Families and households Flashcards
Define demography
The study of the human population
Define household
A group of people living at the same address
What is the fertility age?
15-45
What is the instrumental role?
The bread winner within the family
What is the expressive role?
The emotional support within the family
What is Parsons warm bath theory?
the idea that when a man came home from a hard day at work, he could relax into is family like a warm bath and it would take away the stress and refresh him for the next day’s work.
What is a criticism of Parsons Warm Bath theory?
He ignores family diversity, single parents can’t fulfil this.
What’s the current trend around divorce?
Divorce rates are increasing
What are the reasons for higher divorce rates?
Secularisation, higher expectations of marriage and rising positions of women
How do feminists view marriage?
They see marriage as exploitation of women
What type of family do the New Right believe is the only acceptable type?
The nuclear family.
Who came up with the concept of the symmetrical family?
Young and Willmott
What does a symmetrical family entail?
Household and labour are split equally among both partners.
What are the four types of feminists?
Liberal, radical, Marxist and difference
What type of feminists believe capitalism exploits women?
Marxists
What percentage of women work?
70%
What is one positive law change according to liberal feminists?
The Equal Pay Act
When was the equal pay act introduced?
1970
What is a social construction?
Something that exists as a result of human interaction:
What is an example of a social construction?
Childhood
Who argued that childhood is a social construction?
Wagg
Who argues childhood started in the 17th century?
Aries
How did Aries explore childhood?
Through paintings
Who argued childhood did exist in the Middle Ages just in a different way to how we know it today?
Pollock
How are the infant morality, birth and death rates worked out?
Number of people/babies (..) per 1000
What do personal life sociologists believe?
in order to understand families, we must start from the point of view of the individuals concerned and the meanings they give to their relationships.
What do functionalist believe?
Functionalists see the family as a particularly important institution because it as the ‘basic building block’ of society which performs the crucial functions of socialising the young and meeting the emotional needs of its members. Stable families underpin social order and economic stability.
What is a common criticism of the functionalist perspective?
They have rose tinted glasses
How do Marxist view the family?
Marxists see the family as performing several functions that maintain capitalist society: the inheritance of private property, socialisation into acceptance of inequality, and a source of profits. In the Marxist view, while these may benefit capitalism, they do not benefit the members of the family.
How do the new right view the family?
it is important for children to have a stable home, with married mother and father, and that ideally the wife should be able to stay at home to look after the children.
How do feminists view the family?
Feminists argue that the so-called private realms of family, sex and reproduction must be part of the political realm and thus subject to principles of justice for three distinct reasons: Families are not “natural” orderings, but social institutions backed up by laws.
Which family type has many generations but not many members within each generation?
beanpole
Who believes childhood is disappearing?
Postman
What perspective believes that family is disappearing, leading to the downfall of society?
The new right
What is the general trend in births since 1900?
Decline
Who said childhood is toxic?
Sue Palmer
How is childhood toxic?
- Junkfood
- Lack of parental engagement
- Video games and technology
What does the triple shift refer to?
Paid, emotional and domestic labour.
What is a social norm?
Unwritten rules of behaviour
How often is the UK consensus completed?
Every 10 years
What does the ‘dark side of family’ refer to?
Domestic and child abuse
What is the neo-conventional family?
Dual income, but traditional roles at home
What does Murdock believe to be the 4 functions of the family?
sexual, socialisation, economic, reproductive
What term describes how society focuses on childrens needs?
child centric
What is the march of progress?
How society is increasingly getting better for children.
What are segregated conjugal roles?
When couples have separate roles
