(no subject)
I've left my disk in the classroom and I've just written my sociology coursework out.. I refuse to trust college computers so it's gonna sit here til I get home when it may be replaced by something sensible and interesting.
Unless you want to read all about my investigation into the demise of the traditional nuclear family unit then just ignore the following!
-Thanks for all the birthday cards, presents, texts, wishes etc. Or thanks for forgetting it altogether.
I'm impressed by Coxy's dad though- he bought me a drink for my birthday because Nelson and Coxy didn't wish me a happy birthday..? lol
-I have a new phone. It may be off for a while this weekend as I have to transfer my old number onto the new SIM card because we're blaming that for a lot of the problems (we being me and Wayne the guy at The Link lol). So expect to be inundated with drivel (because I can hardly text on the damn thing) and finally see who all these weird people I keep talking about are (due to the joys of built in cameras).
Anyway, more later. I have to get back to the joys of Sociology then onto drooling over Craig a serious Environmental Science lesson on forestry :-)
Laters minions xxx
Aim
The aim of my research is to discover to what extent the typical family unit is still the traditional nuclear family. It is my belief that the nuclear family is deteriorating as the extended family did before it, due to the emergence of different family types (e.g. lone-parent and reconstituted families, cohabiting and same sex couples). The changing norms and values of society and constantly up-dated media projects (such as soap operas) make the traditional family unit less common in modern society. I am interested in the decline in numbers of nuclear family units as many sociologists believe it’s the “proper” type of family while others suggest it’s detrimental to health as well as society. The demise of the nuclear family unit would rectify these problems (while possibly creating many new ones!) and so should be assessed.
Context and Concepts
The first context for consideration in the demise of the traditional nuclear family is Robert and Rhonda Rapoport (1982) who’s research showed that in 1978 just 20% of families consisted of married couples with children in which there was a single breadwinner. This recorded statistical suggestion of family diversity as a cause of the demise of the nuclear family forms the first concept of the investigation.
The Rapoports’ view the decline of the “conventional” family forms as a global trend, there’s been a dramatic increase throughout Europe in the proportion of married women who are employed; suggesting developments not only in conjugal roles but structural responsibilities within the traditional nuclear family unit.
The Rapoports suppose the view that changing roles, norms and values have contributed to the decline of traditional family forms, giving ‘more women are employed’ and/or ‘more women choosing to raise children alone’ as the main examples of this, as both redefine the family unit. Also offered as an example is the reduced stigma attached to emergent forms of family unit as well as fewer derogatory terms used to describe them (which imply deviation of norms): society has developed to accept a ‘plurality of norms’.
The second context is Robert Chester (1985) as he claims changes to the family have been minor and that the evidence presented by those suggesting otherwise is misleading: Chester insists that the family has remained unchanged since the Second World War ended.
“Most adults still marry and have children. Most children are reared by their natural parents. Most people live in a household headed by a married couple. Most marriages continue until parted by death. No great change seems currently in prospect.”
-Chester, 1985
He explained that other sociologists had calculated percentages of family groups/households without mentioning the percentage of the population within those households; e.g. in 1981, 40% of households consisted of two parents plus children but over 59% of people lived in these households.
Chester’s second point explained that many single-person households were comprised of the elderly or very young; those who had been part of a tradition nuclear family and were now widowed, or will be in the future but are too young at present. This ‘life-cycle’ explanation forms the second concept. He claimed that it was this reason rather than choice which caused any change in family/household statistics and so snapshots of household types do not provide a valid picture of British families today.
Unless you want to read all about my investigation into the demise of the traditional nuclear family unit then just ignore the following!
-Thanks for all the birthday cards, presents, texts, wishes etc. Or thanks for forgetting it altogether.
I'm impressed by Coxy's dad though- he bought me a drink for my birthday because Nelson and Coxy didn't wish me a happy birthday..? lol
-I have a new phone. It may be off for a while this weekend as I have to transfer my old number onto the new SIM card because we're blaming that for a lot of the problems (we being me and Wayne the guy at The Link lol). So expect to be inundated with drivel (because I can hardly text on the damn thing) and finally see who all these weird people I keep talking about are (due to the joys of built in cameras).
Anyway, more later. I have to get back to the joys of Sociology then onto drooling over Craig a serious Environmental Science lesson on forestry :-)
Laters minions xxx
Aim
The aim of my research is to discover to what extent the typical family unit is still the traditional nuclear family. It is my belief that the nuclear family is deteriorating as the extended family did before it, due to the emergence of different family types (e.g. lone-parent and reconstituted families, cohabiting and same sex couples). The changing norms and values of society and constantly up-dated media projects (such as soap operas) make the traditional family unit less common in modern society. I am interested in the decline in numbers of nuclear family units as many sociologists believe it’s the “proper” type of family while others suggest it’s detrimental to health as well as society. The demise of the nuclear family unit would rectify these problems (while possibly creating many new ones!) and so should be assessed.
Context and Concepts
The first context for consideration in the demise of the traditional nuclear family is Robert and Rhonda Rapoport (1982) who’s research showed that in 1978 just 20% of families consisted of married couples with children in which there was a single breadwinner. This recorded statistical suggestion of family diversity as a cause of the demise of the nuclear family forms the first concept of the investigation.
The Rapoports’ view the decline of the “conventional” family forms as a global trend, there’s been a dramatic increase throughout Europe in the proportion of married women who are employed; suggesting developments not only in conjugal roles but structural responsibilities within the traditional nuclear family unit.
The Rapoports suppose the view that changing roles, norms and values have contributed to the decline of traditional family forms, giving ‘more women are employed’ and/or ‘more women choosing to raise children alone’ as the main examples of this, as both redefine the family unit. Also offered as an example is the reduced stigma attached to emergent forms of family unit as well as fewer derogatory terms used to describe them (which imply deviation of norms): society has developed to accept a ‘plurality of norms’.
The second context is Robert Chester (1985) as he claims changes to the family have been minor and that the evidence presented by those suggesting otherwise is misleading: Chester insists that the family has remained unchanged since the Second World War ended.
“Most adults still marry and have children. Most children are reared by their natural parents. Most people live in a household headed by a married couple. Most marriages continue until parted by death. No great change seems currently in prospect.”
-Chester, 1985
He explained that other sociologists had calculated percentages of family groups/households without mentioning the percentage of the population within those households; e.g. in 1981, 40% of households consisted of two parents plus children but over 59% of people lived in these households.
Chester’s second point explained that many single-person households were comprised of the elderly or very young; those who had been part of a tradition nuclear family and were now widowed, or will be in the future but are too young at present. This ‘life-cycle’ explanation forms the second concept. He claimed that it was this reason rather than choice which caused any change in family/household statistics and so snapshots of household types do not provide a valid picture of British families today.