1. Family Diversity (Modernity vs. Post-Modernity)
Throughout this family & households unit we have looked at many ways in
which families & households are changing and how perhaps nowadays
there is more family diversity than ever. This will be explored further in
this topic.
Your learning objectives for
this topic are as follows.
You should;
> Know a range of different sociological views of family diversity.
> Understand the difference between Modernist & Post-
Modernist approaches to family diversity.
> Be able to analyse & evaluate sociological explanations of family
diversity.

2. Modernism refers to the notion that society is
fixed, structured, rigid & predictable. In this type of society it is
suggested by perspectives such as Functionalism that the Nuclear
Family ‘fits’ this structure better than other types of family
structures

4. Charles Murray argues that none-traditional types of
families are to blame for educational failure, high crime
rates, low employment, health problems & the ‘dependence
culture’ i.e. dependence on welfare & benefits
Murray argues that an ‘Under-Class’ has
formed which is to blame for the majority of
society’s problems (Particularly poor Child
rearing practices). This Under-Class is made up
primarily of Lone-Parent families.
Click here to see NSPCC
statistics on Child Abuse
Despite these
‘traditionalist’, ‘old-
fashioned’ views, New
Right thinking has been
very influential in
western societies.

5. These type of ideas have been
extremely influential in western
societies & have established the notion
that the Nuclear Family is the
‘normal’, ‘ideal’ type of family in
society…… this has led to the concept
of the ‘Cereal Packet Family’.
It is of course important to evaluate
this way of thinking. How could these
views be critiqued in general?