One aspect of diversity identified by the Rapoports is that the ‘conventional family’ no longer makes up a majority of households or families. Rapoports were the first to realize the idea of family diversity, arguing there has been an increase of lone-parent families and a decline in nuclear families. They identified 5 elements of family diversity in Britain; 1-Organizational diversity- this basically means that there are different family structures, household types, patterns of kinship network and differences in the division of labour within the home. Also there are the reconstituted families, which are families that are formed after divorce and marriage. 2-Cultural diversity-which is the differences between ethnic origins and different religious beliefs. 3-Social classes-this is in terms of relationships between adults and the way children are brought up in the society. 4-Life cycle- depending on the stage in the life cycle, different results may arise such as newly wed couples without children, may have a different family life of those with dependent children, or children that have left home. Finally, 5-Cohart- this refers to the different stages at which the family has passed through. This affects the life experiences of the family, e.g. During the baby boom in 50’s and the 60’s, unemployment was high and this may have increased children to become dependent on their parents. With these 5 aspects of diversity identified, Eversley and Bonnerjea draw their attention towards regional diversity. There are 6 points, 1-the ‘sun belt’-which is the over-represented by the higher social classes, the wealthy south. 2-the ‘geriatric wards’-this is the coastal area of England which has got a higher proportion of the elderly, retired couples, etc. 3-older declining industrial areas-this is the conventional family structures in the industrial areas which is suffering from long-term decline. 4-newly declining industrial areas-in midlands, high rates of women/older workers unemployment, migration of the young, etc. 5-truly rural areas the family-based farm, and lastly 6-the inner cities- both parent and ethnic minority families, a great deal of immigrations and the social deprivation is high. Eversley and Bonnerjea research shows the danger of generalizing the ‘typical British family’, local influences affect the kind of families, which exist in different regions of the country.
Ballard points out that there are many important cultural differences within the Asian community. Many of them have kept the traditional family patterns, which are the concern for the wider kinship network, loyalty to the family and a division in the roles and social worlds of men and women. West Indian has also kept their traditional family patterns. However, Westwood and Bhachu show that Asian families are just as diverse as white families , they have also been affected by the changes in general. Although, many Asian families are now based on the nuclear families, their wider kinship is still respected. The nuclear family in usually the norm for West Indian families in Britain, it is also common for couples to live together outside marriage. Mothers and other female relatives help the lone mothers, which are not unusual. Driver found this true of West Indian families in Britain, with a high proportion of matrifocal families. Phoenix also warns against danger of stereotyping ethnic minority families, and ethnic minority families are themselves diverse. There are also other ethnic minorities which all have their own family traditions, which adds to the diversity of families in Britain.
There are less and less people living in parents-and-children households. People living alone or in lone-parenthood households have increased in numbers, and a move away from living in nuclear families in Britain. It is increasingly acceptable to form alternative households and families to conventional nuclear ones.
