Family and Household Types
Nuclear – mother, father and dependent children, “cereal packet family”
Extended – 3 generations living together, vertical or horizontal
Beanpole – nuclear, regular contact with grandparents
Single parent – lone parent with dependent children
Same sex – same gender in romantic relationship, with/without children
Reconstituted – married/living together, with/without children
Singleton – somebody who lives alone
Cohabiting – not married, no children
Communal – unrelated, living in same residence
Empty nest – children moved away
Extended – 3 generations living together, vertical or horizontal
Beanpole – nuclear, regular contact with grandparents
Single parent – lone parent with dependent children
Same sex – same gender in romantic relationship, with/without children
Reconstituted – married/living together, with/without children
Singleton – somebody who lives alone
Cohabiting – not married, no children
Communal – unrelated, living in same residence
Empty nest – children moved away
Nuclear
25% of UK families
Stereotypes – “cereal packet family”, gender task division, heterosexual
Rapoports (1982):
Identified changes in the family
Nuclear is no longer the main type - alternative set ups existed
Believe is a good thing – no longer live in prescribed way and there is more freedom/choice
Robert Chester (1985):
Disagrees with Rapoports - argues the nuclear is still the most common
Life-cycle = everyone will experience the nuclear family at some point
Feminists – agree family diversity good, nuclear benefits men more, allows oppression of women
Developed after Industrial Revolution:
Welfare State 1940s - family self-help not necessary any more
1950s slum clearance/re-housing - families split up
1950s full employment - close family networks not necessary, gradually broke down
Geographically mobile population, easier to move a smaller family
Stereotypes – “cereal packet family”, gender task division, heterosexual
Rapoports (1982):
Identified changes in the family
Nuclear is no longer the main type - alternative set ups existed
Believe is a good thing – no longer live in prescribed way and there is more freedom/choice
Robert Chester (1985):
Disagrees with Rapoports - argues the nuclear is still the most common
Life-cycle = everyone will experience the nuclear family at some point
Feminists – agree family diversity good, nuclear benefits men more, allows oppression of women
Developed after Industrial Revolution:
Welfare State 1940s - family self-help not necessary any more
1950s slum clearance/re-housing - families split up
1950s full employment - close family networks not necessary, gradually broke down
Geographically mobile population, easier to move a smaller family
Extended
Parsons:
Pre-industrial times, extended kinship networks
Families worked together, the land and the resources communally owned
Ascribed social status
Industrialisation:
Rural to urban, middle class created
Working class consist mainly of extended families, mutual support system, limited housing
Willmott + Young:
1950s, Bethnal Green, London, still the norm
Less common now, however:
Finch + Mason (1993):
Kinship ties still important
90% had given/received financial help from their extended family
Women more involved with their extended family
Janet Foster (1990):
“Villains” study, still strongly influenced by values/traditions of the extended family
More common in Asian, Italian + Gypsy families
Pre-industrial times, extended kinship networks
Families worked together, the land and the resources communally owned
Ascribed social status
Industrialisation:
Rural to urban, middle class created
Working class consist mainly of extended families, mutual support system, limited housing
Willmott + Young:
1950s, Bethnal Green, London, still the norm
Less common now, however:
Finch + Mason (1993):
Kinship ties still important
90% had given/received financial help from their extended family
Women more involved with their extended family
Janet Foster (1990):
“Villains” study, still strongly influenced by values/traditions of the extended family
More common in Asian, Italian + Gypsy families
Beanpole
Numbers increasing – financial support needed as nowadays it is expensive to raise children
Single Parent
Approximately ¼ families with children
Only 3% are teenagers
90% headed by women – courts favour women
Average age - 34
Reasons for growth:
Changing social attitudes
Secularization - divorce more common
Some women choose to live in as can be more financially stable now
Welfare state - more people now afford
Changing attitudes towards marriage
Perspectives:
Feminism - in favour, women no longer oppressed
New Right - under-achievers/delinquency
Functionalism and New Right - cannot socialise adequately, need male + female
Ford + Miller (1998:)
Some see as selfish and second-rate
McLanahan + Booth (1991):
Found that children in single parent families...
, do worse at school
, more likely to become single-parents
, more likely to become delinquents
, on average earn lower income
Cashmore (1985):
One good parent is better than two bad parents who are always fighting
Only 3% are teenagers
90% headed by women – courts favour women
Average age - 34
Reasons for growth:
Changing social attitudes
Secularization - divorce more common
Some women choose to live in as can be more financially stable now
Welfare state - more people now afford
Changing attitudes towards marriage
Perspectives:
Feminism - in favour, women no longer oppressed
New Right - under-achievers/delinquency
Functionalism and New Right - cannot socialise adequately, need male + female
Ford + Miller (1998:)
Some see as selfish and second-rate
McLanahan + Booth (1991):
Found that children in single parent families...
, do worse at school
, more likely to become single-parents
, more likely to become delinquents
, on average earn lower income
Cashmore (1985):
One good parent is better than two bad parents who are always fighting
Same Sex
Reasons for growth:
1967, homosexuality legalised
Age of consent now same as heterosexual couples
Greater social acceptance
Secularisation
Reproductive technologies
2005 adopt legally
Perspectives:
New Right and Functionalism - can’t adequately socialise children, male and female role models needed
Feminism - equality within relationships, women not oppressed
1967, homosexuality legalised
Age of consent now same as heterosexual couples
Greater social acceptance
Secularisation
Reproductive technologies
2005 adopt legally
Perspectives:
New Right and Functionalism - can’t adequately socialise children, male and female role models needed
Feminism - equality within relationships, women not oppressed
Reconstituted
10% of children living in reconstituted
Reasons for growth:
Divorce is now cheaper and easier
Secularisation
Advantageous to re-marry eg tax breaks for married couples
Reasons for growth:
Divorce is now cheaper and easier
Secularisation
Advantageous to re-marry eg tax breaks for married couples
Singleton
3/10 households
14% are with an occupant over retirement age (2005)
Reasons:
Widowed
Independent
Non-custodial parent
Mental Health
Council housing
Failed marriage
Reasons for growth:
Social acceptance, less stigma, less pressure to marry
People earn own money can afford to rent alone
Increased divorce rates
People living longer - bigger gap - widows
14% are with an occupant over retirement age (2005)
Reasons:
Widowed
Independent
Non-custodial parent
Mental Health
Council housing
Failed marriage
Reasons for growth:
Social acceptance, less stigma, less pressure to marry
People earn own money can afford to rent alone
Increased divorce rates
People living longer - bigger gap - widows
Asian Families
Increase in number of extended families
Culture - family important, more involved in children’s lives
¾ British Asian families include children, only 1/3 of white families do
Berthoud (2000):
¾ Pakistani + Bangladeshi women married by 25
Culture - family important, more involved in children’s lives
¾ British Asian families include children, only 1/3 of white families do
Berthoud (2000):
¾ Pakistani + Bangladeshi women married by 25
African Caribbean Families
Higher number of single parent headed by mother - matriarchal
Reasons:
A legacy of the slave trade, families split, children stayed with the mother
Black unemployment linked with male underachievement
Tradition
Berthoud (2000):
Black British women the least likely to marry
Reasons:
A legacy of the slave trade, families split, children stayed with the mother
Black unemployment linked with male underachievement
Tradition
Berthoud (2000):
Black British women the least likely to marry