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The change of family in modern societies
Decline of the traditional family structure
Family dynamics and its implications for societal development
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Outline and critically assess the most significant crises, conflicts and changes in family formations over the last two decades (since 1990). Make reference to your own experience, in terms of changes in identity and identifications over time. In order to address the question it is important to present the evidence which shows that there have been conflicts, crises, and changes in society since 1990. It is widely understood there are many formations of the family. This involves the forever changing affects on society which bring us back to the family. This essay will discuss the social changes occur within the family paying particular attention to lone parenthood. It will look at changes to marriage, divorce, births outside marriage and poverty and look at to what extent these changes have had on British society since 1990, and also what these changes have meant to the family within. In Western Society, over the past two decades there has been significant changes in the which the family is forming. We have seen major shifts in the demographic constitution of the family and public policy, especially in terms of their formation and dissolution. As a result of this there is far more diversity in people's domestic and living arrangements compared to how they were earlier in the centuries. It has been noticed over these recent decades that living patterns between individuals are less and less conforming appropriately to the model of the nuclear family leaving some commentators to claim the family is in terminal decline. Increases in divorce, cohabitation, births outside marriage and lone parent families all result in old certainties to family formations being questioned. (Kiernan, 1998) In society, the family is seen as a ... ... middle of paper ... ... London:Family Policy Studies Centre Giddens, A. (2006) Sociology Fifth Edition. Polity Press Bridge Street: Cambridge Cheal,D. (1991) Family and the State of Theory, Harvester Wheatsheaf:Hertfordshire Kiernan,K. Land, and Lewis, J. (1998) Lone Motherhood in Twentieth-Century Britain Clarendon Press: Oxford Parental Divorce in Childhood and Demographic Outcomes in Young Adulthood, Demography, 32: 299-318. Murray, C. (1996a) 'The emerging British underclass', in Lister, R (ed.) Charles Murray and the Underclass: The developing Debate. London: Institute of Economic Affairs Murray, C. (1996b) 'Underclass: the crisis deepens', in Lister, R (ed.) Charles Murray and the Underclass: The developing Debate. London: Institute of Economic Affairs Dallos, R. (1991) Family Belief Systems, Therapy and Change, Milton Keynes: Open University Press
Preventing poverty and improving the school system can help prevent class reproduction, but Macleod argues that, "what is required is the creation of a truly open society--a society where the life chances of those at the bottom are not radically different from those at the top and where wealth is distributed more equitably" (260). Until structural inequality is eliminated, wealth is more evenly distributed, and discrimination between classes ends, social reproduction will be to well known by society.
There is much debate on what constitutes as a family today. However, Ball (2002) states, “The concept of the traditional family…is not an immutable one. It is a social construct that varies from culture to culture and, over time, the definition changes within a culture” (pp. 68). There is a growing diversity of families today including the commonality of sole-parenting. In order to explore aspects of sole-parenthood objectively, I need to reflect and put aside my personal experience of growing up in sole-parent household. Furthermore, this essay will explore the historical origins, cultural aspects discussing the influences and implications of gender identity, and social structures of sole-parent families, as well as consider the implications in midwifery by applying the sociological imagination. Mills (2000/1959) describes the sociological imagination as “…a quality of mind that seems most dramatically to promise an understanding of the intimate realities of ourselves in connection with larger social realities” (pp.15). In other words, the sociological imagination involves the ability to consider the relationships between personal experiences and those within society as a whole.
In his essay “Land of Opportunity” James W. Loewen details the ignorance that most American students have towards class structure. He bemoans the fact that most textbooks completely ignore the issue of class, and when it does it is usually only mentions middle class in order to make the point that America is a “middle class country. This is particularly grievous to Loewen because he believes, “Social class is probably the single most important variable in society. From womb to tomb, it correlates with almost all other social characteristics of people that we can measure.” Loewen simply believes that social class usually determine the paths that a person will take in life. (Loewen 203)
Gregory Mantsios advocates more on the struggle to proceed from one class to another in his essay-“Class in America”. Mantsios states that, “Class standing has a significant impact on our chances for survival....
Tahlin, M. (1993), `Class Inequality and Post-industrial Employment' in GostaEsping, A. ed., Changing Class: Stratification and Mobility in Post-industrial Societies, London, SAGE.
The working class stays working and the middle class stays being middle. Author Nick Tingle, wrote “The vexation of class”, he argues that the working class and the middle class are separated educationally based on culture and the commonplace. Tingle uses his own personal experiences and Ethos, to effectively prove his point about the difference in class based on culture ; although, Tingle also falls short by adding unnecessary information throughout the article that weakens his belief entirely.
the middle and upper class. The essay was first presented in the winter of 2006.
The working class stay working and the middle class stay being middle. Author Nick Tingle, wrote “The vexation of class”, he argues that the working class and the middle class are separated based on culture and the commonplace. Tingle uses his own personal experiences and Ethos, to effectively prove his point about the difference in class; although, Tingle also falls short by adding unnecessary information throughout the article that weakens his belief entirely.
Jackson, B and Marsden, D (1966) Education and the working classes. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul plc.
This paper will review two articles pertaining to “fragile families” and assess how they help contribute to family policy. “Fragile families” are very pertinent to the core of family policy. In the 1990’s the term “fragile families” originated out of a need to describe families not fitting into the traditional married – unmarried couples with children (McLanahan, Garfinkel, Mincy, & Donahue, 2010). Over a 60 year period non-marital births of children increased significantly. In 1940, 4% of children born were to non-married parents. However, by 2007 this number reached a high of 40%. These families can be compromised of cohabitating couples, non-cohabitating couples, or single mothers (Kalil & Ryan, 2010). They are deemed “fragile” because they are more likely to experience difficulties economically and relationship wise. They tend to be more impoverished, experience material hardship, and have absent fathers. More importantly fragile families are of great concern because they often lack stability as a family unit. Yet, fragile families have become one of the new family types and seem to be a permanent structure steadily on the rise. Bogenschneider (2006) stated that one of the main underlying issues of the family policy debate is the conflicting ideas of families (types). These conflicts are evident when you look at the 3 perspectives with regard to family policy: Concerned, Sanguine, and Impatient. This is why there has been increased focus on this new type of family. One of the issues that need be assessed with regard to fragile families is mothers’ economic conditions and their support systems. (McLanahan et al., 2010).
Kerbo, H. R. (2012). Social stratification and inequality: class conflict in historical, comparative, and global perspective (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
In today’s generation there are many forms of family composition that contributes to how a society defines a family. There is the traditional family where there are heterosexual parents and biological children. There is also the modern family where there is a broader combination, extended relationships, and out of wedlock children. In entirety of all forms of family composition, a family plays an important role with a function that will contribute to the society’s equilibrium. Looking further into a smaller scale pattern of society, having a family is a significant component of every individual’s life. Family ties may bring in positivity, strength, and happiness but it can also bring difficult challenges. A conflict within a family such as divorce presents a sociological impact that affects all family members most predominantly the children. Thus, it redefines the roles and responsibilities of each family member. Every individual can look at divorce in different angles due to the different beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge that each one holds. Two different people would say divorce has either positively or negatively redefined family composition. However, a neutral person would just accept the fact that it has changed and redefined family arrangements. Every angle is put into consideration when discussing the effects of divorce. The outcome of a divorce cannot be changed or altered at all times. Nevertheless, an understanding of divorce should be established to provide greater assistance and assurance to the affected children because it would greatly reduce the chances of the negative effects in the future.
The sociological concept class is useful in understanding Australian society because it affects all Australians till this very day. In a country where there are classes, there is immense inequality. Assets and investments are used for the Bourgeois class for items such as luxury and purchaser goods leaving many millions and billions of people’s needs neglected. Majority of the Third Worlds valuable amplitude, specifically land goes into generating yield/crops for exporting to rich countries instead of producing and supplying food for the starving and famishing people. The Bourgeois class people snatch most of the resources before the Proletariat have a chance because they can afford to...
There is no true definition in what makes the family. Constant changes happen since the society in which we live in is evolving at a constant rate. This evolvement that is taking place has changed the idea of an ideal family. Many years back family meant a married heterosexual couple with 1.5 kids. Truth is that this is not ideal for everyone. After challenging this ideal family structure it has been concluded that family forms and functions are different. Therefore this paper will address some changes in the family such as divorce, step parenting, and immigration, how these new changes play a significant role in family diversity.
Different social classes can be distinguished by inequalities in such areas as power, authority, and wealth, working and living conditions, life-styles, life span, education, religion, and culture. The 19th century was primarily divided into four distinct social groups (or classes): “upper class”, “middle class”, “working class”, and “under class”. Beneath the working class of industrial workers, submerged the “under class”. They were often referred to as the “sunken people”-- those of which lived in poverty. Each class included a wide range of occupations of varying status and income; there was a large gap between the classes. Early in the 19th century the labels “working classes” and “middle classes” were already coming into frequent usage. The old inherited aristocracy, reinforced by the new gentry who owned their success to business, industry, and the professions, evolved into an “upper class” which grimly maintained control over the political system, depriving not only the working classes, but also the middle classes of a voice in (the) political developments. However, the increasingly powerful middle classes undertook organized demonstrations to remedy this situation while the working class became hostile to not only the upper class, but the middle class as well. The working class was not exactly the lowest class but endured a lot of hardships. They endured unemployment, long hours with little pay; factories full of filth, animals and pests, harsh climate/temperatures,...