Changes from the 1960s

This essay is on how much the family has changed since the 1960s. This essay will contain the definitions and variations of the family and how they have changed. There will also be details of the differences of theoretical perspectives. There are many types of families; the most common family group is a nuclear family consisting of two adults of both sexes whom are in a sexual relationship, with children either biological or adopted. They must cohabitate in the same house hold and share income or domestic tasks to some extent. Then there are extended families, an extended form of the nuclear family. The extended family consists of kin and other various relatives. Another version of the extended family is the local extended family “Typically, two or perhaps three nuclear families in separate households live close to each other. They see each other every day, or nearly every day and provide mutual aid on a continuing basis” (), this type of family has been prevalent in both the 1960s and in the 2000s. The family was important in the 1960s weather or not they live in the same house hold or in the surrounding area, “About 10% of households contained kin beyond the nuclear family. This is the same percentage as for England in 1966” (). In the early 1960s families banded together for the good of the group to help with income, child care and domestic work. Then there were widowers, which could be one of either sex with one or more children. In the 1960s becoming widowed would be unfortunate but life expectancy was short and only around 40-50 years old.
In the 1960s years after the Second World War, the man was back in the role of the main provider and source of income, the bread winner. The women were firmly back in their roles as the domestic stay at home mothers after the War. The children went to school and were also made to help either with work or domestic chores. Girls were to stay at home to help their mothers and boys were to go out and work with or without the

Bibliography: 1 . Haralambos M, Richardson J, Taylor P, Yeo A, sociology in focus, causeway press limited, Lancashire, 2006. 2 . S-cool, http://www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/sociology.html, 2009, November 7 3