British Family Values

To what extent does the rise of non-traditional families indicate modern day's British family values?

Can you find their similarities and differences?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Beckhams

Ellen and Portia De Rossi

Shakira and Gerard

Traditional Families V.S. Non-traditional Families

Traditional Families

Husband and Wife
Father and Mother + Child

Non-traditional Families

Cohabiting couples
LGBT Couples / Marriages
Single-parent families
Divorced families

"Non-traditional families is getting more common nowadays, and it is obvious that people think this gradually becomes a norm."

Nikki W.

Non-traditional families are now on rise, according to various researches and studies, numbers of cohabiting couple family has nearly tripled in 2016 then in 1996; while there is a shown decline of marriage in the UK.

LGBT couples are still minorities in the country, however in cities such as Brighton, it is easy to see the influence of LGBT community in every street and corner, with LGBT pubs everywhere and Brighton Pride Festival held every August. Besides, as the The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legalized same-sex marriage in England and Wales, Same-sex married couples are the fastest growing type of same-sex family. greatly increased from 8.9% in 2015 to 27% in 2019.

Whereas for single-parent families, up till 2019, there are 15% of the families in the UK are lone-parent families, especially in big cities such as London and Manchester.

Although marriage (man and woman) might still be valued in Britain in general, the new generation is starting to have higher acceptance on and engagement in non-traditional families.

Is marriage still being valued?

Source: Marriages in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics

The continuous decline indicates that couples' relationship goals are changing. Traditionally, people believe that marriage is the goal of a relationship and is seen as a commitment. However, statistics have shown that signing marriage certificates is not as important as before.

What is putting people off?

Influences from separated parents

More and more children grow up seeing their parents separate or divorce. This experience has an enormous impact on children.

Crippling wedding cost

According to Statista Research Department, the average cost of a wedding in UK in 2019 is £31,974. The number has increased significantly over the decade.

Support from the society?

Financially

Although policies have been changing and improving over the years, it still favours traditional family.

Childcare policy restricts single parents from entering (or re-entering) work. More than half of non-working single mothers cannot afford childcare costs if they work full-time.

Morally

The older generation can be vocal and rude when they encounter same-sex couples. This can also be common in small villages.

Due to education, the next generation is more open and accepting towards non-traditional family structures and different sexual orientations.

Modern day's British family values

Individuality

Modern Brits tend to embrace individuality, believe that it is essential for personal happiness. Kids were encouraged to do whatever they want, without many limitations, when they were brought up. The rise of individualism prioritize independence and uniqueness as cultural values; hence more and more new generation involve in and engage with non-traditional families , as a result, presence of non-traditional families become the new norm.

Equality

Due to education reform and the new way of bringing up children, gender equality is being greatly valued. This can be seen by the rise of LGBT, working mums and single-parent in the society.

"Girls can be seen, but not heard." is an old saying, emphasizing that girls should be passive and quiet, sacrificing themselves and their time for the family. However, as time goes by, gender equality is now a hot potato, ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.

Open-mindedness

The high acceptance towards non-traditional families indicates people are getting more open-minded. Despite the little official support from the government, non-traditional families have gained great moral support from the society, with certain cities proudly organizing annual Pride Festival, and providing childcare services for single-parent families. This shows that people of the UK are getting more welcoming towards new ideas, possibilities, information and arguments.

Ipsos MORI’s Social Research Institute (2016) Families in Britain: The impact of family structures and what the public think.
Statista (2019) Average wedding cost in the United Kingdom (UK) 2009-2019
Tomasz Frymorgen (2018) Why are men and women getting turned off marriage?

Valentina Romei & Janina Conboye (2019) Lone parents face a challenge to stay in work.

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