Which claim would a postmodernist most likely endorse?

Which claim would a postmodernist most likely endorse?

• A. There is no single dominant family form; there is diversity in family life.
• B. There is one universal model for all families.
• C. Family life is largely unaffected by cultural change.
• D. The family is always the same across time and cultures.

Answer: (A)

Postmodernists argue that social life is made up of diverse, shifting patterns rather than one fixed model. When it comes to families, they reject the idea of a single dominant form and instead highlight a range of family arrangements—nuclear, extended, cohabiting, same-sex parents, blended families, solo parenting, multi-generational households—and the ways people shape family life around personal identities, cultural backgrounds, and choices. This emphasis on variety and fluidity makes the claim that there is no single dominant family form and that family life is diverse the best fit. The other statements assume universality or stability of family life, which postmodernists would challenge: one universal model ignores differences across cultures and time; the idea that cultural change leaves family life largely unaffected ignores ongoing shifts in gender roles, sexuality, relationships, and structures; and the claim that the family is always the same across time and cultures runs directly against the postmodern view of continuous change and difference.