Discuss how far sociologist would agree that the nuclear family is no longer the norm in modern day Britain. A nuclear family is one of many family types in modern day society, there are many different variations. Some sociologists say that nuclear families is and should remain the norm, whilst others believe that society is now too diverse to simply have only one family type. In this essay I will explore whether the nuclear family is no longer the norm in Britain and what thee different reasons are. A reason in particular that nuclear families are no longer the norm is that, divorce rate has increased.
When it came to relationships it could be anything from marrying someone of the same sex to not marrying at all. There were new, more lenient guidelines to having a relationship in the 21st century, and they continued to evolve. Individuals were now aiming “for personal growth and deeper intimacy through more open communication and mutually shared disclosures about feelings with their partners” (428). The social norms of family life were becoming less apparent, and marriage in itself was growing to be less common. Marriage had transformed from the mid-20th century to the 21st century in monumental ways.
With Reference to Item A assess the view that the nuclear family remains the norm and the ideal (24 marks) Item A; In recent years, sociologists have drawn attention to the growth of family and household diversity in Britain and elsewhere, arguing that we have moved away from the previous norm od a conventional nuclear family composed of a heterosexual married couple and their children, with a gender division of labour. They point, for example, to the fact about one household in 10 is now headed by a lone parent as evidence of the declining popularity of the conventional nuclear family. However some sociologists argue that despite recent changes, the conventional nuclear family remains the norm in Britain today. Writing in 1985, Chester claimed that the basic patterns of family life had remained largely unchanged for most people since the 1940’s. He argued that most adults still marry and have children.
In the 1950s the normal American family consisted of a breadwinner father, homemaker mother, and several children. The mother and father of the children were not just cohabitating, they were married. Today, it is a lot more common to see families that consist only of a mother. Society has somewhat shifted its view on single mothers since the 1950s. Instead of single motherhood being a total negative situation to be in, it can also be viewed as a positive.
Stacie Sanford Sarah Hastings English 161 6 October 2013 “American Marriage in Transition” Analysis Through the years the meaning of marriage has changed. The reasons for some of these changes are due to the many cultural and social changes, such as cohabitation, and gay marriage. In the article “American Marriage in Transition”, Andrew J. Cherlin explains how these changes, altered the meaning of marriage in our society between the 19th and 20th centuries. He broke down the different types of marriages into three distinct types: institutionalized, companionate, and individualized. So we ask ourselves, how did marriage change between the 19th and 20th century?
There has been a decrease in the number of nuclear families in the UK and an increase in various other families such as single parent families. But the raise in single parent households has to do with the increase in divorce across the UK which means that more people are left having to support their children on their own unless they become a reconstituted family. Functionalists are classed as modernists when it comes to their opinions on family diversity in post-modern UK. But they also see modern society as clear-cut, fixed and predictable. They think that the best and strongest family type is the nuclear family.
Another sociologist, Michael Anderson found evidence that extended families developed more during industrialisation because while parents were away at work, grandparents or uncles and aunts were there to look after the children so in return the extended kin get looked after too. Peter Laslett, an English historian disagreed and found that after industrialisation, nuclear families was more dominated than the extended family and single parent families became popular
According to Divorce Rate, “between the ages of 20 to 29 the divorce rate is greater than couples 30 and older.” Some statistics say at least 66 percent of younger couples end up divorced because of childless issues. The only thing that tends to hold the marriage together would be love. Yet, some say that love tends to fade. While others say the contrary. Couples that have children tend to have a lower divorce rate.
Instead of marriage and a family more people opted for an education and career. People staying single longer lead to cohabitation outside of the marriage, and in the end more children born out of wedlock than ever before. (Cherlin 529) With this even though more woman were having more children out of wedlock birth rates in general sank to an all-time low. (Cherlin 529) In all people were more interested in there wants and needs instead of just sacrificing they wants and needs for their spouses. Also the “roles” each partner carried was negotiable, it was no longer the set norm for the husband to work and the wife be home barefoot and pregnant.
Morgan Johnson English Period 5 March 12, 2012 The American Dream is when you go to college, get a job, make money, get married and have kids. Marriage in America has changed a lot throughout the years. Marriage is the center point of family which is very common to have families in America. In the article “Is There Hope for American Marriage?” it talks about how affairs in America have become much more common among Americans in recent years. In the article “The Truth about Marriage in America” states that people think twice about getting married after they already having kids, divorce is always a pain.