE RECONSTITUTED FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN AND THIS WILL UNNEVITABLY SHOW SIGNS OF AN ‘EMPTY SHELL MARRIAGE’ WHERE THERE IS NO EMOTIONAL AFFECTION BETWEEN THE COUPLE ANY LONGER. IN ADDITION, INNEVITABLE TENSIONS ARE LIKELY TO ARISE BETWEEN MEMBERS OF, PREVIOUSLY, DIFFERING FAMILIES E.G. STEP PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

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SAME-SEX FAMILY

• THE SAME SEX FAMILY CONSISTS OF TWO PARENTS OF THE SAME GENDER AND ONE OR MORE CHILDREN.

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• SAME SEX FAMILIES ADD EVEN MORE DIVERSITY TO THE FAMILY LIFE AND ARE SEEN BY SOME AS ANOTHER STEP TO EQUALITY.

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• FUNCTIONALISTS WOULD ARGUE HOWEVER THAT THE SAME-SEX FAMILY IS UNNATURAL AND PROVIDES AN UNBALANCED SOCIALISATION PROCESS FOR A CHILD BROUGHT UP IN THIS SITUATION. FUNCTIONALISTS ARGUE THAT YOU NEED BOTH MALE AND FEMALE ROLE MODELS TO HAVE A BALANCED MENTAL, SOCIAL ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR.

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• HOWEVER STUDIES SHOW THAT CHILDREN BROUGHT UP IN SAME-SEX FAMILIES ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THAT OF TRADITIONAL NUCLEUR FAMILIES.

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