Changing Nature of the Relationship in A United Kingdoms Families - Essay Example

 Changing Nature of the Relationship in A United Kingdoms’ Families Introduction In the United Kingdom, there are different circumstances that call for different kinds of families. Therefore, the list that guides towards the definition and description of the family is endless. Each definition indicates a family as a social group of persons who are related mostly by blood. However, According to the constitution of the United Kingdom, many factors lead to recognitions of group as a family. For instance, two parents who are either the simplest definition of a family, therefore, constitutes a group of persons related to each other by blood, living under the same roof and follows the rule of a particular household head or ancestral command. married or unmarried together with their dependent children or staying separately are termed as a valid family. Besides, single parents who stay together with children are also termed as a family. Consequently, not every group is branded a family unless it enjoys some special relationship such as blood, common ancestral command and maybe staying together under the same roof (Ostner & Schmitt, 2008). Structure of a family According to the definition of a family, relationship and blood form the main factors that determine whether a group becomes a family or not, this has led to various classifications of what makes up a family. Despite the existence of many social groupings, the most common structure of the family includes a nuclear family, single parent family, extended family. While nuclear families constitute of parents and their children, the extended structures have gained many recognitions because of their nature to embrace multiple people including those not even engaged by blood or intimacy (Corbett, 2004). Nuclear family This type family constitutes a father, mother and their children, but it may extend to a widowed or widower together with the children. Psychological researchers have pointed out nuclear family is the most ideal family structure compared to other forms of family because it engages blood in uniting the members of this family. Nuclear family being the fundamental family creates allows for kinship based by blood, adoption or marriage, and this enhances strong bonding thus making the group feeling a sense of togetherness for each other (Lehr, 1999). Feminist scholar laments Théron (2011), that the general striking features that characterize a nuclear family is the rapid reduction in the number of those who are willing to get married and the increase in the rate of divorce. Through the current rate of divorce in the United Kingdom standing at 70% compared to 47% of the previous year, couples from different social classes both young and aged finally leave their partners in marriage leading to collapse of such groups. Sociologists have pointed out that the escalating rate of collapse in a nuclear family setting is often triggered by divorce compared to any other part. The leading factor being that divorce is an acceptable trend in the United Kingdom society, where the majority of those getting divorced are mainly interested in satisfying their personal ambitions at the interest of the family. Another factor that enhances the rate of divorce among the United Kingdom families is less dependency of women to men. Women are said to focus concentration on carriers to be unique as their male counterparts. Therefore, nuclear families have been affected by divorce to the extent that there is an influx of single parent families with almost one amongst five families headed by a single parent. As described by Jagger, a radical theory such as Marxist feminist drives women ambitions to assume similar positions as male members of the society. Jackson & Jones (1998) however laments that this is attributed to by the personal sexual reproductive experiences where women think they should never be denied their stake to continue in a marriage or independently stay with their children in the absence of men. The Marxist, feminist & radical theory clarifies that women require liberation through elimination of unnecessary elements of capitalism. From this theory, also advocates that women from the United Kingdom should have an equitable share of responsibilities thus assuming similar positions in the society just like men. According to the black report of 1980, there were clear indications to the end of hope towards the improvement of public health by the state of the United Kingdom. Concerning this report, conservatives’ majority needed to suppress serious reduction in government expenses and uplift healthcare production. Therefore, it perceived to be a serious offence towards family engagement because the government wanted to use this element of conservatives to suppress the distribution of taxation and family expenditures (Dorling; Shaw& Smith, 2001). Poverty and family benefits from the United Kingdom government In contrast to traditional families who laid their own independent capabilities, the state of the United Kingdom has made tremendous improvements, which ensure that no family languishes in poverty. As such, the government has instituted income support fund that is disbursed on a monthly basis to the families without stable income as a way of ensuring national economic sustainability. Besides, the state through social protection welfare has since implemented annual cut off in taxation received from poor families (Danziger & Haveman, 2001). Through the national government of the United Kingdom, council of tax departments provides tax rebate on housing and other reductions to poor families. Such initiatives ensure poor families do not undergo deprival on what could be used to sustain them on food, heating, lighting and transport. Moreover, the government has introduced various changes that help the current system of resource allocation. For instance, every family experiencing a change in their level of income, tax authority publishes income assessment report that ensures poor families receive incentives from the state. Such an initiative is part of the government commitment to eradicate poverty within the society as noted by (GBPHC, 2008). Role played by United Kingdom government in family life As usual, it is the government responsibility to keep track of changes in terms of debate around the family. Similarly, it is obvious that the state action might pose unexpected consequences that may determine how the families, parents and couples fast track certain decisions that are meaningful to their definite preferences. Such an approach has to be demystified (Hein, 2005). United Kingdom’s government takes an active role in supporting the family formation through the implementation of couple’s penalty. Through such penalties, the government puts in place variations on the payment rates. As such, people who stay together as couples receive commissions on the outgoing rates thus they spend less amount of money compared to single individuals expected to pay full tax to the state (Andersen, 2009). Moreover, couples do benefit a lot from tax penalties within the state welfare systems. Therefore, those who stays together are more advantaged compared to those who have different dwellings. According Torrey & Miller (2002), the government United Kingdom government also plays a recommendable role in promoting positive relationships among the parents through annual couples’ provisional fund. Aided by voluntary experts’ provisional centers, the state provides marriage friendly courses and counseling sessions to those who are experiencing barriers in marriage. Moreover, the government takes active participatory role in mitigating sexual and domestic violence. Since violence is a serious obstacles disrupting peace among most families, the state to provide of funds that help to run institutions that curb against sexual violence and rape. In addition, the government has allocated special support services that educate families against sexual violence. Through social workers, the state has showed commitments to transform the lives of troubled members of the society such as those who are homeless and alcohol dependant. Together with the local government, they look after families with problems of drug dependency then assign a specialist who alleviates them from extreme distortion. Other than the elements described above, the state also offers adoption and care systems to children whose parents are in deficient of sound mind and ensure they get give the best quality care (Predelli et al., 2012). Life style of a family in the United Kingdom Subjectively, both immigrants and native families of the United Kingdom are often in a constant mode of reconstruction. However, all these families are influenced and undergo a similar transformation because they all share a similar environment. Without dismissing what has been discussed previously, individual parental family structure dominates the United Kingdom’s society where the majority are women putting up with their children. Probert (2007) argued that, a typical family in the United Kingdom involves couples with their children made up of the father as the family's head. Although, the family size used to be between two to four children, this has since fallen to an average of two children. According to the constitutions, the state recognizes nuclear family, extended family and to some extent individual parented as genuine structure of the family. However, there are numerous claims by women for an equitable share of responsibility just as men. This issue of feminism has led to increment in divorce where women leave their husbands in pursuit of good carriers (Baldock, 2011). United Kingdom has a larger population of single people living in outskirt's town whereas, married couples mostly concentrate within the center of cities due to tax rebate and grants enjoyed by couples from the state. Because marriage is a devolved issue in the United Kingdom, the government recognizes same sex marriage. The issue of gay marriage is a usual occurrence. Different sexes can get consent and legally staying together as married couples (Rayside & Wilcox, 2011). Crisis family life and domestic violence in the United Kingdom In most United Kingdoms’ families, issues of intimacy mostly ignite violence. However, this has undergone a transition because the latest violence otherwise termed as domestic violence affects almost the whole family including children. Family violence mostly generates out of domestic conflicts such as arguments between partners or abuse from one of the couples. In such a case, the children fall victims of the situation. Fundamentally, rape forms part of incest society of the United Kingdom, though not publicized but is also an offence. It has also brought to clarification how significant number victims are women than children. Professionally, the most common abuse in the United Kingdom is both physical and psychological traumas drawn children who experience physical evidence of parental assault. However, professional literature has clarified that when couples stay together as a family than they enjoy much protection and experience more security compared to those who are not engaged in a serious marital affair as clarified by (Whitehead, 2011). Feminism Without following the basic assumption of sociological interest, United Kingdom experiences the worst hit of gender disparity as women suffer injustices attributed by sex and chauvinism. The fist effect of feminism targeted the mid-aged women of the society who felt that education opportunity was quite vital necessity to women in the society. Through their movements, the women advocate for better male education. They a firm that education is quite necessary because when uneducated woman gets divorced or widowed chances of survival become limited thereafter. In support of this, the movement argues that less educated women may not get time to attend education once they get divorced. As such, they may be forced to depend on their husbands wealth thus limit chances of divorce of divorce and may be forced to reunited due to fear of languish in poverty. As illustrated by Gelb (1989), in 1970, women formed a liberation movement that campaigned for the amendments of several laws. This led to the expansion of educational opportunities for women and chances emerged for girls and women in secondary school systems, including taking part in formal examinations. Besides, it widened up professional opportunities such as medicine, property rights for married couple and advocacy of the right of a divorced woman. Consequently, the movement first forum in 1970 that took place in Oxford advocated for equal pay opportunities, labor and personal decision to terminate abortion as full healthcare security for women. Furthermore, the movements hold a massive demonstration thereafter leading to the implementation of discrimination law that protects violence and aggressions towards women. Role of the United Kingdom government towards the right of children and parental power According to the children’s protection law of the United Kingdom’s government, it is a state responsibility to ensure that both children and young people succeed in life, regardless of their backgrounds. As per the constitution, the state ensures free education for children below the age of four, especially from low-income families. The United Kingdom has not yet put into the constitution the right of children to access medication. However, through the social welfare implementation programs, every parent in the United Kingdom has the responsibility of ensuring that children receive the best medical care. More contrastingly, the government has put in place its relative mandate to provide free healthcare facilities to British children and infants (Fortin, 2009). According to the children’s healthcare protection law, it is through the parental consent that children access the best healthcare services. In such a case, the state does not come in as primary parents, but only forming partisan to ensure that all children of the nation remains fit and healthy. Based on the social nature of the society, children from the United Kingdom receive much respect from their parents and the society in particular. However, with the current increase in security law that has given more right to the children, the society is headed for blame. However, childhood seems to be under threat with least social construction of the family and the society (Berns, 2013; Śukla, 2006). Conclusion The family is considered the central nerve of the society, and because the government of the United Kingdom has taken the best initiative to protect both the rights of the children and their parents. The paper has clarified that United Kingdom recognizes more than one family with a nuclear family having a more symbolic representation. A state of the United Kingdom also values the existence of families by providing them with taxation waivers. In conclusion, the state of the United Kingdom does all its best to alleviate the family from the agony of poverty, violence and ultimately uplift women to take up equitable share as members of the society. References list: Andersen, G. (2009). The incomplete revolution: adapting to women's new roles. Cambridge, UK; Malden, MA: Polity. Baldock, J. (2011). Social policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Berns, R. (2013). Child, family, school, community: socialization and support. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Corbett, A. (2004).What is a family. : And why it matters: achieving a workable definition. Launceston, Tas.: Tasmania Family Institute. Danziger, S & Haveman, R. (2001). Understanding poverty. New York: Russell Sage Foundation; Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Dorling, D; Shaw, M & Smith, G. (2001). Poverty, inequality and health in Britain, 1800 - 2000: a reader. Bristol Policy Press. Fortin, J. (2009). Children's rights and the developing law. Cambridge, UK; New York : Cambridge University Press. Gelb, J. (1989). Feminism and politics: a comparative perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press. Great Britain. Parliament House of Commons. (2008). The best start in life. Alleviating deprivation, improving social mobility, and eradicating child poverty. London: TSO. Hein, C. (2005). Reconciling work and family responsibilities: practical ideas from global experience. Geneva: Internat. Labor Off. Jackson, S & Jones, J. (1998). Contemporary feminist theories Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ. Press. Lehr, L. (1999). Queer family values: debunking the myth of the nuclear family. Philadelphia, PA : Temple University Press. Ostner, H & Schmitt, C. (2008). Family policies in the context of family change: the Nordic countries in comparative perspective. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften / GWV Fachverlage, Wiesbaden. Predelli, L et al. (2012). Majority-minority relations in contemporary women's movements: strategic sisterhood. Hound mills, Basingstoke; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Probert, R. (2007). Family life and the law: under one roof. Aldershot [u.a.]: Ashgate. Rayside, D & Wilcox, C. (2011). Faith, politics, and sexual diversity in Canada and the United States. Vancouver [B.C.]: UBC Press. Śukla, B. (2006). Women on women: a feminist study. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. Théron, A. (2011). Naked divorce for women. Ecademy Press. Torrey, E & Miller, J. (2002). The invisible plague: the rise of mental illness from 1750 to the present. New Brunswick, N.J. [u.a.]: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Whitehead, D. (2011). Work Inequalities in the Crisis: Evidence from Europe. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Read More