MODERN FAMILY WHAT IS IT LIKE FAMILY

MODERN FAMILY: WHAT IS IT LIKE?

FAMILY PROBLEMS IN RUSSIA AND IN GREAT BRITAIN commit to marriage – вступить в брак nuclear family – семья как ячейка общества: родители и дети extended family – семья, включающая в себя не только родителей и детей, но и других родственников - бабушек, дедушек, дядей, тетей adult – взрослый spouse - супруг divorce – развод stepfamily – новая семья, созданная в повторном браке complex - сложный stepsiblings – сводные братья и сестры half-siblings – братья и сестры только по одному из родителей lone parent – одинокий родитель state benefits – государственная помощь source of income – источник дохода to earn a good income – получать хороший доход nanny, child-minder – няня childcare facilities – детские дошкольные учреждения

FIND THE DEFINITIONS a stepfamily a nuclear family A family group with a close relationship among the members which includes not only parents and children but also uncles aunts, grandparents, etc. A family that consists of father, mother and children, a unit of a society. . an extended family A family that appeared as a result of one parent marrying again.

HOW DO WE CALL THIS? commit to marriage 1. When people decide to create a family, they ……………. parents 2. Father and mother are ………………. grandparents 3. Grandfather and grandmother are ………………. siblings 4. Sisters and brothers are …………. . . spouses 5. A husband a wife are …………………. a nanny or a child-minder 6. A woman who looks after the children is ………………. . childcare facilities 7. Kindergartens and child center are ………………. sources of income 8. Salaries, wages and state benefits are ……………. . a divorce 9. When the marriage is cancelled, it is …………………. . .

NEW WORDS. FAMILY AND SOCIETY laws – законодательство society – общество opportunity – возможность emergence – возникновение substitute – заменить material security – материальное обеспечение living conditions – жизненный уровень state support – государственная поддержка system of privileges – система привилегий count on state aid – полагаться на государственную поддержку dependence – зависимость

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES 1. Since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has …………. . a) increased b) decreased c) remained the same 2. ………. . are clearly at a disadvantage in a society. a) men b) women c) foreigners 3. The government gives old-age people financial help in the form of a ……………. a) salary b) pension c) privileges b) 4. All families must understand that they can no longer count on ………. except the most difficult situations. c) their parents b) their salaries c) state aid d) 5. We must develop …………………. . that are specifically intended to support families. e) special social programs b) kindergartens c) new jobs

GRAMMAR POINTS ONE 1. Один 2. Слово-заменитель любого существительного 3. Люди вообще One might think that traditional family life in Britain is a thing of the past. In fact one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. The largest room in the house and the one with the best furniture is the sitting-room.

Family Problems in Great Britain and Russia Many people think that happy families are those where the mother ran the house, and the father went out to work to bring back enough money for this ideal family to live on. The family - mother, father and three or four healthy children - would go out for an occasional treat. Roles were very clear for the parents and children. But an "ideal" British family has changed. Since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. In fact one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. This means that there a lot of one-parent families. In the majority of one-parent families it is the mother who is the single parent. Employing a nanny or childminder to look after children during the day is very expensive. An alternative is a kindergarten. The divorced people often marry again and they create stepfamilies. These families are far more complex. There are new roles, such as remained absent parents, stepsiblings, half-siblings and step grandparents. Another problem has been caused by the fact that people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone after the death of their partners. There about 10 million old-age pensioners in Britain, most of them can't live entirely independently. The government gives financial help in the form of a pension but in the future it will be more and more difficult for the national economy to support the increasing number of elderly. Relationships within the family are different now. Many children are given more freedom when young; when they move away from home. People experiment with relationships before committing themselves to marriage. One might think that traditional family life in Britain is a thing of the past. The family nature keeps changing, but a great variety of family forms may lead to new families rather than to no families in British society. Any family policy must be realistic. There are many factors influencing the stability of families and marriages - material security, living conditions, state support, alcoholism etc. We must identify and focus on those that bend themselves to some sort of action. It would be realistic to concentrate on creating a system of privileges, benefits, improved living conditions, day-care, kindergartens and the like designed to promote the family. All families must be made to understand that they can no longer count on state aid expert in the most difficult and desperate situations.

QUESTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. What was the perception of an "ideal" family life? Are all families necessarily composed of a husband, a wife, and their children? Please, speak on the problems of one-parent families. What problems does a stepfamily face? What are the problems of old people living alone? What are the future of the family system? What factors effect marital and family relations in Russia today?

DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. How do you think the demographic situation in Russia can be improved to meet the demands of our society? What are the functions of the family in modern society? Speak about your family, your parents and kin viewing them from the sociological perspective.