Explain why urbanisation has changed family life.
Cambridge
O level and GCSE
2023
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Outline for Essay: Impacts of Urbanization on Family Life
I. Introduction
A. Thesis statement: Urbanization has significantly altered family life in various ways.
II. Changes in Family Structure
A. Geographical mobility and smaller families
1. Increased job opportunities encourage family relocation.
2. Smaller families facilitate easier movement and adjustment.
B. Smaller housing units in cities
1. Limited space forces families to reduce size.
2. Changes in family size impact family dynamics.
III. Shift in Family Functions
A. State assumes responsibilities traditionally handled by families
1. Provision of childcare and elderly care relieves families of some duties.
2. Impacts family roles and expectations.
B. Change in family types
1. Movement towards smaller nuclear families.
2. Decline of extended families due to geographical dispersion and smaller homes.
IV. Urbanization and Family Roles
A. Children as economic liabilities in urban settings
1. Cost of education and limited opportunities for child labor.
2. Shift in attitudes towards children.
B. Gender role evolution
1. Women entering the workforce due to urban employment opportunities.
2. Greater equality in gender roles within families.
V. Impact on Family Values and Life
A. Functionalist perspective: privatization of family life
1. Families become more home-centered in urban environments.
2. Increased importance and focus on family relationships.
B. Traditional family structures and the housewife role
1. Establishment of the housewife role in urban households.
2. Reinforcement of patriarchal family structures.
C. Freedom from traditional expectations
1. Urbanization provides autonomy and anonymity, allowing for deviation from norms.
2. Secularization contributes to diminished influence of traditional family beliefs.
VI. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis statement and summarize key points.
B. Emphasize the multifaceted nature of urbanization's impacts on family life.
The Impact of Urbanisation on Family Life
Urbanisation, the process of populations shifting from rural areas to cities, has significantly reshaped the landscape of family life. This essay will explore the multifaceted impact of urbanisation, examining its influence on family size, functions, types, roles, and freedoms.
Geographical Mobility and Family Size
Firstly, urbanisation has led to increased geographical mobility. With smaller family sizes becoming more common, families are more able to relocate for work opportunities. This mobility has resulted in families being more geographically dispersed. Young adults often move to cities for better job prospects, leading to families living further apart than in previous generations. This separation can impact family relationships, with grandparents, for example, having less contact with their grandchildren.
Shifting Family Functions and Types
Secondly, the concentration of people in cities has influenced a decrease in family size. Smaller urban dwellings often necessitate smaller families. This shift in family size is intertwined with changes in family functions. The state has taken on responsibilities traditionally held by families, such as providing childcare and elderly care. This shift has contributed to the rise of nuclear families and a decline in extended families, as the need for kin to share these responsibilities has diminished.
Evolving Roles within the Family
Furthermore, urbanisation has impacted the roles of children within families. With economic changes and the rise of compulsory education, children are often seen as an economic cost rather than a source of labour, as they might have been in agricultural societies. Gender roles have also evolved alongside urbanisation. As urban living often required both parents to contribute financially, women increasingly entered the workforce. This shift has contributed to greater gender equality within families, challenging traditional patriarchal structures.
Privatisation and Freedom within Family Life
Urbanisation has also been linked to the privatisation of family life. As sociologist Talcott Parsons argued, urban families tend to become more home-centered, placing greater importance on the private sphere. This focus on family can strengthen bonds but also create pressure for families to live up to idealised images of family life. However, urban environments also offer families greater freedom from traditional constraints. In the secular context of many cities, individuals have more autonomy in choosing their family structures and lifestyles, deviating from traditional expectations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, urbanisation has had a profound and multifaceted impact on family life. It has influenced family size, functions, types, roles, and freedoms. While it has contributed to the decline of traditional family structures, it has also opened up opportunities for greater individual choice and equality within families. The ongoing process of urbanisation ensures that family life will continue to evolve in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by urban environments.
Sources:
Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology. Polity Press.
Parsons, T. (1951). The Social System. Free Press.
Free Mark Scheme Extracts
Urbanisation and Family Life
Urbanisation has significantly impacted family life in several ways. Firstly, geographical mobility has increased with smaller families, making it easier for families to move for work opportunities. This has resulted in families being more geographically dispersed than before.
Secondly, the movement of people to cities has led to a decrease in family size to accommodate living in smaller houses, changing the dynamics of family units.
Shifts in Family Functions and Types
Additionally, urbanisation has shifted family functions, as the state has taken on more responsibilities such as providing paid childcare and care homes for the elderly, relieving families of some traditional duties. This shift has also influenced family types, moving towards smaller nuclear families and away from extended families.
Evolving Roles and Freedoms
Furthermore, urban living has affected the roles of children, with economic changes leading to children being seen more as a cost rather than a source of labor. Gender roles have also evolved, as urban living often necessitated women entering the workforce, leading to greater equality in gender roles within families.
The move to urbanisation has also led to the privatisation of family life, as families become more home-centered, according to functionalists. This change has placed greater importance and value on family life. Additionally, urbanisation has influenced the establishment of the housewife role for women, potentially contributing to patriarchal family structures.
Moreover, urban living has provided families with more freedom to deviate from traditional family expectations and traditions in a secular context.
Conclusion
Overall, urbanisation has reshaped family life in various ways, impacting family size, functions, types, roles, and freedoms.