Families

Question 1

Types of families

Answer 1

• Extended
• Nuclear/Cereal packet
• Single parent
• Reconstituted
• Same sex
• Beanpole (No. of children decreasing)
• Childless
• Cohabiting
• Symmetrical (Same roles)

Question 2

Why has marriage decreased overtime?

Answer 2

• Female independence (Financially)
• Secularisation (Loss of religious influence)
• Career/education is priority
• Rising divorce rate

Question 3

Why has divorce increased overtime?

Answer 3

• Easier to access
• DIVORCE REFORM ACT
• IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN
• Less stigma
• Female independence
• Domestic violence
• MEDIA

Question 4

What is the Divorce Reform Act?

Answer 4

Grounds surrounding divorce widened

Question 5

What is Irretrievable Breakdown?

Answer 5

Marriage can’t be fixed

Question 6

How does Media influence divorce?

Answer 6

Stereotypical idea of love and marriage, when you don’t have ‘perfection’ you get disappointed and then divorce

Question 7

Why has fertility rates decreased?

Answer 7

Women: Starting a family isn’t priority

Question 8

What is the Domestic Division of Labour?

Answer 8

Conjugal Roles

Question 9

What are the different Conjugal Roles?

Answer 9

• Joint Conjugal Roles

- Segregated Conjugal Roles

Question 10

Difference between joint and segregated conjugal roles?

Answer 10

Joint: Both people in the marriage work and look after the house
Segregated: Breadwinner + Homemaker

Question 11

What’s the Functionalist Approach to families?

Answer 11

Nuclear Family = Positive - NF is necessary and is an important part of society.

Question 12

What do Functionalists think the Nuclear Family brings to society?

Answer 12

Reproduction: NF produces next generation of society’s members.
Primary Socialisation: NF - Agency of socialisation. Young children learn basics needed in later life.
Emotional Support: NF provides for its members’ emotional support.
Economic Support: NF provides its members with financial support

Question 13

Name of a key Functionalist

Answer 13

Parsons

Question 14

What’s the New Right Approach to families?

Answer 14

Nuclear Family = Positive - NF works best in meeting the needs of both society and its children

Question 15

From a New Right perspective, What roles do men and women play in the Nuclear Family?

Answer 15

Women: Caring role
Men: Breadwinner role

Question 16

What do the New Right think about other family types?

Answer 16

Views families other than the Nuclear Family as damaging to society

Question 17

What’s the Feminist Approach to families?

Answer 17

Critical of Nuclear Family

Question 18

How do Feminists view the Nuclear Family?

Answer 18

Patriarchal - NF benefits men more than women

Question 19

What’s the Feminist ideology of the Triple Shift?

Answer 19

Women:

1. Go to work
2. Come home and do free domestic labour
3. Child care

It’s still unequal.

Question 20

Name of a key Feminist?

Answer 20

Ann Oakley

Question 21

Name of a key New Right?

Answer 21

Charles Murray

Question 22

What’s the Marxist Approach to families?

Answer 22

Critical of Nuclear Family

Question 23

Why are Marxists critical of the Nuclear Family?

Answer 23

Critical of the role it plays in maintaining the capitalist system

Question 24

What do the Marxists think the Nuclear Family brings to society?

Answer 24

• Support The Capitalist System: Supplying future generations of workers
• Socializes Working Class Children: Accepting their lower position in an unequal society
• Recreates Inequalities Between Social Classes Overtime: Bourgeoise parents can afford to buy their children a privileged education + pass on their wealth to the next generation. Poor have nothing to pass on.

Question 25

Name of a key Marxist?

Answer 25

Karl Marx