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The family is a topic which we will look at in great detail this term. For sociologists, the family is often seen as the beginning of socialisation. Indeed, it is the seed of society itself. In recent decades, many old people can no longer rely on their offspring for support, which was common fifty years ago. Many children are brought up by only one parent, something virtually unheard of before the 1960s. We can certainly say that during the last half century we have seen an enormous change in traditional family structures.
The extended family lasted well into the early 1900s, and this kind of strong family unit was essential due to property ownership. Housing often was scarce, and it was necessary for people to live with parents and take over the property when their parents died. Of course, people still benefit from their family line. Still today, people generally inherit any money that their mother or father might have.
In the UK, the last fifty years has also seen a decrease in the number of offspring parents have. Whereas in the 1950s only ten percent of offspring were only children, this number has risen. Nowadays, this is the case for just over a third of children.
