Discuss postmodernist perspectives on families
What will be an ideal response?
Social scientist David Elkind describes the postmodern family as permeable—capable of being diffused or invaded in such a manner that an entity's original purpose is modified or changed. According to Elkind, if the nuclear family is a reflection of the age of modernity, the permeable family reflects the postmodern assumptions of difference, particularity, and irregularity. Difference is evident in the fact that the nuclear family is now only one of many family forms. Similarly, the idea of romantic love under modernity has given way to the idea of consensual love.
Individuals agree to have sexual relations with others whom they have no intention of marrying or, if they marry, do not necessarily see the marriage as having permanence. Maternal love has also been transformed into shared parenting, which includes not only mothers and fathers but also caregivers who may either be relatives or nonrelatives. Urbanity is another characteristic of the postmodern family; the boundaries between the public sphere (the workplace) and the private sphere (the home) are becoming much more open and flexible. In fact, family life may be negatively affected by the decreasing distinction between what is work time and what is family time.
You might also like to view...
The labeling perspective maintains that deviants have had inadequate socialization and should be rehabilitated so they will conform to society's norms and standards
a. true b. false
In 1898, the Supreme Court's decision in Williams v. Mississippi ________
a. upheld the right of the government to deny the right to vote on the basis of race, ethnicity, and social status b. approved the use of poll taxes, literacy tests, and residency requirements to discourage Blacks from voting c. strengthened Jim Crow laws and advocated the "separate but equal" accommodations for Blacks d. reaffirmed the importance of an integrated educational experience
For most women _______________, not discrimination, is the depressor of wages
a. part-time work b. time off to care for family members c. job segregation d. prejudice
Obedience is most important in which style of parenting?
a. Authoritative b. Authoritarian c. Permissive d. Uninvolved