Rather than lamenting the loss of a family structure from an admittedly anomalous decade, Stacy (1993) argues that social reforms are necessary to ensure that children are cared for.
In Beck-Gernsheim's (2002:85) assessment, the focus should not be on "the black-and-white alternative 'end of the family' or 'family as the future'" but on "the many grey areas or better, the many different shades in the niches inside and outside the traditional family network." According to Beck-Gernsheim (2002) traditional definitions of family exclude many groups such as single people, the childless and single-parent families who have never married. They also ignore the potential conflict that occurs within traditional families. Beck-Gernsheim (2002) explains that changes in families, which have been occurring since industrialization, are the result of individualization.
In pre-industrial times, family structure was centered on work and economics, which each family member having a role to support the family farm or business. This structure left few choices for the individual. However, historical changes such as industrialization, the advent of social security mechanisms, and the feminist movement have resulted in a trend towards individualization. Therefore, families must make decisions about issues that were once understood, such as where they would live, what religion they would practice, and whether or not to have children. As Beck-Gernsheim (2002:97) explains, "The family is becoming more of an elective relationship, an association of individual persons, who each bring to it their own interests, experiences and plans and who are each subject to different controls, risks and constraints." The traditional definition of family, while not disappearing, is no longer the dominant definition of family. Instead, there is what Beck-Gernsheim (2002) calls the "post-familial family" which may be comprised of different relationships, such as childless couples, single-parent families, same-sex partnerships, or families living between more than one home.
INVISIBLE INEQUALITY
Lareau's (2002) study confirmed Beck-Gernsheim's assertions of individualization, at least for middle class children. According to Lareau (2002), middle-class parents and working-class parents exhibit different parenting styles. Middle-class parents, in a style Lareau (2002) calls "concerted cultivation," enroll their children in many activities in an effort for them to develop their talents and learn important life skills. Additionally, middle-class parents emphasize the importance of developing language...
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