Family - diversity

Diversity There are several types of family within UK society. These include; Nuclear Single – parent Gay / lesbian Extended Reconstituted (or blended) Alternatives to family life include single-person households, communes and living in a kibbutz. For the examination, you will need to describe the different types of family, understand their significance and consider their pros and cons. For example the nuclear family consists of a married couple with children. It is the most common type of family, although sociologists argue that it is under threat. As with all types of family, there are both positives and negatives to consider. POSITIVES NEGATIVES The New Right argues that the nuclear family is ideally suited to teaching a child moral decency. Feminists argue that the wife is exploited in a nuclear family. By staying at home she becomes little more than an unpaid servant and carer. Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is the one best suited to the wider needs of society (i.e. one person goes out to work, the other stays at home and looks after the children). As with all types of family, the nuclear family can consist of emotional blackmail and verbal / sexual abuse. This is sometimes called the ‘dark side of the family.’