Family Types (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Different family types in the UK

• The term ‘family’ can have different meanings, but a general definition is:

A couple (married, civil partners, or cohabiting) with or without dependent children, or a lone parent with their child(ren)

• A household, by contrast, refers to:

One person living alone or a group of people living together at the same address

• Within a household

  • members may share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom

  • a nuclear or same-sex family or even a group of unrelated individuals (e.g., students sharing a house) may cohabit

Family diversity

• There is no single, universal definition of the family due to its diverse forms.

  Sociologists often use the term families to reflect this range of types, relationships, and household arrangements

Main family types in the UK

Contemporary family and household structures

Key social changes leading to diversity

• Changing social attitudes: Greater acceptance of alternative family forms, such as same-sex families, lone-parent families and cohabitation

• Secularisation: Decline in religious influence means marriage is no longer seen as sacred

• Legal changes: Divorce laws have been relaxed, and same-sex marriage legislation has led to a rise in lone-parent, same-sex, and reconstituted families

• Improved position of women: Better education and career opportunities have made women financially independent

• Migration: Cultural traditions brought by migrant communities have contributed to the popularity of extended families

Alternatives to the traditional family

Dual-career family

• Both parents in a nuclear family are in paid employment

• The wife and mother often pursues a career for self-fulfilment as well as financial necessity

• The combined income of both partners is essential to maintain the family’s living standards

• Women often face the dual burden of balancing paid work with domestic responsibilities, leading to tensions within the household

One-person households

• The number of one-person households in the UK has risen significantly

  • Older generations: Increased life expectancy means more elderly women live alone after the death of a partner

  • Younger generations: More people live alone due to remaining single, divorce, migration, or choosing independence before marriage/cohabitation

  • Feminism and changing gender roles have also encouraged financially independent women to live alone

Living apart together (LAT)

• 1 in 10 adults are 'living apart together', where they are in a significant relationship but not married or cohabiting

• This may be because they want to keep their own home, or because it was too early to cohabitate

• While being a LAT is not seen as abnormal, it doesn't necessarily amount to a rejection of more traditional relationships

Friends as family

• Friends increasingly provide emotional support, traditionally associated with family

• Roseneil and Budgeon (2006) found that friends were often more supportive than kin, especially during mental health struggles or relationship breakdowns

• However, many people still rely on family as a primary source of support, with friends complementing rather than replacing family ties

Looked-after children and residential care

• In the UK, some children do not live with their families

• In March 2015, 69,540 children in England were in local authority care, with around 60% due to neglect or abuse

• Care arrangements include:

  • Foster care (around 75% of cases)

  • Children’s homes – some specialise in supporting young people with emotional or behavioural issues

  • Secure units – for children who have committed offences

Older generations

• Some older adults live in care or nursing homes

• In 2011, 3.2% of over-65s lived in care homes in England and Wales

Family types and migration

• Britain is home to a rich mix of cultural, ethnic, and religious groups, making it one of the most culturally diverse societies in the world

  • For example, over 300 languages are spoken in London alone

• This cultural diversity is largely the result of migration:

  • 19th century: Migration from Ireland

  • Post–World War II: Migration from former British colonies, such as India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean

  • Recent decades: Migration includes asylum seekers and refugees seeking protection from persecution

• Cultural diversity is linked to different patterns of family formation, though these patterns are evolving, particularly among second-generation migrants who are influenced by both their heritage and British culture

Black families

• Black Caribbean and Black African households have a higher proportion of lone-parent families compared to other ethnic groups

• Just over half of families with dependent children headed by a Black person are lone-parent families

• This pattern is sometimes traced back to slavery, where family units were frequently broken up as couples were sold separately, leaving children with their mothers

• Male unemployment and poverty have also been identified as contributing factors, as Black men may struggle to financially support their families, leading to relationship breakdown

• Among African-Caribbean heritage groups, motherhood is not always associated with leaving full-time work, with many women continuing to work while raising children

Asian families

• Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian households tend to be larger and often include three generations living together

• According to Qureshi et al. (2015), British Asian families are often perceived as traditional, with low rates of divorce and lone-parent families

• Among those of Asian heritage, there remains some emphasis on women being full-time mothers, though this is gradually changing with younger generations

Extended families

• In 2001, extended families with three or more generations were present in:

  • 10% of Bangladeshi and Pakistani homes in England and Wales

  • 3% of Black Caribbean homes

  • 2% of White British and mixed households

• Asian cultures place a high value on extended family structures, but practical factors have also played a role, such as the need for mutual assistance during early migration

• Ballard (1982) found that extended family ties provided crucial support for Asian migrants in the 1950s and 1960s, with multiple generations often sharing a single house

• Today, this pattern has evolved into the 'modified' or 'dispersed' extended family, where relatives may live separately but maintain close contact and support networks