Transcript The Family Life Cycle

The Family Life Cycle
Watch carefully and pick out 3 pieces of information that are
relevant to our focus on changing family types
The essay we are working towards….
So what are the key words in this question?
What do we mean by ‘life cycle’?
• On a personal level, you will probably live in a
variety of family and household situations
during your life.
• How you have lived as a child will be very
different to how you live as a student, a single
person, an employee, a married person.
• Each of us will have a different life cycle linked
to where we are born, our class, gender,
ethnicity and the choices we make throughout
our lives.
An example
• Nikki born into a nuclear family (aged 0-13)
• Her parents divorce and she experiences life
with her mother as a single parent family
(aged 13-18)
• She goes to university and shares a flat in a
communal household (aged 18-21)
• Nikki lives alone as a singleton (aged 21-25)
• Nikki falls in love with Pete and they live as a
cohabiting couple (aged 25-28)
• They marry and have 2 children. Nikki is a
nuclear family again (aged 28-48)
• The children leave home and Pete and Nikki
are an ‘empty nest’ family (aged 48-78)
• Pete dies and Nikki lives alone again as a
singleton (aged 78-100)
Now write up an example yourself
• Think of someone you know
• It could be someone in your family – an older
member would be best to show the possible
range of family/household situations
Allan and Crow
• Go to page 313 (which you should have already
read for homework!)
• Answer the following question in full sentences!
• What do Allan and Crow 2001 say about the
family life cycle in contemporary societies?
• How is this different to societies in the past?
And what about the statistics?
SO back to that question
Writing the introduction: 1 sentence to explain what family life cycle is. 2-3
sentences to explain what it was like in the past and what it is like now in
contemporary society link this to a scholar and give examples of the
differing family types now appearing
Paragraph 1
What
scholars/
data should
we include?
What key
words
should we
include?
Tackling those key words: In this paragraph you should be looking at the
changes that have effected young people e.g. marriage at a later stage and
increased cohabitation, and less social stigma around living alone, with
friends or as part of a LAT relationship.
Paragraph 2
What
scholars?
What key
words
should we
include?
You should now look at the reasons for these changes
Paragraph 3
•
Those traditional ‘norms and values’ what are they? Do all the changes you have
previously mentioned make them hard to define now? Does that make it harder
for people to know what family type is best?
•
Charles Murray and Norman Dennis and George Erdos, (New Right scholars) say
yes! This is what you should be explaining in this paragraph.
•
1-2 sentences to explain that although the changes mentioned in your pervious
paragraphs seem to suggest social progress not all sociologists feel that the family
diversity brought about my these changes are beneficial for society.
3-4 sentences explaining why the New Right (and functionalists) feel this,
highlighting what they see as necessary for families (think about gender roles etc)
and society to function well.
1 sentence linking back to the item focusing on the idea that a return traditional
norms and values would remove the ‘uncertainty’
•
•
Paragraph 4
• But is the threat really that bad?
• The sociologists on the slides say no, you need to explain why.
• 1 sentence to introduce the idea that other sociologists argue
that contemporary norms and values might not be so
different after all
• 2-3 sentences introducing the ideas of Chester, who says most
people end up in a nuclear family
• 2-3 explaining the postmodern views of Stacey and Cheal who
argue that choice is good for everyone, friends might be the
new family, and diversity brings choices not uncertainty.
Conclusion
• So have changing norms and values caused
increased family diversity?
• You need to come to a decision based on the
evidence you have presented, no adding new
sociologists here please
• (Hint its going to be a bit of both as nuclear
families are still a popular option, think about
Chester!)
Robert Chester – the neo-conventional
family
• There has been increased family
diversity, but not as significant as
others make out. The extent and
importance of family diversity is
exaggerated
• Neo Conventional Family - A
nuclear family but with a division
of labour between the male and
female
• Dual-earner family
• The nuclear family is still the
family most people aspire to.
• Due to our life cycle, most people
will still be part of a nuclear
family at some point in their lives
Age
Family
0-10
Nikki is born and
stays with both
parents
11-13
Nikki’s parents
divorce, she stays
with mum
14-18
Mum re-marries
who has a son of his
own
18-21
Nikki shares a flat
with students
22 -25
Nikki lives alone
25 -28
Nikki meets Pete
and they live
together
28 -48
They marry and
have 3 kids
49 -78
Their children leave
home
78 -88
Pete dies and Nikki
lives in a retirement
home
Family Type
What do the theorists say?
Robert Chester (1985)
Argues that for most people the nuclear family is
still the most typical family.
He argues that single parent families normally
come from nuclear families and many single
parents will remarry and become nuclear
families again.
Even though many couple cohabit, he argues
most will eventually go on to marry
Postmodernists
• Stacey - Greater family
diversity has benefited
women, enabling them
to free themselves from
patriarchal oppression
and shape the family to
meet their needs.
Postmodernism and family diversity
• David Cheal – family structures
are fragmented and
individuals have much more
choice in their lifestyles,
personal relationships and
family arrangements.
• Family life is more diverse than
ever before and its shape
depends on the active choices
people make about how to live
their lives, e.g. whether to get
divorced, cohabit, come out as
gay etc.
Are friends the new family?