Evolution Of Family Structures

Introduction

The family structure involves people who are regarded as part of the family that is present members and important people from the past along with the quality of relationship present among them. The presence of a proper family structure provides basic resources and economic support along with value, love and companionship for the family members (Parke and Ladd, 2016). In this assignment, the changes in family structure with changing patterns of marriage, divorce, separation and raising children are to be explained. The changes in family structures in regard to gender and others along with the different theoretical perspectives of family are to be discussed.

1.1 Explaining family structure in terms of changing patterns of marriage, divorce, separation and raising children

The progress of the generation has seen different patterns of marriage which have affected the way family is structured. In the UK, the opposite-sex marriage in 2015 was recorded to be 239,020 which is dropped by 3.4% than the previous year (ons.gov.uk, 2016). However, a surge in same-sex couples living together and involving in marriage in the UK has surged by 152,000 ranging to total number of same-sex couples in 2015 to be 232,000 (uk.reuters.com, 2019). The lower numbers of opposite-sex marriage patterns have led to create change in nuclear pattern of the family where instead of presence of two-parent of different gender, same-gender parents are present to assist raising a child (Winkler, 2018). In addition, the reduction in opposite-sex marriage and lack of acceptance of same-sex marriages are leading many families to be broken and lead their life as single individuals (Bastianelli et al. 2017).

The increase in the divorce and separation rates among couples has lead to create changes in family patterns by emerging single-parent families where a sole parent is responsible to take care of the child (Cherlin, 2017). This is evident as in 2017 the National statistics informed that nearly 1.8 million single-parent families are living with dependent children which represent 22% of families in the country has single parent and the rate has remained quite steady over the past 20 years (sheffield.ac.uk, 2018). The rising separation rates among the couples have also lead to emerge family patterns such as living apart. In this pattern, the married couples are found to try living apart from their spouse with their children to offer time to each other and avoid suffocating. This has lead raising children to be shared responsibility of both parents where they by turn assist to develop the children helping the children also to avoid the pain of having separated parents (Bowman, 2017).

The lack of preferences of the couples to bond over marriage as well as lack of support of same-sex marriages has lead to develop family patterns of cohabitation in which people live together without any legal bond. In this nature of family, raising the children is found to be the responsibility of both the parents but after separation the responsibility of raising the child falls on a single parent often making them face lack of effective resources and support the development of the child (Kolk and Andersson, 2018). The less preference for marriage and rising rates of divorce and separation is leading to increased presence of childless family patterns. In these families, often two individuals are present who work together but avoid raising children and instead take responsibilities of pets (Aasen Nilsen et al. 2018). The remarriage after divorce as a changing pattern of marriage has led to create step-families in which children from two families are raised together with the help of the parents (Aasen Nilsen et al. 2018).

1.2 Discussing the changes in family in respect to gender, domestic labour or power relationship

In respect to gender, the changes in the family which have taken place is that women are allowed to act as earning members of the family who can gather economic and support resources for feeding and raising the family members. This change has been created to allow women provide financial support to the family and supplement for the lower wages of the male workers to ensure better life of the family members (Mookerjee, 2019). However, if the changes have not been created then it would lead the family members to remain hungry and become extensively dependent on the male members making them face increased responsibility to develop hardship in collecting resources to raise the family. In respect to gender, the change in the modern families indicates that women are also regarded as decision-makers in the family apart from men and in some cases, women are regarded as head of the family (Hu and Scott, 2016). This is because in single-family type, in most cases, they are found to be lead by women who act as head of the family to take decision and arrange resources in raising the children.

In respect to domestic labour, the changes seen in the family is that both women and men are seen to equally participate in accomplishing the domestic tasks instead of providing women the sole responsibility of executing domestic labour as seen in the previous era. The sharing of household responsibilities between both the gender has been raised as the current notion adopted in the families and society is that both men and women are of equal gender and each of them has the responsibility to contribute labour in raising a family in a most effective way. This is because shared domestic labour would help the women have assistance in accomplishing the task smoothly (Pennartz and Niehof, 2019). Moreover, in the modern era, most of the women are found to be working individuals and therefore sharing of domestic labour is essential for maintaining a stable relationship with the spouse whom they are helping by supplementing addition economic support through their earnings (Rye et al. 2018).

The Power Relationship is referred to the concept where relative power of a person is compared to that of their partner’s. In this nature of relationship, often one partner is seen to impose their thinking on another even though they do not like the idea making them support the decision being overpowered by their partner (Dinisman et al. 2017). In respect to power relationship, it is seen that the partner in power over the other takes most of the decision in the family. In addition, it is also seen that the power among the partners varies with change in the domain for which the decision is to be taken (Allen, 2018). This is because within the family partners require to take various decision regarding domains such as raising children, making plans for future, perform household tasks, manage finances and others. In respect to power relationship, interdependence of the partners is seen in the family because one of them cannot have complete understanding regarding all the domains in the family (Pennartz and Niehof, 2019). Therefore, power of deciding for family is interchanged between genders based on the domain or aspects for which decision is to be taken as one cannot have disposal of all nature of power to be able to influence in considering decision by another partner.

2.1 Comparing and contrasting different explanations of Marxist, functionalist, Feminist and Interactionist views regarding family

The functionalist perspective regarding family mentions it to be an essential institution which is regarded as basic building block of the society that performs intricate functions for accomplishing socialisation of the young people and resolving the emotional needs of the family members (Thabethe et al. 2016). Murdock functionalist perspective regarding family mentions them to have four essential roles that are biological reproduction, management of sexual relationships between partners, education and socialisation of children and managing economic needs of the family (Abanyam and Otikwu, 2019). The criticism regarding the functionalist perspective of the family is provided by the Marxist and Feminist who argued that the theory presented in too much exaggerated and idealistic picture of family that is not at all true in the society. The Marxist perspective regarding family argued that families do not perform a role for all in the society but they mainly perform role for capitalism and the ruling class. The Marxist mentions that family is used as an institution by the wealthy to pass their wealth and private property to the children, in turn, developing inequality in classes (Tonomura, 2017). However, the criticism of Marxist perspective of the family is presented by Feminist who mentions that the Marxist has focussed too much on social class and avoided the role that is being played by patriarchy which is the key source that creates female oppression (Hossain et al. 2016).

The feminist mentions that there are two functional facts regarding family that is girls socialising are made to accept subservient roles whereas boys socialising is regarded to be superior and socialising women is made to lead women develop acceptance the role of the housewife as the only role to be welcomed (Rossetto and Tollison, 2017). Thus, the Feminist perspective regarding family has been developed with the focus to criticise gender roles related with traditional family structure as the regarding family is the key breeding ground for patriarchal values to be learned by other members and children. In contrast, the Interactionist perspective regarding family mentions that families allow reinforcement and rejuvenation of bonds with the help of symbolic mechanism rituals like family meals, holidays and others. The perspective informs that shared activities can develop emotional bonds and the family relation and marriages are developed through negotiated means of thinking and decision (Sorensen et al. 2017). The criticism regarding the interactionist theory of family is that their perspectives are developed based on the reality of society.

Conclusion

The discussion informs that with changing patterns in marriage such as avoiding martial bonding, executing same-sex marriage along with divorce and separation are leading the concept of the nuclear family to be dissolved and rise, single-parent family, cohabitation, living apart and other types of family structure. This is affecting the raising of the children to be sole responsibility of single parents or shared responsibility of parents. In respect to gender, the decision-making power is interchanged and in respect to domestic labour and power relationship often the role in the family is found to be shared by partners. The functionalist perspective regarding family is criticised by feminist and Marxist.

References

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