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Divorce

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Why divorce rates increased over time?

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It is commonly believed that 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce. The statistic has been roughly accurate for the last 40 years, but there is much more to the story. Changes in the law and society may explain why the rate of divorce has increased, and why it may increase again.

Why Divorce Increased

Before 1970, divorce was relatively uncommon and difficult to get. Fault was usually required-one of the spouses must have committed a crime or sin that justified the divorce. There needed to be adultery, abandonment, cruelty, intoxication or some other reason that made it necessary to end the marriage.

No-fault divorce became an option in some states in the 1950s. Couples no longer needed to prove that one person was at fault. They could simply say that the marriage had broken down. By 1970, almost all states had laws allowing no-fault divorces.

A long separation before the divorce used to be mandatory. Many states also passed laws that greatly decreased the separation time, making divorce easier and faster.

These laws had a great effect on the divorce rate. From 1940 to 1965, the divorce rate remained near 10 divorces for every 1,000 married women. By 1979, the rate had doubled.

When Society Changes, Divorce Changes

Changes in the law explain part of why divorce was on the rise, but it does not tell the whole story. While the law was changing, society was also changing.

Women became a strong presence in the workforce. They no longer depended on their husbands to support them. This independence allowed them to leave an unhappy marriage and still provide for themselves.

Divorce also became more acceptable. The guilt and fault of the old divorce laws were gone. As more couples separated, divorce gradually became a normal part of life.

In short, many couples that would have previously remained married now chose divorce.

Other changes may also explain why divorce increased, including:

Cohabitation (living together) has become acceptable. Research shows that couples that live together before marriage are more likely to divorce.

A divorced person who remarries after a divorce is much more likely to get divorced again.

Children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced. As the number of divorced parents increases, so will the number of their children that get divorced.

Is Divorce Becoming Less Common?

The rate of divorce has decreased slowly but steadily since 1980. As of 2008, 40 percent of marriages are estimated to end in divorce. This is down from more than 50 percent in 1980.

Statistics and research suggest some reasons for the decrease:

Couples are marrying later, when they are more mature and their lives are more stable.

Couples are having children later, which may contribute to a more stable marriage.

Fewer couples are getting married. It is acceptable to stay single late into life or not to marry at all.

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Why Have Divorce Rates Increased Over Time? | Attorneys.com

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It is commonly believed that 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce. The statistic has been roughly accurate for the last 40 years, but there is much more to the story. Changes in the law and society may explain why the rate of divorce has increased, and why it may increase again.

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AS Sociology: Issues of Family Diversity

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AS Sociology: Issues of Family Diversity

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AS Sociology: Issues of Family Diversity

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Family DiversityHas family life become more diverse in modern Britain?

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Beanpole families sprout social change | Society | The Guardian

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Beanpole families sprout social change | Society | The Guardian

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"Beanpole families"- those with fewer children and multiple generations of older people - are leading to profound social changes, government statisticians warned yesterday.

The beanpole effect was the outcome of a nationwide "pruning of the family tree", the office for national statistics said. Fewer brothers and sis ters in one generation leads to fewer aunts and uncles in the next. So, instead of a "bushy" family tree with lots of lateral branches, there are longer, thinner patterns of family relationships.

More great-grandparents are surviving into their eighties and nineties, and there are fewer young siblings.

"We are in the midst of one of the most striking demographic shifts for generations, as the ageing of the population becomes a reality," said Penny Babb, editor of the 2003 Social Trends, published yesterday. "The number of people aged 65 and over in the UK has increased by more than half over the past 40 years ... it is projected to exceed the number of young people under 16 in just 11 years' time."

The average life expectancy for men is 81 and for women 84. This has increased the proportion of people with grandparents and great-grandparents, with important implications for the role of grandparents in the family.

"The increased participation of mothers in the labour market and the rise in relationship breakdowns has meant that more grandparents may be called on to help care for their grandchildren," Ms Babb said.

In Britain 61% of grandparents see their grandchildren at least once a week and 78% at least once a month. Almost as many have contact by letter, phone, fax or email.

The ageing of the population is graphically illustrated by a surprising statistic showing 43% of adults over 24 have grandparents, said the statisticians. Almost 90% of people over 60 are grandparents.

In 2001 children made up 20% of the population, compared with 23% in 1961. By 2011 the percentage will fall to 18%, say the statisticians. There were 9.4m people aged 65 or over in 2001, an increase of 51% since 1961. And there were 1.1m aged 85 and over, more than three times as many as in 1961. "Projections suggest the numbers aged 65 and over will exceed the numbers aged under 16 by 2014. By 2025 there will be more than 1.6m more people over the age of 65 than people under 16," the statisticians say.

But grandparents may find they cannot rely on their families. Surveys indicate 63% of the British public think it is the government's responsibility to provide a decent standard of living for the old.

From hatches to dispatches

· There were 669,000 births and 604,000 deaths registered in the UK in 2001.

· A quarter of non-married adults aged 16 to 59 were cohabiting in Britain in 2000/01.

· There were nearly 6,000 adoptions in England and Wales in 2001, an increase of 39% since 1999.

· The UK had one of the highest employment rates in the EU in 2001, after Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.

· The wealthiest 1% of individuals owned 22% of the total wealth of the household sector in 2000, while half the population shared only 6%.

· The prison population in England and Wales increased to more than 71,000 in mid-2002, about 25,000 more than in 1990.

· The amount spent on DVDs in the UK rose from £68m in 1999 to £646m in 2001, fastest growth in newly-developed consumer electronics sales of all time.
Topics

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"Beanpole families"- those with fewer children and multiple generations of older people - are leading to profound social changes, government statisticians warned yesterday. The beanpole effect was the outcome of a nationwide "pruning of the family tree", the office for national statistics said.

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What is polygamy and is bigamy illegal in the UK?

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What is polygamy and is bigamy illegal in the UK?

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FOR most people till death do us part is a phrase reserved for one person, or at least one person at a time.

But for some one other half just isn't enough, so here are the answers your multiple questions about the weird world of polygamy.

What is polygamy?

Polygamy is the act of marrying multiple spouses, that means having more than one husband or wife at the same time.

The term is the opposite of "monogamy" which his the more common practice of having just one spouse at any given moment.

The practice was once quite widespread across parts of the globe and is still practised by some to this day.

But in most countries the practice is now illegal or at the very least not officially recognised.

What forms does polygamy take?

There are generally assumed to be three forms of polygamy: polygyny, polyandry and group marriage.

Polygyny is what it is known as when a man has multiple wives.

Polyandry is when a woman has multiple husbands

Group marriage is a bit of a free for all where the family unit consists of a mish-mash of spouses from both sexes

Is polygamy legal in the UK?

Polygamy is not explicitly a criminal offence in the UK but bigamy is.

Bigamy is the practice of marrying someone whilst still married to another and is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

It was stated in a written answer to the House of Commons that: "In Great Britain, polygamy is only recognised as valid in law in circumstances where the marriage ceremony has been performed in a country whose laws permit polygamy and the parties to the marriage were domiciled there at the time.

"In addition, immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988."

The practice is however not recognised by the benefits system.

Which cultures practice polygamy?

Polygamy was once a widespread way of structuring a family unit.

References, particularly to men with multiple wives, can be found in the Bible, Torah, Koran, and Rig Veda holy texts.

Despite its presence in the Old Testament most branches of Christianity do prohibit the taking of more than one wife or husband.

A notable exception to this rule are some adherents to the Church of the Latter Day Saints or Mormons.

Some fundamentalist Mormons continue the practice despite the church ending the practice in 1890.

Islamic doctrine states a man may have a total of four wives but puts restrictions on who those women can be and insists he must be able to provide for them all.

Many Muslim majority countries allow the practice with Kuwait being the only one that imposes no restrictions.

However it is prohibited in the Islamic nations of Turkey, Tunisia, Albania, Kosovo and Central Asian countries.

What is the difference between polygamy and polyamory?

Polyamory is the act of having multiple partners where all parties are aware of that fact but without the official act of marriage.

It differs from polygamy in the sense that those involved will not be husbands or wives but simply partners in an intimate relationship.

Many people who practice polyamory have a different view of sexual fidelity than is traditionally held, not regarding sexual exclusivity as a part of it.

Because there is no official, religious or legal ceremony involved there are no laws in the UK restricting polyamory.

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What is polygamy? Meaning and definition behind polyamorous relationships and the custom of having more than one wife or husband

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FOR most people till death do us part is a phrase reserved for one person, or at least one person at a time. But for some one other half just isn't enough, so here are the answers your multiple questions about the weird world of polygamy.

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Theories About Family & Marriage: Crash Course Sociology #37

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Theories About Family & Marriage: Crash Course Sociology #37

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Theories About Family & Marriage: Crash Course Sociology #37

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What It's Like To Be A Western Nanny For A Superrich Chinese Family

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What It's Like To Be A Western Nanny For A Superrich Chinese Family

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Courtesy of original poster

The dramatic increase in wealth in China over the past few decades has resulted in many new superrich families seeking to introduce the Western world to their children.

Sometimes wealthy Chinese go to the West: For instance, Bo Guagua, the son of ousted Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai was educated at London's Harrow School, Oxford, and Harvard (the man who "fixed" this elite Western education later ended up dead, by the way).

Sometimes Europeans and Americans go to China for jobs in child care and education. For the Western job-seekers, it's a chance to see a different world and get paid while doing it. For the Chinese families, it's a chance to introduce their children to a different language and a different culture.

One British girl who used an agency to work as a nanny for a wealthy family in Hangzhou (rich enough to have five Porsches) recently took to Reddit to answer questions about her experience, and her answers are wonderfully candid.

We've included some of her answers below, lightly edited for clarity. Bear in mind these are just one person's experience, and she's also one person who plans to soon leave China.

The money:

"I get paid s***-all. I have all my food, room and pocket money given to me. I also get some treats now and then because the hostmother is a kept woman so I get some beauty treatments and things for free. I also get free Chinese lessons which is good. They pay in part for my flight there too. The experience has been very interesting but the agency has scammed me in a few ways too."

On her family's Western habits:

"[The family tries to fit in with Western culture] and it's sort of embarrassing, especially with the food. And labels, the obsession with western labels on clothes, even if the clothes don't go or look stupid [...] The first day I arrived at the family's house they took me to a steak house which apparently is a huge deal (I was mostly veggie in England). It was surreal to be served steak and potatoes and have my favorite Chet Baker song in the background. Very weird. Fast food is also popular and before I came there was a Lady Gaga themed steak house."

On the family's routine:

"It seems to vary family by family. [I've other nanny friends] but mine seems to be the father away all the time apart from one day at the weekend, the mother ferrying her son to all his schools and activities and endless parties and lavish dinners. During the day there's very little to do because there's also a housekeeper. They shop, go the movies and watch TV."

On their wealth:

"[They] own many nice cars, luxurious apartment and second home, one kid in boarding school, other privately educated."

"[They live in] a very rich neighborhood, but having been in some other apartments and things they seem slightly richer in comparison. This kid seems more pushed than the other kids, 6 days of school a week and 4 music lessons in the evenings too."

On her own routine:

"I take the kid to school, come back and work on some Chinese or write, and sometimes I sneak off to model here too. On my days off the family go away to a different city so I walk around singing loudly because I can and maybe meet up with another nanny that lives near me. I also play basketball."

What the kids get away with:

"Pick his nose and wipe it on me? Wave his bare ass at me? Oh and a friend who works an hour or so away has seen the kids be allowed to just piss on the living room floor so they don;t have to move from the television. Occasionally they'll bring him a bucket."

How the wife treats her:

"Oh she's generally sweet to me, really. They are very nice, especially the ayi (grandmother) so I've been relatively lucky. However some things remind me of my status sometimes, like not being taken for medical care etc."

The bad side to the job:

"Many things, not being able to fully discipline the kid sometimes, the lack of freedom as a previously quite independent person and actually China is very dirty and polluted, so I feel quite guilty I get to leave and they just have to deal."

[...]

"For example today [the child] came home from the hospital after being in for some kind of very bad cold (when the worlds antibiotics become completely ineffective we will know exactly which country to blame) in his mask and the first thing he did when i knelt down to say hello was wipe his phlegmy coughy mask round my face O_O."

When local guys hit on her:

"[It happens] all the time, but not in a very sleazy way. If I go out they send drinks to my table which I actually don't like and I get people coming up to me in the street but it's not intimidating or anything."

The best and worst things that have happened:

"Hmmm, I kept telling the family here I was sick for about 3 months and they just laughed it off and told me to get over it. Eventually I got a fever and deep pain in my kidneys which was a kidney infection. They wouldn't drive me so I had to walk a few miles to the most vile hospital ever and get examined on a gurney in a room of Chinese people with colds with them thumping me and asking me if it hurt in certain places. I had to pay a buttload and get lots of IV's. Ick."

"The best? The boy can be very sweet and funny and I had a great birthday party here, we went to a Chinese club and I brought twerking to the mainland."

What she'll take away from the experience:

"Meeting young Chinese people and having so much in common with them, even when language was a problem we have had so much fun learning about each others' cultures and helping each other out. I've made amazing friends. How sweet the Chinese are to their kids, watching the grandparents sit by the lake with the young kids is heartwarming. Bonding with a kid who isn't mine and having him give me a kiss goodnight. Lots of good things."

[Please note, the answers have been lightly edited for clarity]

NOW WATCH: Here's What It Takes To Work At Hooters

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A Candid Account Of What It's Like To Be A Western Nanny For A Superrich Chinese Family

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The dramatic increase in wealth in China over the past few decades has resulted in many new superrich families seeking to introduce the Western world to their children. Sometimes wealthy Chinese go to the West: For instance, Bo Guagua, the son of ousted Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai was educated at London's Harrow School, Oxford, and Harvard (the man who "fixed" this elite Western education later ended up dead, by the way).

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Families and Households - Office for National Statistics

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Trends in living arrangements including families (with and without dependent children), people living alone and people in shared accommodation, broken down by size and type of household.

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Families have changed over the past thirty years.

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Families have changed over the past thirty years.

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Winston and C-Milk are married in China, and have discovered some stark differences between family life and values in China. A collectivist society, China promotes family unity above all else, whereas in the west, we tend to value independence.

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Explaining structural change in family life

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The background social and economic changes underpinning structural change in family life.

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FAMILIES IN CHINA: LINEAGES, MARRIED LIFE, EXTENDED FAMILIES AND GENDER ROLES | Facts and Details

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In the Mao era, families were sometimes broken apart and genealogical records, which were looked on as feudal, were destroyed. Family life was put under stress in the Cultural Revolution when children were encouraged to snitch on their parents or even disown them, especially if they came from the landlord classes and had "bad roots," and parents and children were separated and sent to the countryside.

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Patterns of family formation and dissolution in Britain changed significantly in the latter half of the twentieth century. This is particularly true since the late 1960s when restrictions on contraception, abortion, and divorce were substantially reduced. The 1964 introduction of the contraceptive pill in Britain made contraception easier to obtain and use and much more reliable. The National Health Service (Family Planning) Act of 1967 allowed doctors to give family-planning advice and to prescribe free contraceptives, initially to married women only. The Abortion Act of the same year allowed the termination of pregnancy if two independent medical practitioners agreed that continuance would cause physical or mental risk to the health of the woman or her existing children. And the 1969 Divorce Reform Act made the "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage the sole grounds for divorce, although it was necessary to prove this in one of five ways (unreasonable behavior, desertion, adultery, two years separation with consent, five years separation without consent). (It should be noted that there are differences across U.K. countries in the timing and operation of these measures. For example, the 1969 Divorce Reform Act applied to England and Wales, and Scotland did not introduce similar reforms until 1976.)

These measures are still largely in place, with only relatively minor changes, and they have formed the backdrop to widespread change in family structures and the life-course trajectories of individuals. In the immediate postwar period and up to the late 1960s most people experienced a typical life-course pattern of courtship leading to marriage, followed by the birth of children; the woman gave up paid employment during her years of childrearing, and the couple stayed together until "death do us part." But such patterns are increasingly elusive for the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. As figures from the Office of National Statistics show, there is now much more variety and change in the way people in Great Britain move into and out of families:

The majority of men and women still marry, but nonmarriage is on the increase. Of women born in the early 1960s, 28 percent remained unmarried at the age of thirty-two. Only 7 percent of women born in the early 1940s were still unmarried by that age. This partly reflects later age at marriage but also increased rates of nonmarriage.

Cohabitation has become increasingly common, usually preceding or following marriage but, for some couples, replacing marriage. The proportion of nonmarried women under sixty cohabiting almost doubled in less than fifteen years-from 13 percent in 1986 to 25 percent in 1998 and 1999. By the early 1990s as many as 70 percent of women cohabited prior to marriage, and so cohabitation seems to have replaced marriage as the first form of co-resident partnership for many couples. There are about 1.5 million cohabiting heterosexual couples in England and Wales.

The number of marriages has fallen, and the timing of marriage has changed. About 184,000 first marriages took place in 1999 in England and Wales, down from 343,000 in 1971, and the average age at first marriage was twenty-eight for women and thirty for men in 1999, compared with twenty-two and twenty-four, respectively, in 1971.

Almost one in five conceptions are terminated by legal abortion. Probably about one-fourth of women born in the mid-1970s will remain childless. Those who have children are older and less likely to be married than they used to be. The mean age of women at the time of the birth of their first child was twenty-nine in 1999 compared with twenty-four in 1971. Of all births in 1999, 39 percent were to unmarried women, with the most of these registered by both parents (80 percent, including 60 percent living at the same address).

The numbers and rate of divorce have remained fairly steady since the early 1980s, with about 145,000 divorces per year, a rate of 12.9 per thousand married people. The numbers of divorces involving children under sixteen reached a peak in of 176,000 in 1993, then fell slightly to 150,000 in 1999. One in four children whose parents divorce are under five years old.

The most visible outcome of these changing patterns of family formation and dissolution has been the growth in the number and proportion of families headed by a lone parent. Lone-parent families (i.e., families with one parent, not cohabiting, living with dependent children) now form about 23 percent of all families with children in Britain and number about 1.7 million families with about 2.8 million children. In the 1980s the main growth in lone parenthood came about because of divorce; in the 1990s unmarried motherhood has increased more rapidly. This is mainly a result of rising rates of cohabitation, with women who separate from a cohabiting partner appearing as "single, never-married" in the statistics. About half of all lone parents leave lone parenthood within six years of becoming a lone parent, and many of these go on to form new partnerships, and in some cases to have more children. Stepfamilies are therefore also becoming more common, with about 8 percent of children estimated to be living in such a family in the mid-1990s.

Great Britain has a mainly white population, with the 1991 census counting about three million people as nonwhite (self-definition), about 6 percent of the population. Patterns of family formation and dissolution differ among ethnic minority groups. For example, Caribbean men and women are less likely to be married or cohabiting than their white counterparts, while South Asians have higher rates of marriage and lower rates of cohabitation and marital breakdown.

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Great Britain - The Nature Of Family Change In Great Britain

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Patterns of family formation and dissolution in Britain changed significantly in the latter half of the twentieth century. This is particularly true since the late 1960s when restrictions on contraception, abortion, and divorce were substantially reduced. The 1964 introduction of the contraceptive pill in Britain made contraception easier to obtain and use and much more reliable.

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The significance of family in China

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Many challenges await the Western businessperson in China, but one factor that may escape immediate notice is the significance of the Chinese family. While family in China is primarily a social issue, its centrality within Chinese everyday life, as well as the changes and pressures forced upon it by the rapid rise of the Chinese economy, often create an inescapable impact on businesses in China.

Why are Chinese employees more likely to resign after the New Year holiday than at other times of the year? Why are Chinese employees passive and not prone to take the initiative? Why do Chinese employees seem to feel an inordinate amount of pressure? Understanding these issues and the role of the family in China can help Western businesses to better manage their operations in China as well as maintain better relationships with their employees.

The History of Family in China

Family has long been a key component within Chinese society, and many aspects of Chinese life can be tied to honoring one's parents or ancestors. In fact, the majority of the "five relationships" espoused by Confucius were directly centered on the family. Due to this focus on the family, it was common for the Chinese, even when fully grown with children of their own, to not only remain in or close to their hometown, but also have many, if not all, living generations of a family living under the same roof (四世同堂). Chinese who may have done business far from home, or may have been appointed to government posts far away, would normally have found time to return home on a regular basis, giving rise to the popular Chinese saying: "falling leaves returning to the root of the tree that sired them."

The concept of family in China was so important that it was one of the few moral and ideological concepts to survive the decade-long turmoil and chaos of the Cultural Revolution relatively unscathed. While many Chinese elders lament the fact that young adults born in the 1980's or later possess no clear moral compass or strong standards of behavior, no one in China has forgotten the importance of family.

The Chinese Family Structure

The Chinese family structure has traditionally been rigid and hierarchical, with elders still receiving the largest degree of reverence, respect and obedience, a practice that has continued into the modern age. And while Confucius may have preached that showing respect and filial piety to one's elders did in no way require blind obedience, in actual practice throughout Chinese history and today, many parents and grandparents expect their children/grandchildren to do as they are told. Within the traditional Chinese family structure, each family member has a specific form of address in Chinese, with different forms of address for older and younger brother, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers, on both the maternal and paternal sides of a family.

And while this naturally can appear complicated to the uninitiated Westerner, in fact, it was and is incredibly important to the Chinese family structure. A significant aspect of life in the Chinese family is showing the proper amount of respect to the appropriate members of the family. For example, a father's elder brother will accordingly rank higher than his younger brother, and there exist separate terms to differentiate the two, to both members of the family as well as to outsiders. And these terms also offer insight into the position of a girl within the traditional Chinese family unit. Many of the terms for family members on the maternal side of the family begin with the character "Wài (外)," literally meaning "outside, " indicative of the fact that Chinese women, even after marrying into a new home were still considered to be outsiders.

China's Rapid Economic Growth and Working Away from Home

In the new China, the Chinese family faces many challenges and contradictions to the old way of life that threaten its traditional stability. As China's economy continues to grow and expand, many young and seasonal workers have been drawn to the bigger cities in the more prosperous regions in China. They come to find better jobs and more money, in many cases sending much of what they earn to their families, who may reside in small towns where income is very low. But as Chinese young adults enter their late twenties, they come under increasing pressure from family to marry, have children and settle down, which much of the time requires moving back home.

Also, unlike Westerners, many young Chinese have a hard time away from home and do not do well alone and on their own. Every year as the Spring Festival rolls around, almost all Chinese living away from home begin the long and sometimes arduous journey back to their hometowns. Free from the stress, loneliness and toil of the big cities, it is not uncommon for young workers to decide abruptly to "take a break," quickly giving notice (if at all) to their current employers, and it is common for workers to take off weeks or months at a time. And while some Western employers may be prone to assume that their young employees lack loyalty, morals or good character, it is important to remember that family is the highest priority in China and trumps loyalty to all else.

The One Child Policy

The situation with family in China is in some ways made worse by the Chinese One Child Policy, which was first implemented in the late 1970's. The policy had previously allowed parents only one offspring, leading to an upset in the traditional structure of the family. Instead of the usual bottom-heavy structure, one child is now supported and brought up by two parents and four grandparents, resulting in an inordinate amount of attention and pressure placed upon the child.

With regard to the workplace, this can potentially have two negative side-effects. First, with only one child available to succeed and support them in their old age (expected by parents in China) parents and grandparents will aim to be even more in control on their child. In modern China every aspect of a child's life, including courses of study, careers, friends and free time is decided and managed by the parents and other relatives. When those children later enter the workplace, they generally not only have little to no experience thinking and making decisions on their own, but also as a result of a school system focused on memorization and diminished free thinking, they have been specifically taught to avoid such things. Second, under the sole focus and care of so many family members, Chinese children of the post 1980's generation have acquired a reputation for being spoiled and self-centered, also known as the "Little Emperor Syndrome." One result is that young talent in China is more likely to become dissatisfied with their current employment. They are much more likely than their Western counterparts to switch jobs after short periods, chasing happiness or a larger paycheck.

Throughout the entire scope of a Chinese person's life (including study, work, and life in general), family signifies a type of responsibility, though there exist both positive and negative aspects to this. The traditional interpretation of familial responsibility is that Chinese children are expected to study, work, and live life in a "proper" manner. Therefore Chinese people's personalities tend to be both cautious and introverted. Many times when a Chinese child or young adult is preparing to make an important decision about their future, they will often take into consideration the feelings of their parents and their responsibility to their family. So in many respects the "family" plays a large role in influencing a person's decisions, even going so far as to cause an individual to sacrifice their own aspirations and goals to satisfy the needs of the family. In China, it is commonly said that parents live for their children, and children also live for their parents. However when parents and children are all sacrificing their own interests, neither is able to live for themselves.

-Sarah Zhao, White-collar Worker, Shanghai

What to Be Aware of as a Westerner

Westerners in China unfamiliar with the Chinese family and the local talent market can find themselves with workers that they don't understand, an unproductive office staff, high turnover rates and endless headaches. However, with patience, the right mindset and proper planning, the impact of these issues can be reduced. First of all, many young Chinese (and older ones as well) can indeed adapt to a "Western working model," but it is unfair to immediately expect them to change their ways. Remember that in a local Chinese company (or even among their own families), showing initiative, displaying individuality or offering suggestions to managers will not only likely be ignored, but can also lead to workers being criticized or ostracized by their colleagues and managers. It is important to be patient while these workers learn, and show that you are willing to listen to them on a consistent basis, and not just when it's convenient.

Also, be ready for the likely event that not all workers will want to be managed in a Western manner. In this case it's important to acquaint oneself with the basic concepts of Chinese culture, and be sure to give them the proper amount of face and respect for a job well done and not to take it away in front of others. With regard to possible the high turnover rates you might experience around the time of the Chinese New Year, make sure to plan ahead and have potential candidates identified by HR early before it's too late. And remember that a Chinese worker's loyalty is to their family first; it's not that they have no loyalty or have shoddy principles, that's just the way the culture is. For a western business or businessperson in China, in order to succeed it's important to learn and adapt.

Thanks for reading!

Do you have any more questions on the family in China, or on the effect it can have on both life and work? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Categories: Culture & Society

Tags: Family in China, Family Structure, Filial Piety, One Child Policy, 家庭

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Many challenges await the Western businessperson in China, but one factor that may escape immediate notice is the significance of the Chinese family. While family in China is primarily a social issue, its centrality within Chinese everyday life, as well as the changes and pressures forced upon it by the rapid rise of the Chinese economy, often create an inescapable impact on businesses in China.

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Listed below are the variety of structures families are found in:

Beanpole - in countries like Britain and the US, the number of children per generation has steadily gone down, while life span has increased. This has led to a shape of family tree that some researchers have likened to a beanpole - tall and thin, with few people in each generation.

Classic extended family - an extended family sharing the same household

Cohabitation - a couple living together who aren't married

Extended family - a family containing relatives in addition to the nuclear family

Gay or lesbian family - same sex couple living together with children

Kin - relatives based on marriage or genes

Lone parent family - lone parent (either gender) with dependent children

Modified extended family - an extended family living apart but still in communication via phone, email, Skype etc.

Monogamy - a married couple of the opposite sex, who have sexual relations with each other

Nuclear family - a family consisting of an adult male and female with one or more children (including adopted)

Polygamy - a marriage involving two or more wives or husbands

Reconstituted family (blended family) - a family formed out of another relationship, otherwise known as a step-family

Symmetrical family - authority and household tasks shared between male and female partners

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What are the different types of families?

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Listed below are the variety of structures families are found in: Beanpole - in countries like Britain and the US, the number of children per generation has steadily gone down, while life span has increased. This has led to a shape of family tree that some researchers have likened to a beanpole - tall and...

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Nearly four out of 10 households with children, or 8.1 million people, live below an income level regarded by the public as the minimum needed to participate in society, according to new research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The number of those on less than the so-called minimum income threshold in 2012/13 was up by more than a third from 5.9 million in 2008/09, the charity says.

The research finds families headed by lone parents are under the greatest pressure, with 71% (2.3 million individuals) living below the required level, up from 65% (2.2 million).

The findings will fuel the debate about British economic growth, and whether it is feeding through to better living standards for most families. David Cameron will on Monday pledge to make full employment a priority if he wins in May.

The definition of minimum income threshold assumes a single person of working age needs an income of £16,284. It suggests in the case of a couple with two children, each needs to reach an income threshold of £20,400. It does not pretend to be a poverty measure, or act as a substitute for the government's half-abandoned child poverty measure of the numbers earning 60% below median earnings. It is instead a definition of the income required to have not just food, shelter and clothes, but also to be able to be a participant in society.

The definition, reached in discussion with the public through focus groups, looks at what a household needs to be integrated in society and has been used in the past as a benchmark for the living wage.

It includes, for instance, the ability to pay for a week's holiday in the UK, or a second-hand car for families with children. It assumes no cigarettes or visits to the pub.

Although the definition of the minimum income level may prove controversial with some, the trend towards more people falling below the threshold is significant. It reflects both the increasing cost of living relative to earnings and benefit cuts for households in and out of work.

The report finds that of the 3.7 million individuals living in single working-age households in the UK, 1.4 million lacked the income required for an adequate standard of living in 2012/13. This was 37% of single working-age households, up from 29% in 2008/09.

It suggests that among the 9.3 million individuals living in couple working-age households without children in the UK, 1.6 million lacked the income required for an adequate standard of living in 2012/13. This represents 17% of couple working-age households, up from 10% in 2008/09.

London remains the part of the UK where households face the greatest risk of being below the minimum income standard, influenced by high housing and childcare costs.

But in some other regions, notably Wales and the north-east, there has been a particularly sharp increase in this risk, to levels close to London's. Households with members aged under 35 are now more than four times as likely to be below MIS than pensioners.

The report suggests that as employment rates for younger adults recover, their prospect of having an adequate income may improve. Working families with children, on the other hand, will continue to feel the effects of stagnating wages and benefit cuts because they are reliant on benefits to top up their low pay.

The report's findings have been endorsed by Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

He called the report "further evidence of the impact stagnating wages and fiscal consolidation is having on living standards of poor families. Despite very strong employment growth and record low worklessness, the number of people in families with children who are unable to attain what the public believe to be a minimum standard of living has increased by 2.2 million - more than a third - since the start of the recession, with the majority of the increase in working households".

To tackle this, the next government would need to take action to recouple earnings growth with economic growth, he said. "Forging a new settlement to make Britain a living wage country by 2025 and ensuring that the working poor are protected from the impact of continued austerity in the next parliament."

Mike Kelly, head of Living Wage at KPMG, welcomed the report saying: "Childless working households are the worst affected when it comes to low pay - and for them it's getting worse, not better.

"For far too long, low income households have been struggling to make ends meet and for young people who are trapped in low-paid jobs, with little prospects, it's an even bleaker situation.

"The fact remains that more than 5 million people are earning less than they need to live on. Too many families still struggle to afford the basics, meaning we face a scenario that, in 2015, should have long been consigned to the footnotes of history."

Katie Schmuecker, policy manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: "There has been a turnaround in who is suffering most as a result of the economic crisis and government measures to reduce the deficit.

"While last year's monitoring report showed a sharp rise in young single people struggling to make ends meet, this year's report shows a rapid widening of the gap between the incomes and costs of families with children."

To alleviate the squeeze on working-age poor, JRF has called for:

* Reform of the markets for essential goods and services such as energy, financial services and transport, to ensure they provide good value for money and those on low incomes do not pay more than better-off households for services.

* National minimum wage rates to be set with regard to the changing cost of living and average earnings.

* Employers to pay the living wage where they can afford to.

* Changes to the design of Universal Credit so low earners keep more of the money they earn before benefits are withdrawn.

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40% of British families 'too poor to play a part in society'

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Nearly four out of 10 households with children, or 8.1 million people, live below an income level regarded by the public as the minimum needed to participate in society, according to new research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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I am often asked why I believe the divorce rate is so high. I am often told why others feel the divorce rate is so high. I have an opinion and so does everyone else. Here is mine.

It surprises me that the opinions of some are rather simplistic when explaining the high divorce rate in our country. Some point a finger at the feminist movement, others blame an inability to make a commitment.

Based own my experience as a Divorce Coach and Marriage Educator it goes deeper than feminism or a lack of commitment by spouses to the marriage, in my opinion.

6 Reasons I Beleive The Divorce Rate Is So High:

1. Independence is Crippling Marriages:

People end up in divorce court because they wait too long to find solutions to the problems in their marriage. We are a nation of highly independent people and in my opinion that independence we covet stands in the way of us being able to humble ourselves and ask for help from each other and experts.

We don't like to think we can't solve a problem alone, especially something as personal as a marital problem. We are of the mindset that if we work harder we can deal with the issues. What we don't stop to consider is that, if you don't have the skills needed to work through the problems it doesn't matter how hard you work.

A little humility, a little less faith in ourselves to handle it all and a willingness to admit needing help would keep quite a few couples from becoming a victim of divorce.

2. Couples Don't Know How to Fight Fair:

Couples don't know how to fight fairly. They have this romantic notion that if they are in "love" there should be no fighting. Once the fighting begins, they are so flabbergasted by the idea that someone who loves them would criticize them that all hell breaks out.

Instead of realizing that fighting can be healthy for a relationship, people become highly offended, start harboring resentment and start withdrawing from their spouse.

There is an inability to fight, make-up, forgive and get on with the marriage.
3. "My Way Or The Highway" Mentality:
In a marriage, a person's role will change. At times, they will be in control of major issues, at other times their spouse will be in control of major issues. I see an unwillingness to give over control to each other. It is called mutual submission and in my experience, I see very few people willing to yield control to their spouse. It is a "my way or the highway" mentality that is destroying marriages and leaving people with nothing but their need to be control freaks.
4. Declining Morals And Skewed Beliefs:
People are too quick to seek comfort somewhere else if things aren't working out in their marriage. Declining morals and the skewed belief that straying outside the marriage is justifiable if your needs aren't being met is devastating to a marriage.

Very few marriages recover from infidelity and many people end up alone with the realization that looking outside the marriage to solve problems only adds to their problems.
5. Marriages Are Viewed as Disposable In Today's Society:
We live in a disposable society. Marriages are thrown away in the same fashion one would toss an old pair of shoes.

We are looking for a quick fix, something that can satisfy our needs and if those needs aren't satisfied some feel it is easier to toss the spouse and move on to the next relationship.

If the marriage becomes hard and requires a little attention and work or, the butterflies disappear it is easier for some to discard the marriage than to hunker down, roll their sleeves up and go to work saving their marriage.

6. Our Marital Expectations Are Childish:

Our expectations of what marriage is supposed to be are childish. We think if we meet someone, fall in love and marry that, that person is going to take care of all our needs, be there at every point and put to end any problems or loneliness we may feel.

We marry expecting someone else to make us happy, instead of making our own selves happy and THEN marrying.

Many people marry without realizing that their happiness is their own responsibility and if you aren't happy there is on one on earth who can fix that problem but yourself.

If you are in a situation where there is domestic violence or serial adultery, you have reason to seek a divorce. Most of the people I coach and communicate with who are going through a divorce are not in those situations. Most had no idea what marriage was when they went into it. Once faced with the reality that a successful marriage takes work they didn't know what to do. Or, they waited too long to do anything.

So, may I suggest that if you are thinking about a divorce, leave no stone unturned when it comes to trying to solve the problems in your marriage. And, if you are thinking about marriage don't go into it expecting never-ending happiness. If you do, I'll see you back here in a few years.

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6 Reasons I Believe The Divorce Rate Is So High

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I am often asked why I believe the divorce rate is so high. I am often told why others feel the divorce rate is so high. I have an opinion and so does everyone else. Here is mine. It surprises me that the opinions of some are rather simplistic when explaining the high divorce rate in our country.

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When divorce is sought a valid reason is required in order to legally terminate the marriage. Sadly, getting a divorce isn't a simple process and couples often encounter troubles - both financial and emotional - while procedures are taking place.

It can take many months or sometimes even years for a divorce to finalise depending on the motive and how the estate it split. This list provides a breakdown on the top five reasons for divorce in the UK.

Adultery

While adultery is certainly a valid motive for divorce, but if the divorce isn't filed within 6 months of the applicant discovering their spouse's adulterous behaviour, then it's no longer valid. According to MSN Living, adultery is the most common motive for divorce in the UK with 55 percent of all divorcees stating it contributed to their breakup.

Lack of Preparation

Like any other major decision in life - buying a house, having children, etc - marriage requires a great deal of thought and preparation. There's a lot more to marriage than romance and passion, and many couples will jump into marriage before they are financially or emotionally ready. Couples often marry while they're still in the 'honeymoon phase', and then begin to feel overwhelmed and consumed when the fire starts burning out. This can lead to arguing, instability and general unhappiness. Marriage is a legal procedure as much as it is a representation of companionship.

Excessive Arguing

Excessive arguing is highly destructive. In most circumstances it's due to a lack of understanding or appreciation. These reasons alone are not enough to legally grant a divorce; however, they will often lead to other, more serious issues. For example, couples who are unhappy in their relationship and don't get along are more prone to committing adultery or other unreasonable behaviour.

Unreasonable Behaviour

From a legal point of view, "unreasonable behaviour" is considered to be heavy drinking, drug taking, physical abuse and verbal assault. Unreasonable behaviour is always viable grounds for divorce and is usually quicker to resolve due to the emotional and physical damage it can cause. In addition, those who seek divorce due to violence will often be entitled to some form of compensation if they can provide adequate proof.

Lack of Equality

Over 44% of all divorcees state that lack of equality was a contributing factor to their split. This occurs when one person feels as though they are taking on most of the work, either earning or housework/childcare. Sadly, there is still a significant level of gender inequality in society, which can heavily contribute. For example, men often feel like they're providing, while women often feel trapped and depressed at losing their independence.

Money is often a focal point for arguments in marriage, and when children are involved these arguments can be volatile. One way some parents keep their children's financial matters arranged is by way of a trust fund. Find out more about Trusts.

It's common for couples to go through rough periods and in most circumstances discussing problems, listening and making an effort to change (on both sides) is all that's required to get through them. That said, sometimes problems are, quite simply, impossible to solve. Fundamentally, the decision to marry should never be taken lightly.

Divorce can be both time consuming and costly. If you are thinking about instigating divorce procedures you must take the necessary precautions and prepare yourself, both emotionally and financially. Read more about the Process of getting a divorce.

We love this list of really helpful divorce questions from SA Law. Go and have a look!

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Top 5 Causes of Divorce and Separation in the UK

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When divorce is sought a valid reason is required in order to legally terminate the marriage. Sadly, getting a divorce isn't a simple process and couples often encounter troubles - both financial and emotional - while procedures are taking place.

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what the typical UK family looks like in the early 21st century

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what the typical UK family looks like in the early 21st century

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There were 17.1 million families in the UK in 2006 - up from 16.5 million in 1996.

Most were still headed by a married couple (71%), although the proportion of cohabiting couple families had increased to 14%, from 9% 10 years earlier.

Although two children remains the most common family size, the average number of children per family in the UK has dropped - from 2.0 in 1971 to 1.8.

More young people are living at home for longer. In 2006, 58% of men and 39% of women aged 20-24 in England still lived at home with their parents.

There is a larger than average concentration of single people living in London, whereas married couples and families tend to be concentrated in the centre of the country and around the outskirts of major cities, according to research by Professor Danny Dorling of Sheffield University.

His map is based on data drawn from the 85 constituencies used for the European parliamentary elections in 1999, each containing roughly half a million people over the age of 18 in a similar geographical area.

The areas are categorised, for example as predominantly single, where the number of people living on their own is the most unusually large group compared with the national average.

Figures were not available for Northern Ireland.

In most families with dependent children, the father is still the main wage earner and the mother often works part-time.

According to the BBC/ICM poll, 33% of women still do the bulk of household chores, but 35% of respondents said both parents shared childcare duties.

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BBC NEWS | UK | The UK family: In statistics

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There were 17.1 million families in the UK in 2006 - up from 16.5 million in 1996. Most were still headed by a married couple (71%), although the proportion of cohabiting couple families had increased to 14%, from 9% 10 years earlier.

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what is the family

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The Office for National Statistics define the family as: "a family is a married, civil partnered or cohabiting couple with or without children, or a lone parent with at least one child. Children may be dependent or non-dependent" (2011) - this is also known as a kinship group.

A kinship means being related by birth or blood. However families are formed by non-kinship relationships (adoption) such as foster children, step-children etc.

It's important to appreciate the family unit is found in some form or another in all known societies because it plays a key role in socialising children into the culture of the society they live in.

Figure 1 below shows that the most common family type in the UK in both 1996 and 2012 was a married or civil partner couple family without dependent children. There were 7.6 million such families in 2012, an increase of over 200,000 since 1996.

The next most common family type was a married or civil partner couple family with dependent children, of which there were 4.6 million in 2012.

This was the only family type to decrease in number since 1996. However, despite an increase in cohabiting couple families and lone parent families over the last decade, married couple families are still the most common family type in the UK, both with and without dependent children.

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The Office for National Statistics define the family as: "a family is a married, civil partnered or cohabiting couple with or without children, or a lone parent with at least one child. Children may be dependent or non-dependent" (2011) - this is also known as a kinship group.

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Family structure

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Family structure has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. The "Leave it to Beaver" family is no longer the standard, and several variations on family have been created. There are six specific types of family structures identified by society today.

Family Structures

The following types of families exist today, with some families naturally falling into multiple categories. For example, a single parent family who lives in a larger, extended family. While these types of families are distinct in definition, in practice the lines are less clear.

Nuclear Family

The nuclear family is the traditional type of family structure. This family type consists of two parents and children. The nuclear family was long held in esteem by society as being the ideal in which to raise children. Children in nuclear families receive strength and stability from the two-parent structure and generally have more opportunities due to the financial ease of two adults. According to U.S. Census data, almost 70 percent of children live in a nuclear family unit.

Single Parent Family

The single parent family consists of one parent raising one or more children on his own. Often, a single parent family is a mother with her children, although there are single fathers as well. The single parent family is the biggest change society has seen in terms of the changes in family structures. One in four children is born to a single mother. Single parent families are generally close and find ways to work together to solve problems, such as dividing up household chores. When only one parent is at home, it may be a struggle to find childcare, as there is only one parent working. This limits income and opportunities in many cases, although many single parent families have help from relatives and friends.

Extended Family

The extended family structure consists of two or more adults who are related, either by blood or marriage, living in the same home. This family includes many relatives living together and working toward common goals, such as raising the children and keeping up with the household duties. Many extended families include cousins, aunts or uncles and grandparents living together. This type of family structure may form due to financial difficulties or because older relatives are unable to care for themselves alone. Extended families are becoming increasingly common all over the world.

Childless Family

While most people think of family as including children, there are couples who either cannot or choose not to have children. The childless family is sometimes the "forgotten family," as it does not meet the traditional standards set by society. Childless families consist of a husband and wife living and working together. Many childless families take on the responsibility of pet ownership or have extensive contact with their nieces and nephews as a substitute for having their own children.

Stepfamily

Over half of all marriages end in divorce, and many of these individuals choose to get remarried. This creates the stepfamily which involves two separate families merging into one new unit. It consists of a new husband and wife and their children from previous marriages or relationships. Stepfamilies are about as common as the nuclear family, although they tend to have more problems, such as adjustment periods and discipline issues. Stepfamilies need to learn to work together and also work with their exes to ensure these family units run smoothly.

Grandparent Family

Many grandparents today are raising their grandchildren for a variety of reasons. One in fourteen children is raised by his grandparents, and the parents are not present in the child's life. This could be due to parents' death, addiction, abandonment or being unfit parents. Many grandparents need to go back to work or find additional sources of income to help raise their grandchildren.

Variety of Structures

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what is the best type of family structure. As long as a family is filled with love and support for one another, it tends to be successful and thrive. Families need to do what is best for each other and themselves, and that can be achieved in almost any unit.

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Family structure has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. The "Leave it to Beaver" family is no longer the standard, and several variations on family have been created. There are six specific types of family structures identified by society today. The following types of families exist today, with some families naturally falling into multiple categories.