Investigating the Impact of Globalization on Change in Family Types.”

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“Investigating the impact of globalization on change in family types.” Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities (Al-Rodhan 2006). Globalization affects almost every aspect of our daily lives. According to Trask (2010), “globalization is associated with the spread of specific ideologies that are realized and negotiated in the intimate sphere of the family.” A family can be defined as “a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction” (Mustapha 2009 p.122). Families are integrated into the global economy through formal and informal work, through the production and consumption and through their relationships within nation states. Additionally, with communication and information technologies constant evolving, families and individuals now have easier access to each other. Communications have improved in an unprecedented manner. There are four (4) different types of family namely: nuclear, single parent, reconstituted and extended. In Western countries, there has been increasing emphasis on individualism and democratization of family life. There is also a decrease in men as authoritative figure and a growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles. Some of these alternative lifestyles include couples cohabitating, increase in the divorce rates and an increase in same-sex couples. These depictions of family lives have been identified in to third world or developing countries. Globalization is closely related to this social phenomenon. Globalization has impacted family lives globally and also contributes to the changes in family types. Some of the changes due to globalization has resulted in an increase migration of family members and this has change the composition as well as types of family forms. This is
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