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Unlock This CourseFamily structures and relationships have changed dramatically over the past century. But did you know these changes don't happen evenly across society? The principle of stratified diffusion helps explain how family changes spread through different social groups at different rates.
Key Definitions:
Stratified diffusion suggests that family changes typically start in the middle and upper classes before filtering down to working-class families. This happens because higher social classes often have more resources, education and exposure to new ideas that enable them to adopt new family patterns earlier.
Understanding stratified diffusion helps sociologists predict how family trends might develop in the future. It also explains why we see different family patterns across social classes at any given time – some groups are simply at different stages of adopting new relationship forms.
Throughout history, we can see clear examples of how family changes have followed the pattern of stratified diffusion.
The trend toward having fewer children began in the upper and middle classes in the late 19th century, with working-class families following this pattern decades later. This was linked to better education, changing attitudes about women's roles and improved contraception.
Middle-class women entered professional employment in significant numbers from the 1960s onwards. Working-class women had always worked out of necessity, but the pattern of career-focused employment spread from the middle classes downward.
When divorce laws were liberalised in the 1970s, it was initially middle-class couples who were more likely to divorce. Over time, divorce rates increased across all social classes as the stigma decreased.
Cohabitation (living together without marriage) provides a clear example of stratified diffusion. In the 1970s, cohabitation was primarily found among university-educated, middle-class couples. By the 1990s, it had become common across all social classes. Today, over 60% of couples live together before marriage regardless of social class, showing how the pattern has fully diffused through society. However, long-term cohabitation (as an alternative to marriage) remains more common in middle-class households.
Today, we can observe several family trends that are following the pattern of stratified diffusion:
Higher-income families were the first to adopt technologies like family WhatsApp groups, shared digital calendars and video calls with distant relatives. These practices have gradually spread to all social groups, though digital divides still exist based on access to technology.
The trend toward "intensive parenting" (highly scheduled, achievement-focused child-rearing) began in middle-class families but has gradually influenced parenting styles across social classes. However, working-class families may lack the resources to fully participate in expensive extracurricular activities.
Several factors affect how quickly family changes spread through different social groups:
Functionalists see stratified diffusion as society gradually adapting to new conditions. They argue that family changes spread when they prove functional for society, with higher classes "testing" new arrangements before they become widespread.
Marxists emphasise how economic factors determine family patterns. They argue that changes in family structure reflect changes in capitalism, with the ruling class adopting forms that serve their interests before these spread to other classes.
Feminists focus on how gender equality spreads through society. They note that more egalitarian family arrangements often begin in educated, middle-class families before becoming more widespread, though barriers to equality persist across all classes.
The acceptance and formation of same-sex families provides a contemporary example of stratified diffusion. Initially, openly same-sex families were more common in urban, middle-class environments where there was greater acceptance and legal protection. As legal rights expanded (civil partnerships in 2004, equal marriage in 2013) and social attitudes changed, same-sex families have become more visible across all social classes. However, research shows that same-sex couples still face varying levels of acceptance depending on geographical location and social class context.
While the principle of stratified diffusion is useful, it has limitations:
When studying changing family relationships, sociologists use the concept of stratified diffusion to:
Sociologists track how specific family practices (like fathers taking parental leave) spread through different social groups. They might conduct surveys across different social classes or analyse statistical trends over time to identify patterns of diffusion.
Understanding stratified diffusion helps policymakers address inequalities in family life. For example, if certain beneficial family practices aren't diffusing to all social groups, targeted support might be needed to ensure all families can benefit.
The principle of stratified diffusion remains relevant for understanding how family patterns change. Current trends that may be following this pattern include:
By understanding how family changes spread through society, we can better understand both current family diversity and predict future trends. The principle reminds us that families don't change uniformly but in patterns shaped by social class, resources and cultural context.