Families and Households

Question 1

What is a beanpole family?

Answer 1

A family made up of many generations but with few children in each making it appear long and thin in structure

Question 2

What is an empty nest family?

Answer 2

A family of 2 parents living alone as their children are no longer dependent and have since left home

Question 3

What is a singleton?

Answer 3

A single person who lives alone forming their own household

Question 4

What is a nuclear family?

Answer 4

A family consisting of a married mother and father, and their dependent children

Question 5

What is an extended family?

Answer 5

Living with members of family beyond one’s immediate nuclear family in the same household. Can be horizontal (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) or vertical (grandparents, grandchildren, etc)

Question 6

What is a reconstituted family?

Answer 6

A family where one or more of the parents have children from previous relationships

Question 7

What is a lone parent family?

Answer 7

A family consisting of a single parent and their dependent child

Question 8

What is a same-sex family?

Answer 8

A family where the parents are homosexual

Question 9

What is a matrifocal family?

Answer 9

AKA Matricarchal - where the family is headed by a woman
e.g. Tchambuli Tribe of New Guinea where women were breadwinners and men took on an expressive role

Question 10

What is the difference between a family and a household?

Answer 10

Family = group of people related through kinship
Household = a group of people with no legal or blood ties to each other living in the same household - share communal areas and activities and at least one meal a day

Question 11

What does Murdock assume in his definition of families?

Answer 11

1. That families live together (“common residence”)
2. They work together and pool resources
3. They reproduce
4. They are headed by an adult male and female who are in a sexual relationship approved by wider society
5. Are a heterosexual couple with at least one child

Question 12

Is Murdock’s view applicable to everyone?

AO3

Answer 12

NO:
- Nayar Tribe in the early 1900s lived in concubines and were matrifocal
- Tchambuli Tribe of New Guinea subvert gender roles with women as breadwinners and men in an expressive role
- Israeli Kibbutz use communal living with shared tasks, resources, child rearing practices, etc
- Communes were developed in Western society in the 1960s
- Lone Parent families are increasing due to globalisation - Afro-Carribeans are more likelyto be in one
- Same Sex families have increased since the 2000s due to changes in legislation

Question 13

What do Willmott and Young say about the extended family?

AO2

Answer 13

• The nuclear family has in a sense replaced the extended family
• However, it does still exist but as a dispersed extended family as relatives still maintain frequent contact which is easier now due to technology
• The extended family is still of benefit as it can help financially and with childcare

Question 14

How does Chamberlain support Wilmott and Young?

AO3

Answer 14

• Families do have regular communication and often live in close proximity even if not in the same household
• We now live in multiple nuclear families

Question 15

Why is multiple nuclear families relevant today?

AO3

Answer 15

• Technology makes it easier to maintain contact without being near each other e.g. Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom
• Higher living standards - people want their own house
• Welfare State finds it easier to accommodate for multiple nuclear families as opposed to one large extended family
• Geographical mobility causes the extended family to become dispersed

Question 16

What are some reasons for family diversity?

Answer 16

1. Geographical mobility - living apart together families (LAT)
2. Secularisation - cohabitating, same-sex, lone-parent
3. Changing norms and values
4. Womens rights
5. Changing laws and policies

Question 17

What are the benefits of living in an extended family?

AO1/2

Answer 17

• Help with household responsibilities
• Help with childcare
• Pooling of financial and material resources - Finch and Mason found that 90% of their sample recieved financial help from wider extended kin
• Provides solace from racism for ethnic minority families e.g. Windrush - family provided sense of familiarity and resistance against racism
• Provide care for elderly relatives - Finch and Mason found that 50% cared for ‘sick and elderly’ kin and that more was expected of females
• Grandparents are an important part of socialisation - Grey Wisdom - Lawton

Question 18

What theories can we use to analyse the benefits of the nuclear family?

AO3

Answer 18

• New Right and Functionalist see grey wisdom as especially important as grandparents can instill traditional values
• More is expected of women in terms of caring for sick and elderly relatives - Feminists would argue this shows how gender roles and the exploitation of women are key in the operation of the family

Question 19

What was Finch and Mason’s study of reciprocity?

Answer 19

• Families help their extended kin out of choice not obligation
• 90% of their sample recieved financial help from their extended family
• 50% cared for sick and elderly kin
• More was expected of females than males

Question 20

What did Cheal say about women and the extended family?

Answer 20

• Usually the woman is expected to take care of the elderly
• Less likely to be able to work a full time job - low income and more financially dependent

AO3:
- Walby one of the 7 ways women are oppressed is paid work
- Gershuny - dual burden