The Way of Life

In recent years there have been many changes in family life. A typical British family used to consist of mothers, fathers and two children. Since the law made it easier to get a divorces, the number of divorces has considerably increased: one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. As a result, there are a lot of one-parent families. Society is now more tolerant of unmerited couples and single parents.

The increased number of divorces, however, does not mean that the marriage and family are not popular: the majority of divorces people marry again, and they usually take responsibility for the children in their second family.

Member of family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – keep in touch, but they see each other less than before, because people often moves away from their home town to work, and so the family becomes scattered. Christmas is the traditional season for reunions, and relatives often travel many miles in order to spend the holyday together.

Taking care of the older generation.There are about ten million old-aged people in Britain, of whom about 750,000 cannot live entirely independently. The government gives them financial help in the form a pension. More than half of all old people are locked after at home. Old people who have no families live in Old People’s Homes, which may state-owned or private.

The individual and the family. The relation between the members of a family have become more democratic than they used to be. Many parent treat their children more as equals, and children have more freedom to make their own decisions. The father gives more time to brining up children, often because the mother goes to work. Although the family holyday is still an important part of family life, many children spend their holidays away from their parents, often with a school party or another organized group.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the result of the increased number of divorces in recent years?

2. Does the increased number of divorces mean that marriage and the family are no longer popular? Explain.

3. Do all members of a family usually live together or apart? What is traditional time for a family reunion?

4. What is the number of old-age people in Britain? How does the government helped the old people who have no families?

5. What facts show that the relation between the members of the family have become more democratic?

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