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Essay about sociology and the family

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You will refer to statistical evidence when discussing the variety of family and household types. You will be required to reference your work throughout and produce a correct and current bibliography to demonstrate that you have used different sources to obtain your information.

Sociology and the Family

The Nuclear Family generally consists of a Mother, a Father and at least 1 child, this image of a family is thought to of come about at the time of the Industrial Revolution. (Willmott and Young) believe that an increase in the Nuclear Family was the result of the Industrialization. They found that during pre-industrial times, the most common type of family structure, was that of the Extended Family (Extended Family can take …show more content…

Martin (2012) explains that British children are among the least likely to live with both Biological Parents by the time they reach age 14, statistics show that in Britain this is just 68.9%, whilst the same statistics in France are 79.5% and Finland at the highest with 95.2%.

Changes in the different Family types will be outlined with evidence in the following pages showing Evidence and Statistics.

Browne (2008) tells us that whilst Marriage is the usual type of relationship between Men and Women, Marriages where it’s the first time for both partners, is on a high scale decline, numbers have at least halved since 1970. This means that there are now more Reconstituted Families (families where at least one spouse will have children from a previous relationship), also knows as Step-Families. This is the fastest growing family type as now nearly half of Marriages involve a second marriage for at least one of the partners, reflecting an increase in Divorce Rates.
The most recent studies show that 42% of Marriages now end in Divorce and that they are on the increase, although recent statistics contradict this fact, as they show that Divorce Rates are decreasing each year. In 2011, there were 117,588 divorces, compared to 121,779 in 2008, and a staggering 153,176 in 2003, a decrease of 30% in 8 years (ONS, 2008-2011)
South African divorce rates are also decreasing, between 2005 and 2011, the numbers fell, from 32,484 to 20,980, a difference of 55% (SSA).

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