AQA SOCIOLOGY FAMILIES

Question 1

Can you name the five types of families in the U.K. today?

Answer 1

Nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone parent and same sex

Question 2

Rapoport and Rapoport (1982)

What are their views on the family?

Answer 2

Identified 5 types of family diversity in the U.K. (CLOGS) cultural, life course, organisational (division of Labour and social networks), generational and social class diversity. Used secondary data- reliable? Strengths: included gay and lesbian families.

Question 3

What is a commune and give an example?

Answer 3

A group of people living together sharing accommodation, possessions, wealth and property. A kibbutz where they share values and cooperation between members.

Question 4

What are the functions of the family according to functionalists?

Answer 4

The sexual function (regulates sexual activity to maintain relationship), the reproductive function, the economic function and the educational function (members learning culture through socialisation)

Question 5

What is parsons’ functionalist view of the nuclear family? (1956).

Answer 5

There are two basic functions- primary socialisation and the stabilisation of adult personalities. Socialisation being learning values and cultures so that they accept it. Stabilisation being an escape from our pressures (warm bath theory)

Question 6

What are the criticisms of parsons? (1956)

Answer 6

Outdated, unrealistic and sexist
Ignores alternatives to the nuclear family and dysfunctional families.
Marxists could criticise and say that nuclear family’s are a tool for capitalism
Feminists saying it’s a source of female oppression (housework, childcare etc)

Question 7

What do Marxists say about the family?

Answer 7

They are helping maintain a capitalist society and creates a further wealth gap and differences in privileges with the working class accepting lower positions.

Question 8

What does Zaretsky (1976) say about the family?

Answer 8

Family used to be a unit of production. However capitalism has created the illusion family and economy are now separate (public and private spheres). Leaving women responsible for relationships and wellbeing of the entire family. (Unpaid labour) (work devalued). Family now a unit of consumption.

Question 9

What are the criticisms of Zaretsky? (1976)

Answer 9

Ignores people are satisfied with married life. Ignores family diversity. Feminists saying it’s patriarchy. Functionalists saying they only see negatives and ignore emotional support side.

Question 10

What do feminists say about the family?

Answer 10

They are critical and the role of family leaves negative impacts on women. Gender being a social construct with children directed to gendered toys (canalisation) strengthening gender equality.

Question 11

What do Delphy and Leonard the radical feminists (1992) say about the family?

Answer 11

Argue the family is patriarchal, men benefitting from unpaid work of women (their labour). Based on a hierarchy because women depend on husbands. Even when they do have a job they still do domestic work.

Question 12

What are the criticisms of Delphy and Leonard? (1992).

Answer 12

Ignores egalitarian families (sharing power). Marxists say inequalities stem from capitalism. Functionalists saying that families meet individuals needs.

Question 13

What are the criticisms of families from Marxists and Feminists?

Answer 13

The patriarchal nature of families, role of women, agency of gender socialisation, social inequality, consumption of capitalism.

Question 14

What are some general criticisms of the families?

Answer 14

Decline in traditional family values, divorce, isolation from the wider family, dysfunctional families.

Question 15

What is meant by joint and segregated conjugal roles?

Answer 15

Segregated- division of labour with gender , separate interests with the couple.
Joint- no division of labour, spending time together and still have some separate interests.

Question 16

What is meant by the instrumental and expressive role?

Answer 16

Instrumental- the breadwinner

Expressive- loving caring role, used as emotional support.

Question 17

What do Young and Wilmott say about the family? (1973)

Answer 17

Roles within the family are becoming more joint (integrated conjugal) THE SYMMETRICAL family. Shared decisions and financial responsibility. Increasing because of less children.

Question 18

Why has the family moved to being more symmetrical? (young and willmott 1973)

Answer 18

Feminism- rejecting housewife role.
Equal pay act, sex discrimination act.
Birth control.
Technological advances- sharing activities.

Question 19

What are the criticisms of Young and Willmott? (1973)

Answer 19

Oakley says that women still have to do housework.

Attitudes changed about women still having to work double shifts.

Question 20

What does Oakley say about the family? (1982).

Answer 20

According to the feminist- the conventional family isn’t the norm anymore. She explores power through gender inequalities in the conventional family which can cause a strain. People are looking for alternative ways of living.

Question 21

Who does Pahl (1989) say is controlling the decisions in a family?

Answer 21

Men are dominating decision making

Question 22

How have parent child relationships changed over time?

Answer 22

Relationships are less authoritarian, more child centred, young people financially dependent, Kids providing emotional support.

Question 23

What is changing with peoples relationships with the wider family?

Answer 23

Family ties weakening, young and will most saying nuclear family becoming more isolated, geographic mobility, type of support changed.

Question 24

What is the principle of stratified diffusion? (Young and Willmott)

Answer 24

Social changes often occur with upper classes first and then goes down to the working classes.

Question 25

What are the problems with contemporary families?

Answer 25

Quality of parenting (affects educational achievement and social skills)
Relationships between teenagers and adults (inadequate socialisation)
Care of the elderly (steadily ageing population)
Arranged marriages.

Question 26

What are the major changes in household structures since the 1970s?

Answer 26

Decrease in reconstituted families, increase in dual career families, increase in lone parent families and increase in one person households.

Question 27

What are the reasons for changing patterns in fertility?

Answer 27

Economic factors (no longer reliant on children for money), labour market uncertainty (delaying having children), later marriage, increased female participation of education and effective birth control methods

Question 28

What are the 6 forms of marriage?

Answer 28

Monogamy, bigamy, serial monogamy, polygamy, polygyny and polyandry.

Question 29

What are the reasonings for changing patterns in marriage?

Answer 29

Decline in annual marriages, people are getting married later, civil partnerships and same sex marriages, increase in cohabitation (changing social attitudes, secularisation- not believing it is a sin anymore)
High cost of weddings
Increase in births outside marriage

Question 30

What are the reasonings for changing patterns in divorces?

Answer 30

Legal changes making it more socially acceptable, secularisation, unhappy marriages, media’s emphasis of marriage being skewered.

Question 31

What are the consequences of divorce for society as a whole?

Answer 31

Increases in lone parent households, changing behaviour in reconstituted families, conflict between divorced spouses increasing, losing contact with parents, emotional strain and loss of income.