Increase in the Number of Lone Parent Families in Contemporary Society

5a) Outline and explain the reasons for an increase in the number of lone parent families in contemporary society (15)

Consider the possible impact of the following: other trends (divorce), cultural attitdues/increased tllerance to lone parent families, legal changes, economic factors and changing gender roles – link to sexuality

Introduction

A lone parent family is a household that contains one parent that looks after all the children. Can be mother or father. Used to be the mother but due to changing gender roles and increased tolerance it can be either

The increase could be because women have higher expectations of marriage and happiness and according to the New Right view marriages are too easy to leave and can be seen as casual.

Male breadwinner isn’t needed, shift in nature of employment, husbands don’t necessarily need to provide

Less stigma attached to single mothers

Children are more pressure on parents than they used to be – economic burdens

Postmodernists – not one type of family anymore that is best for society, people are now less pressured to conform to the ideal family because people have choice (look into Cheal and Stacey)

Body

Point 1

• Increase in divorce rates
• Divorce was almost impossible before 1940 and difficult until 1970 – legal aid for ability of divorce was 1949
• 150,000 marriages divorce each year
• New Right – Murray – divorce is too easy

Point 2

• Womens rights
• Expecting more from marriage
• Legal changes in the family, judges can give sole control to one parent – abusive
• Lewis – EU policies encouraged women with children into the workforce – don’t have to stay in relationships, provide for their own families, economic dependency, breadwinner themselves
• Murray – links welfare and payment to unmarried women, illegititmate births

Point 3

• Changes in norms and values
• Number of children born to unmarried mothers has risen due to sex outside marriage being more widely accepted
• Less stigma with mothers who bring children up without father
• Link it secularisation – decline in religious influence, rise in own opinions