Family Diversity

Overview

• Family diversity is influenced by structural, cultural, social class, ethnicity, and sexuality factors.
• UK families include various forms like nuclear, lone-parent, and reconstituted families.
• Diversity in family structures is referred to as structural diversity.

Intragenerational and Intergenerational Ties

• Low birth rates lead to fewer intragenerational ties among siblings and cousins.
• Longer life expectancy strengthens intergenerational relationships, like with grandparents.
• These relationships offer support during divorce or for lone parents.

Social Class and Family Diversity

Postmodernist vs Traditional Views

• Postmodernists: Social class is less influential; greater personal freedom in organizing family life.
• Others: Social class still shapes family life, affecting children's future class positions.

Class Reproduction

• Rosemary Crompton: Families ensure class reproduction; children often follow parents' class paths.
• Economic advantages: Wealthy parents pass on financial assets and invest in children's education.
• Cultural capital: Middle-class parents provide cultural knowledge aiding educational success.

Impact of Poverty

• Poverty leads to lack of resources affecting children's opportunities.
• Ilan Katz: While poverty presents challenges, many parents display resilience and coping skills.

Gillies (2005) Study

• Class differences in parenting:
  • Middle-class: Emphasize individuality, use resources for education.
  • Working-class: Focus on coping with poverty, ensuring children stay out of trouble.

Ethnicity and Family Diversity

Ethnic Influence on Family Structure

• Ethnic groups influence family organization, challenging the view of individualized personal relationships.

South Asian Families

• Characteristics: Multi-generational households, traditional gender roles, arranged marriages.
• Recent changes: Increase in nuclear families, divorce, and lone parenthood.

African-Caribbean Families

• Traditions: Matrifocal families, common-law cohabitation.
• Higher lone-parenthood rates but supported by extended family.

Diversity within Ethnic Groups

• Richard Berthoud's scale: Traditional nuclear family to modern individualism.
• African-Caribbean families viewed as more individualistic than whites.
• Criticism by Robin Mann: Patterns reflect Caribbean traditions, not individualism.

Sexuality and Family Diversity

Impact of Same-Sex Relationships

• Greater acceptance leads to new family types and intimate relationships.
• Same-sex households often described as chosen families.
• Feminist views: Lesbian marriage and mothering as egalitarian models.

Statistics

• Same-sex couples remain a minority but contribute to diversity.
• British Social Attitudes Survey: Significant minority view same-sex relations negatively.

Activities and Discussion Points

• Social class affects children's opportunities through economic and cultural factors.
• Gillies' findings highlight differences in parenting strategies between classes.
• Ethnic patterns in family life and changing attitudes among British Asians.
• Same-sex relationships' role in transforming family structures.

Further Exploration

• Discuss reasons for traditional marriage patterns among British Asians.
• Examine the impact of social class on parenting and children's future opportunities.
• Analyze changing attitudes to family life in minority ethnic groups.