My essay on Parent and Child relationships changing:

Outline and evaluate the viewthat relationships between parents and children are changing (33)
Introduction
There isa notable change regarding the view of relationships between parents andchildren changing. These trends can be a cause of wider societal changesranging from an increase in family diversity and gender roles, which has aneffect on personal choice and individualisation, as well as more specificfactors such as families becoming increasingly child-centered. However, thereis an alternating debate with sociologists that do not agree to any significantchange between the relationships of parents and children and there is anextensive argument about the change being good or bad.
Changing Roles and Fathers/GenderRole Change
Some sociologists have identifiedchanges in the attitudes of fathers and their roles towards parentingconsequently having a changing impact on the relationship between parents andchildren. Thompson’s research showsthat a small minority of39% of fathers see their primary role to be a breadwinner in terms of being a father totheir children. Also, Dermott’sresearch into 25 fathers from professional job backgrounds found thatmen were looking for a more emotionalrelationship with their children, leading to 80% of them sought ‘intimate fathering’ sothey can have a better relationship. To support this change in parent/childattitude, Kaufman’sstudy shows that there has been an increase in the amount of time father’s spent with their children inthe last 25 years – this proves that not only is there a theoreticalattitude change but practical advances have also been made. Chapman, for example,argues that women’s takingup paid employment has led to fathers becoming more involved inchildcare. Compared to the1960s, women are no longer criticised for ‘neglecting’ their children for employmentopportunities.
EVALUATION:
Despitethese studies claiming that father figures have become more involved inparenting, the research is only small scale and ignores other factors that still argue mothers to be “naturally suited toparenting (EOC 2005). Smartfound in her research of 60divorced couples that only 1 of those couple shared equal parentalresponsibility before their marital breakdown. Even after the divorce,the mothers had to update the fathers on the children’s wellbeing. Backett claims that fathersfind it difficult to interpret the needs of their offspring leaving thematernal figure to take lead of a significant proportion of the childcare.
Child Centeredness
Cunningham claims that there are 3 main principles that form thebasis ideology of modern parenting; the belief that children should be separated from the ‘adultworld’, concerns over childrenbeing corrupted through adult life and the importance society puts ofputting children’shappiness above all else. This study has led many sociologists tobelieve that family and children roles are changing to become more ‘child-centered’. Jenks says that parentsin the contemporary society,compared to the 1960s, are prioritising the welfare of their children. Heclaims that children are now central beings to family life and their safety andnurturing is crucial to this contemporary parenting. Jenks’s study relates to a postmodern childhood in which identities areconstantly fragmented through secularisation leading to more divorce which putsa threat on conventional family life. Jenks claims that children have therefore become the onlysource of ‘primary relationships’- which are fulfilling and not as easily disposable as a spouse.Adding to this, the changesin legal status of children (the 1991 Children’s Act) has led to therebeing more surveillance for children’s paramount safety – examples including a children’s commissioner.
Thischange in the relationships of parents and children can be accredited to anumber of factors including familiesbecoming smaller resulting in children to become the primary concern of parentsas they can invest more cultural and economic value into them. Childrenare also viewed as having a moredefined status compared to parenting from the 1960s because there ismore predatory risk of adults meaning there is more protection needed forchildren in this society.
EVALUATION:
Jenks’s research can be related to Giddens as they both claim there hasbeen a modernity change that affects traditional relationships but they fail toacknowledge different variations of relationships between families, e.g. different ethnic groups have a moreextended kinship than a traditional parent/child family structure.
Postman – Disappearance ofchildhood
Theargument that child andadult personalities are distinctive and different, relating to the idea offamilies being child-centered, has been challenged by a study claiming the disappearanceof childhood. Postmanargues that there is noclear distinction between childhood and adulthood and this stage hasbeen eroded over the years, no longer belonging to the life course. He claims that it is due to other agents of socialisationthat have a greater influence on children that has caused a disappearance inthe stage of childhood. The growing influence of mass media, Postman claims, has led tochildren being exposed to sexualisedimages, violence and suffering- exposing them to the ‘adult world’. Lee states that “adulthood is becoming more likechildhood and childhood more like adulthood” meaning that parents can nolonger protect children from exposure to the adult world- leading them to growup quicker. This reducesthe distinctiveness of parent and child roles within the family.
EVALUATION:
Postman’sstudy can be clearly evaluated by Jenks who disagrees that the childhood stageis disappearing and uses child regulations and laws to argue that children arecontinuously the priority of governments and individuals, that they areprotected. Laws such as restrictions on drinking, adult, preserving sexualityand political rights, Jenks argues, stops children from taking on adult roles. Postman’sover-idealising of the ‘golden age’ has been compared to the New Right view ofthe family and Furedi argues that this view has been over-sensationalised bythe media, causing parents to be unnecessarily overprotective of children.
Conclusion
The relationshipsbetween parents and children are changing in a number of ways, affected by the demographicchanges occurring in the wider society. The evidence for an overall change inparent and child relationships is backed up by Gershuny who claims that 3000parent diaries showed more time devotion of parents to children throughcultural practices such as reading. Palmer on the other hand, says the changesare exaggerated and media and technological devices have taken over traditionalparenting.

I am pretty sure Marxism and Functionalism won't come up because they have been so common in the last several years

Reply 85

Eat_revision

Original post by WFatemahW

I think you could talk about traditional roles so men arent burdened the tripple shift - dumcombe and marsden, oh and the warm bath theory - women sort the needs of men- oh and this links to parsons - stability of adult personalities - so basically men are chill whilst women are 'the takers of s.h.i.t' - feminist Ansley. you could also speak of how the new man is taking shape where he is able to be a breadwinner and be a good father at the same time (im not too sure about this but maybe this could boost his pride as the man of the house) - fit in to society, oh and linking to trhge new man Beck speaks of how men are able to find a a sense of identity with spending time with their kids. - im not sure if that was helpful but thats what came to the top of my head.

Lol that aint coming up deffo.

Reply 86

nf471

anyone got anything on social policy? im so screwed for this exam

Reply 87

WFatemahW

Original post by Eat_revision

Lol that aint coming up deffo.

LOL probs not...my teahcer was saying it might come up becuase it hasnt ever come up IDK...i dont think so because theres not much to write about that makes sense

Reply 88

Eat_revision

Alright guys Im done with revision. The only thing I revised were the predicted questions :afraid:

. Lets see how the exam goes tomorrow and hopefully the predicted ones come up :h:

Reply 89

NafK3

Hey guys,

How did it go?

Reply 90

ilhan123

Heyy it wasnt that bad actually, hopefully we will do well. By the way do u remember the questions we were asked the exam was just a big blur

Reply 91

NafK3

Yh it ended up being better then expected
Yh sure: I think the 17 markers were 1) how have households changed over time 2) describe the parent child relationships

33 markers
1) how does the family contribute to society
2) outline and evaluate how family diversity is beneficial