Outline and discuss the view that there now exists a range of family types in contemporary society

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Sociology Richard / Mr Chacha                                                              Emma Rudd BMA

29th January

Sociology Essay – Diversity within the Family

Outline and discuss the view that there now exists a range of family types in contemporary society

There are many different types and definitions of the family. It is suggested that a family is a group of people related usually through blood, marriage or other legal ties (i.e. adoption) but this is not always the case. It is a group of people who support each other and at some point in their lives tend to have lived in the same household. Sociologists do not agree on a definition of the family, although definitions can usually be split into two categories exclusive and inclusive definitions. Exclusive definitions focus on the specific relationships within the unit e.g. marriage. Where as inclusive definitions focus on the functions of the unit e.g. supporting one another.

What is seen as an ideal family structure has changed over time, to match social change and a change in people’s attitudes. Different family types consist of the extended family, the nuclear family, single parent families, and reconstituted families. The extended family used to be seen as the ideal structure but it has now moved to the nuclear family. Parsons (an American functionalist) supports this but does not agree with the transition. He states that in pre-industrial societies the extended family system made it easier to carry out the wide range of functions within the family, but in industrial societies the extended family system is no longer needed as the functions of the extended family have been taken over by specialised agencies i.e. the welfare state, and the nuclear family provides the essential roles of mother, father etc.

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In a contemporary society not only are there a range of different family types / structures but households have changed as well, it used to be the extended family living in one household and now there are a number of different ways in which people live, some people live with their families, some cohabit and some choose to live alone.

Increasing numbers of households do not conform to conventional norms. Cohabitation in Great Britain for women under the age of 60 has increased from 13% in 1986 to 25% in 1998-99. Over the same time period for unmarried ...

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