Examine the extent of and reasons for family diversity in today’s society. (24)
Introduction
Family is an essential feature of all society Due to the changing in family patterns there has been an increase in family diversity in the UK today.
However it has been seen that the nuclear family is still the most common type of family as people are either in it at least once in their life or aspire to it.

Paragraph 1
P
The increase in divorce
EE
40% of marriages now end in divorce and there are several reasons: legal changes, less stigma, secularisation, higher expectations of marriage, changing position of women. Women don’t have to be as economically dependent on their husbands so can leave.
AE
Has led to new fam types such as lone-parent fam, reconstituted/step fam or singletons and has created a decline in nuclear families.
However are less economically stable as nuclear families.

Paragraph 2
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Decline in marriage
EE
Fear of divorce, more career minded, later marriage, civil partnership, trial marriage, alternative to marriage
AE
May lead to more cohabitation, lone-parent and singletons instead of traditional nuclear fam.
Funct- doesn’t suit the needs of modern industrial society.

Paragraph 3
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Parenting
EE
Over 40% of children are now born outside marriage- increase in cohabitation, women haved children later/childless.
AE
Leads to more lone parent fam and reconstituted fam/stepfam.
New right-blames increase in welfare for