There are also other ways in which families can be different. There can be organisational differences such as whether its an extended family or a nuclear family, does one parent work in the family or both parents, who does the housework, looks after the kids and so on. There are also many cultural differences which make families different from others. For example, African-Caribbean families tend to have more single parent families and have a more matriarchal family. The British whit society doesn’t respect the elderly community whereas Chinese people care and respect the elderly society. Pakistani and Bangladeshi families are seen to be more of a patriarchal family as the male works and are the head of the family and make all the major decisions. However, in today’s society men and women are equal and women have a choice in whether they want a career or not. Indian families have the highest number of nuclear families and the least number of single parent families. Class differences can also affect a family. The amount of money coming into the home will affect the relationship and whether both parents work. Possibly, latchkey children are more likely to be found in the lower social groups. A tradition of the upper class in England is that children will be at boarding school at a very young age.
Another factor that can affect families is geography and location. Families in the Sunbelt in the south of England, there are higher house prices and less people will move out. However along the Sunbelt is the M4 corridor which there are many industrial companies such as NEC and Rover so there are many job opportunities with a well-paid salary which will enable you to support yourself.
There are other different types of family types such as gay and lesbian families. In December 5th 2005 gay marriages were made legal in the UK for the first time ever. Many people argue that there has been a huge increase in the acceptability of gay and lesbian families as society is more open about this issue. Science and the growth of new reproductive technologies have allowed the number of gay and lesbian families to increase such as surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation. In vitro fertilisation involves fertilising an egg with a sperm. Surrogate motherhood involves one woman carrying a foetus produced by the egg of another woman. Gay and lesbian couples also if they choose to start a family now have the option of adopting.
The most emerging and known family form in British society are single parent families. In 1961 2% of the population lived in households consisting of a lone parent with dependant with children, but by 1998 this had more than tripled to 7%. Also, between 1972 and 1997 the percentage of children living in single parent families increased from 7% to 19 %. Britain has the second highest rate of lone parenthood in Europe. It is exceeded only by Denmark, and rated in countries such as Greece, Portugal and France are much lower than those of Britain. Nevertheless, throughout Europe and in advanced industrial countries such as Japan and the USA, the proportions have generally been increasing since at least the 1980’s. However single parents may well find a partner and marry or cohabit with them. The chid will then end up living with two parents. About 15% of lone mothers stop being lone mothers each year.
There are many different views on single parent families. Robert and Rhona Rapoport claim that the single parent families are an ‘emerging form’ of the family which is becoming accepted as a legitimate alternative at other family structures. A number of conservative politicians have argued that the increase in single parenthood is a consequence of the welfare state. They such payments encourage single parenthood. Also a problem with the welfare state is that some people take advantage over it. For example, Julie Came, a mother of seven lived a life of luxury while claiming benefits worth £350,000. She lived in a lavishly furnished £1.6 home that had two tennis courts, extensive landscaped grounds, stables with six horses and a string of expensive cars. Charles Murray argues that lone parenthood creates an unstable childhood which he refers to as underclass children who can’t fund for themselves, therefore committing crimes such as theft to get money also getting involved with drugs etc. However, Labours ‘new deal’ was a way of trying to break the cycle of lone parenthood. Often single parents become locked into a cycle of unemployment and claiming benefits. The new deal offered assistance with child care through tax incentives and by enabling young mothers to get qualifications.
David Morgan suggests that the rise in single parenthood could partly be due to changing relationships between men and women. He says important factors causing the rise could include the expectations that men and women have of marriage and the growing opportunities for women to develop a life for themselves outside of marriage or long term cohabitations. As many people agree that lone parenthood can be seen as a problem in society, many see it as a sign of social progress. Sarah Mclanahan and Karen Booth approach the problem with a feminist perspective and state that single parent families are an alternative family form consistent with the emerging economic independence of women. In today’s society women have more freedom.
There are many different views on family diversity from a sociological and political perspective. There are different opinions on what type of family form is ‘right’. Some people see the perfect family as the nuclear family and other family forms as being a social problem while others see that the family form doesn’t determine whether the family is perfect or not, it’s the relationship between the family members. Also the factors causing the emergence of these family forms may b a sign of social progress rather than a social problem
