This document discusses different types of modern families. It begins by defining a family and household. It then describes nuclear families, which consist of parents and children living together, as the most popular traditional family type. However, it notes the "cereal packet family" image is a myth as family diversity has increased. Other family types discussed include cohabitating couples, reconstituted families with children from previous relationships, beanpole families across generations, same-sex families, single-person households, and lone parent families. It attributes the rise in family diversity to factors like greater gender equality, individualization, and changing social attitudes.

1. Family diversity
Different types of families

2. Family
• A family is a group of people who are related
by kinship ties: relations of blood, marriage /
civil partnership or adoption.
• Cohabitating couples not formally linked by
kinship are also often regarded as a family
unit.

3. Household
• One person living alone or a group of people
who live at the same address and share living
arrangements (sharing either one meal a day
or living accommodation)

4. Nuclear
• A family with two generations, of parents and
children, living together in one household
• Still most popular
• Idealistic due to media
• Cereal packet family
• 34% of families are nuclear

5. Cereal packet family – the myth
• the stereotype of the ideal family found in the
media and advertising. Involves first-time
married parents and their own natural
children, with the father as the breadwinner
and the mother as primarily concerned with
the home and children
• New Right theorists and functionalists view it
as most desirable
• Family life is changing, wide range of types

6. Cohabitation
• Living together without the legal bonds of
marriage or civil partnership)
• Risen due to less social stigma towards it
• In the past considered as ‘living in sin’
• Cheaper alternative to marriage

7. Reasons for rise in cohabitation
• Changing role of women – not willing to take on
housewife role in patriarchal family
• Reduced functions of family – functionalist
• Reduced stigma
• Secularization
• Rising divorce rate – people deterred, risk
• Reducing risk – Beck says we live in ‘risk society’,
less controlled by traditional structures and
institutions, avoiding long term commitment

8. Reconstituted
• A family in which both partners have been
previously married, or living as a cohabiting
couple, and bring with them children of a
previous relationship. Also known as
stepfamily or a blended family.

9. Beanpole family
• A multi-generation extended, in a patter which is long
and thin, with fewer aunts, uncles and cousins,
reflecting fewer children being born in each
generation, but people living longer.
• Vertically extended family
Great Grandma
Grandma
Mum
Child
• Longer life expectancy
• Childcare needed

10. Same sex
• Usually nuclear in form, involves adults of the
same sex plus children (own or adopted)
• Only increased over recent decades
• Laws – legislation of gay marriage, Civil
Partnership
• Allowed to adopt

11. Singletons / singlehood
• Single person household
• Individualization – the process whereby
traditional social relationships, roles and
beliefs lose their influence over the lives of
individuals
• Financially independent

12. Lone parent
• A family with just one parent
• Number of lone parent families has triple since 1971
• New Right view it negatively; results in decline of
importance of family life, crime, housing shortages,
drug abuse, educational failure
• Blame welfare state (e.g. Charles Murray)
• Child Support Agency 1993 – fathers must take
financial responsibility
• Childcare Tax Credit – encouraging employment
through help with costs of childcare, nursery
expansions, after school clubs

13. Growth in number of lone parent
families
• Economic independence of women – more job
opportunities, welfare state
• Contraception – feeling of less responsibility
to marry due to unintentional pregnancy
• Reproductive technology – surrogate
motherhood and fertility treatments (e.g. IVF)
• Changing social attitudes – less social stigma
attached to lone parenthood