Contemporary British Culture and Society Chapter 3 Family & Relationship ( 2 ) Sept 2007 Xiao Huiyun

A 1 Husbands & Wives Redefinition and adjustment of both husband’s and wife’s needs and values in contemporary British society. The effects of newly-emerging work patterns upon the roles of husbands and wives within the family

A 1 Husband and Wives cont. Decision Making Despite the fact that the majority of British families now have two “bread-winners”, despite the fact that more women than ever before are working full-time, it is still women who are more likely than not to be largely responsible for things such as cooking, cleaning, ironing and childcaring. This unequal division of household duties may largely reflect the pervasive power of the traditional division of labour within households and families in Britain as elsewhere in the world. ( see p.43 for graph )

A 2 Parents and Children The “generation gap” has become the challenge of parenthood in a changing context, especially with respect to parent- child relations A widely-recognized social phenomenon and we examine what its significance might be for individuals in Britain today.

A 2 Parents and Children cont. Not all British teenagers are rebellious, or regard family as a sort of prison! Although there is evidence that at least some of the young people in Britain would prefer to get away from the home and parental supervision, especially the boys, the home nevertheless represents an important base of safety and security from which the young are able to explore the world outside. It is also a place where young people can indulge in some of their favourite pastimes, such as listening to music, watching television and, to a lesser extent, reading. Some socialising with peer group members also take place within a home environment.

A 2 Parents and Children Chinese vs British Chinese parents are more protective and controlling. The main qualities appreciated in parents and shared by young people in Britain and China alike may be that they are understanding and supporting in crises, allow freedom of action within a framework of constraints and, more pragmatically, offer financial support and contributions. For many young people, parents are obviously a primary source of advice about personal as well as more general problems, especially in relation to employment

A 3 Old Age Britain has an ageing population. Due to the low birth rate and a declining death rate, the proportion of old people in the population is increasing. For most people in Britain, their years in retirement will form from a fifth to a third of their adult life. Many old people like to remain in their own homes and are very reluctant to move from homes that they have lived in for most of their lives, and which are full of family memories.

A 3 Old Age cont Others live with their family, sometimes with one room given to them as a ‘granny flat’. This provides some privacy for both themselves and their family whilst at the same time ensuring that help is at hand if required. Day Centres. As many old people live alone, a place for meeting others is particularly important. A day centre provides a place to eat, keep warm or chat during the day if old people have no other arrangement

A 3 Old Age cont. These are often organised by voluntary organisations and churches. Old people can meet together, play bingo , do craft work, drink tea and talk Old People’s Clubs. Pensioners clubs provide another way for old people to avoid isolation.. Besides daily activities sometimes day trips may be organised for members, to the seaside or to a see a show.

Old Age cont. Sheltered Housing – privacy & security provided in groups of flats or cottages, with a 2-way speech alarm system linking each house with warden office and house Communal lounge, guest rooms, laundry “Good neighbour” service by resident warden day time and overnight thru emergency alarm system May be provided by local government or private institutions

The 1998 Government Green Paper on Families In this paper the government outlined how it wanted to strengthen the family. The focus of the paper was on marriage and care for children The evidence is that children are best brought up where you have two natural parents and it is more likely to be a stable family if they are married. (Guardian, 5 November 1998, p. 4)

Conclusion Changes in gender roles – gender roles more flexible, 2 parent patriarchal family becoming less dominant Responses from the right wing politician & church leaders :blame permissive legislation & social movements of 1960’s & 1970’s for decline in traditional family life Responses from the left-wing– Margaret Thatcher’s right-wing revolution killed it off – rampant individualism & consumer greed New range of identities open up by decay of traditional family, especially, for women