This essay will illustrate the diversity and change within modern family structures over the past thirty years, whilst identifying ways in which these changes may have impacted upon young people and the subsequent implications for workers undertaking direct work with young people.
             It will demonstrate an understanding and offer examples of how social constructionism helps us interpret the meaning of the society we live in at any given time. Social constructionists argue that reality, the everyday meanings applied to our existence is constructed by social, cultural, economic, political and religious processes. These processes historically are changeable, giving different definition to society at different points in times. Therefore our attitudes, understanding and expectations of society and issues within it will be influenced by the meanings attached.
             Firstly there has been a marked increase in single parent families. In the UK in 1995 there were an estimated 1:4 families headed by a single parent, the majority (but by no means all) of whom are women in the 16:24 age group (Wilkinson and Mulgan 1995). Historically there have always been single parent families, but what has changed is societies attitudes, perceptions and beliefs attached to adults and children living within such units, whether through unforeseen circumstances, limited life opportunities or personal choice.
             In the 1950's and 60's young women who became pregnant outside of wedlock were considered 'loose' and 'immoral' with the child subsequently labelled a 'bastard'. These linguistic terms are rarely used in the 90's with the younger generation being much more likely to view an upbringing in a single parent family as equally valid (ref course material).
             Although there has been a social shift in attitudes towards single mothers, politically the subject area continues to create much debate, Charles Murray – ...