In the beginning of the twentieth century the role of the average woman and family was very different to that of the later twentieth century, most women would stay at home with their children while their husbands went out to earn money. It was at this time that the average amount of children per woman was six; recent statistics show that it has dropped, alarmingly, to 1.7 (National Office Of Statistics), with many women choosing not to have children at all. Mike Featherstone (1991) proposed that in modern day living, individuals have a great deal more choice and freedom over how to live their lives. They do not have to battle with the parts of their lifestyle that in pre-industrial Britain would have stopped them from doing as they wish. He suggested that it would not be unsurprising at all if family types did not become more diverse and less obscure family types would not rise. This would indeed appear to be so; there is evidence to show that the extended family is increasing at the moment due to the problem of a lack of care homes, rising directly from the increase in life expectancy. This coupled with the idea that teenage pregnancies are on the rise (UK has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe!) would suggest that a slight rise in the extended family would be almost definite. It can also be seen that more people are choosing to be single than ever before, where as this was once seen to be something that society would question, it would now appear that society has become more accepting of individuals who would like to live alone, and put such things as career or education before a relationship.
The rate of emigration and immigration is something that can also be taken into consideration. At the moment the UK has hundreds of thousands of people entering and leaving the country each year, in 2001, 187.8 thousand people entered the UK with the intention to stay, with similar numbers leaving to set up new lives abroad. Tariq Modood et al (1994) carried out research into ethnic groups and their common family traits. Amongst other things, they discovered that, those of African, Asian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnicity were most likely to marry. 90% of South Asian families with children had married parents, while when looking at White families; only 75% of parents were married. Caribbean families were even lower at 50%. Macionis & Plummer (2000) backed up this research in their findings that the nuclear family was far more likely to be found in Bangladeshi and Pakistani Communities than others – they argued that although these families may contain more members, this is due to a larger amount of children, not an extended family. Other forms of research have came to the conclusion that Cypriot families are less likely to look for help from outside agencies when in times of need and will be more likely to turn to their kin for this – therefore they have a tendency to have extended family homes.
When contemplating the amount of immigration and emigration into and out of the UK, these statistics can become significant as they may prove that in general, those people immigrating into another country could bring with them a less common family type. As years go by more and more emigration to and from the UK is taking place therefore this could result in a more varied, diverse family type.
Statistics alone (General Household Survey) show us that in the last three decades the number of married/cohabiting people living with their own dependant children has decreased from 92% in 1972 to 75% in 2002. Obviously then taking into consideration that these statistics use those couples cohabiting as well, the percentage for married couples with dependant children would surely be less.
Many sociologists argue that industrialisation and modernisation has had the biggest influence on the family. This theory is not as clear-cut as it first may seem as modernisation and industrialisation take place at different times in different societies, with some countries taking great leaps in technology and some taking a slower approach, for the purpose of this thesis however we will think of this in terms of the UK. Through this, women have become more and more independent, and begun to become employed (although this was more likely in the lower classes initially). The 2nd world war brought about even more changes to the lifestyle of women, causing more women to work, a lot of which doing jobs that were considered to be ‘men’s work’. This caused women to work more and more and to be considered to be more equal, with a lot of women enjoying the independence and wanting to continue to work after the war was over. It could be said that the decline of the nuclear family is just another sign of the lifestyle of the average women evolving – as we previously discussed, now women make their own decisions on when to have children, if at all, whether to get married, if at all, and whether they would like to live alone or not. It is no longer seen as ‘strange’ for a woman to live by herself.
The divorce rate is another one of many factors that are seen to be reducing the amount of nuclear families within the western world. Since the divorce act of 1857, it became possible for more and more married couples to divorce, for many years this was rarely carried out, but it has slowly became more and more ‘the norm’ making it now socially acceptable. Since 1950 there has been an increase of 123.74 thousand divorces in the UK (Office for National Statistics)! This undeniable increase in divorce will obviously reduce the amount of nuclear families and create an increase of Single Parent Families as well as Reconstituted families,
The Single Parent Family, is not however only becoming more common due to divorce, undoubtedly there are other factors to take into consideration such as cohabiting couples with dependant children parting ways. In the late twentieth century it was found that 21% of all families with dependant children were headed by a single parent (1994, Guardian). The stigma that was once attached to being single with children is now a thing of the past. It is estimated that by 2016 the amount of single parent homes will have soared by 20% (2004, Daily Mail).
Less common family types are starting to have a more established place n today’s society. There is a growing trend of gay/lesbian families, a lot of whom are choosing to adopt children. The rising acceptance of society on this issue allows such family types to prosper, thus reducing the amount of Nuclear families.
In conclusion, it would seem that research would suggest that the nuclear family has been a form of living for hundreds of years, and although it may become less popular due to the increase in divorce, rise in reconstituted families and those more infrequent family types such as gay/lesbian headed families, there is no reason for it to become a thing of the past. Individuals will always immigrate and emigrate and as discussed this would cause a more varied family type, although this could well lessen the amount of Nuclear Families in the UK, it could just as easily help to keep it alive. It would seem that it might decline to a point – many couples do still continue to marry and have children whilst living together, despite the fact that this may occur later on in life that in other points in history.
Bibliography
Blankenhorn, D (2002) ‘The reappearing of the nuclear family’ First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life’ January 2003, p.20
Haralambos and Holborn (2004), Sociology Themes and Perspectives, Sixth Edition, London: HarperCollins Publishers
Iley, C (1994) ‘ Decline and fall of the nuclear family’ Sunday Times, Sunday June 19th 1994, p.9
Linden, M (2002) ‘Agenda 2002: More choose to go it alone’ Financial Times, Thursday November 28th 2002, p. NA
Madeley, G (2004) ‘Home truths on decline of the two parent family’ Daily Mail, Saturday April 24th 2004, p.34
Home Office Statistical Bulletin [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/hosb1204.pdf] Accessed 15/11/04
Joseph Rowntree Foundation [http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/spr938.asp] Accessed 16/11/04
National Statistics Online [http://www.statistics.gov.uk] Accessed 16/11/04
