1. What Is Family

Question 1

How do you define the family

Answer 1

Family was described in terms of the nuclear family.

- This is heterosexual parents with children who are linked by blood, adoption or law.

Question 2

are traditional views of the family still relevant (1)

Answer 2

This is the Family structure debate:

Traditions views are outdated as there are different family types such as same sex or blended families that cant confine to the traditional nuclear family causing the view to be outdated.

However, Population change and social change cause it to be harder to define a family by structure and its no longer useful, those who define the family in terms of structures are ignoring the reality of most family lives so the traditional view on families can still be relevant

Question 3

are traditional views of the family still relevant (2)

Answer 3

There are also Theoretical debates:

Marxists see the family as an agent of reproducing social inequality that feeds capitalist needs.

Feminism view the family as an agent to oppress women: Wallace in 1990 says women are expected to do the triple shift. Oakley argues they socialise gender norms

Interactionism look at what the family means to individual people.

Postmodernists view families as a choice. Phal in 2000 describing how people have become socially mobile so the supportive role of the family is filled by friends