Families and households

Question 1

Name the four key trends in marriage.

Answer 1

• Fewer people are marrying
• Remarriages are increasing
• People are marrying later
• Civil ceremonies have increased

Question 2

What is the difference between a family and a household?

Answer 2

A family is two generational who live together sometimes with dependent children

A household is usually one generation, one person living alone or a group who share resources e.g. shopping, chores, finances etc.

Question 3

Identify 3 reasons for fewer people marrying.

Answer 3

• Financial costs
• More socially acceptable
• Secularisation
• Changes of the roles in women
• Don’t need marriage for children
• Reluctant to marry (aware of high divorce rate)

Question 4

Identify 3 reasons for the increase in remarriages.

Answer 4

• Divorce is easier - the divorce legislation - cheaper
• More socially acceptable
• The institution of marriage is still valued by people who have previously been married.
• Ageing population

Question 5

Identify 3 reasons for people marrying later.

Answer 5

• Establish a career - then get married.
• Co-habit before they marry.
• Wait until they are financially stable.

Question 6

Identify 3 reasons for an increase in civil ceremonies.

Answer 6

• Church needs notice/need to attend mass.
• Greater variety of places to get married e.g. beach
• Secularisation
• More difficult to qualify to marry in a church.
• Cost

Question 7

Name the two key trends in cohabitation.

Answer 7

• Permanent alternative to marriage.

- Prelude to marriage. (stepping stone).

Question 8

What did Barlow et al find about cohabitation?

Answer 8

That marriage is a lifestyle choice rather than an expected part of life.

Question 9

What did Coast find about cohabitation?

Answer 9

• 75% of cohabitating couples expect to marry each other.

- Approximately 80% of marriages being preceded by cohabitation.

Question 10

Identify the three categories marital breakdown can be divided into.

Answer 10

• Divorce
• Separation
• Empty shell marriage

Question 11

How many marriages today are estimated to end in divorce?

Answer 11

42%

Question 12

Identify 3 reasons for an increase in divorce?

Answer 12

• Secularisation.
• Change in role of women - increased financial independence.
• More socially acceptable.
• Easier/cheaper - legal changes in the law.

Question 13

Identify the 3 influences that increase the likelihood of divorce.

Answer 13

• Year of marriage.
• Age of marriage.
• Whether married before.

Question 14

What are two factors for the recent decrease in divorce?

Answer 14

• Cohabitation has increased

- The age of which people first marry is increasing

Question 15

What is The New Rights view on high divorce rates?

Answer 15

• Undesirable because it undermines the traditional nuclear family.
• Creates underclass of welfare dependent female lone parents.
• Deprives males of role model. :-(

Question 16

What is The Postmodernists view on high divorce rates?

Answer 16

• Gives individuals the freedom to chose to end a relationship when it no longer meets their needs.
• Cause of greater family diversity. :-)

Question 17

what is the interactionists view on high divorce rates?

Answer 17

Aim to understand the meaning that divorce has to the individual, recognise it varies from being positive and necessary to a negative emotional development. :-I

Question 18

In 2012 how many families were there in the UK?

Answer 18

18.2 Million

Question 19

What are the 4 trends in childbearing?

Answer 19

• Increase in the number of children born outside of marriage.
• Women are having children later.
• Women are having fewer children.
• More women are remaining childless.

Question 20

According to Brown what does this trend (increase in the number of children born outside of marriage) reflect?

Answer 20

• A reduction in ‘shot gun weddings’.

- Statistics may also only provide a snapshot picture of family life.

Question 21

What is The New Rights view on single parent families?

Answer 21

-They are critical of SPF and idealise the nuclear family.

Question 22

Identify the 3 key factors The New Right are critical of SPF.

Answer 22

• Expensive - believe they are disproportionality dependent on benefits.
• Lacking Moral Responsibility - Content to live off the state.
• Dysfunctional - Defective family form + need two parents to bring up children.

Question 23

What is the Child Support Agency designed to do?

Answer 23

Designed to reduce the number of SPFs by stressing the financial responsibility of parents by enforcing absent parents to financially support their children.

Question 24

Why are there so few SPFs headed by fathers?

Answer 24

• Judges usually rule in favour of the mother.

Question 25

How does the media represent SPFs?

Answer 25

• Negatively.
• Dependent on government funds.
• Teen mums.

Question 26

What is meant by the idea that SPFs are a transitory family type?

Answer 26

• Temporary state of the family.

- Usually marry later on.

Question 27

Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of living in a SPF.

Answer 27

Adv - stronger relationship with that parent.

DisAdv - Lack of role model, usually male.