Category: Family diversity

  • Shame about Single Mums

    An excellent documentary about the history of single mums in the UK featuring Jamelia

  • Statistics on Same Sex Marriage and Civil Partnerships

    This post explores the similarities and differences in marriage and civil partnership between same sex and opposite sex couples in England and Wales. It has been written to fit in with the A-level Sociology families and households specification. This table from the the Government Equality Office outlines some of the legal differences between marriage and…

  • Research on Same Sex Parenting

    One obvious difference between same-sex and opposite sex couples when it comes to children is that same-sex couples don’t have the biological requirements to create their own children between them, so they have to seek alternative options. The NHS outlines various different pathways for same-sex parents to raise children (the same options as for opposite…

  • Family diversity by Social Class

    How does family life vary by social class?

  • The Sex Map of Britain

    The Sex Map of Britain is a very interesting recent documentary series which ‘meets people for whom sex, sexuality and having children is far from straightforward. The series covers the following topics: The reality of being a ‘cheap prostitute’ – selling sex for as little as £4. Why some people choose a career in porn.…

  • Conceptualizing Family Diversity

    Both Functionalist and Marxist Sociologists theorised that the nuclear family was central to most people’s experiences in modern industrial society. However, recent research has suggested that postmodern societies are characterised by a plurality, or diversity, of household and family types, and so the idea of a dominant or normal family type is now misleading. The…

  • How have families and households become more diverse?

    Brief revision notes on family diversity for A-level sociology students studying families and households.

  • What is the Family?

    Functionalist sociologists tended to define the family as consisting of two parents in a committed relationship,living together with their children. Postmodern and other sociologists have much broader definitions.

  • Families and Households in the UK – Social Trends

    This post summaries some of the changing trends (and continuities) in family and household structure in the UK, using data from the Office for National Statistics which collects a range of data annually on families and households in the UK The Office for National Statistics Families and Households Hub Page is an obviou starting point for…

  • Sociological Perspectives on Single Person Households

    Why are increasing numbers of people all over the world living alone? (Scroll down for a video summary) According to a recent book by Eric Klinenberg: Explaining the Rise of Solo Living, this is a global phenomenon and mainly reflects the increasing degree of individual choice that comes with increasing wealth. A review of the…