Family

Question 1

What is a family?

Answer 1

A group of people related to one another by blood or marriage. This definition is no longer as accurate in a society where marriage has become less popular.

Question 2

What is the nuclear family?

Answer 2

The nuclear family consists of two generations. Male and female parents and their children. It is the preferred family type of many politicians and the media.

Question 3

What is an extended family?

Answer 3

An extended family consists of relatives in addittion to the immediate family. It can be vertically extended, (three or more generations living together- children, parents, grandparents) or horizontally extended, (two generations withh relatives other than the immediate family living together (cousins, aunts, uncles)

Question 4

What is a reconstituted family?

Answer 4

Where one or both partners have children from a seperate marriage living with them. This is the fastest growing family type in the UK.

Question 5

What is a lone parent family?

Answer 5

Consists of one parent with their dependent children. Lone-parent families are increasing in Britain.

Question 6

What is a single-sex family?

Answer 6

Consists of a couple of the same sex who may be living together, in a civil partnership or married. This is a growing family type in the UK.

Question 7

What is a cohabiting family?

Answer 7

Where the couple are living together in a close relationship as partners but are unmarried. Cohabitation is increasing in modern society as fewer people are marrying.

Question 8

What is a beanpole family?

Answer 8

Particular type of extended family, with up to four generationsliving together. But with ferwer children which makes it appear long and thin in structure.

Question 9

What is polygamy?

Answer 9

Any marriage in which one partner has several legal partners at the same time. The most common form is for a man to have several wives.

Question 10

What is an arranged marriage?

Answer 10

This is where parent’s organise their children’s marriages and choose their spouses. , who are often unkown to each other. It is usually arranged between two family of similar economic and social standing and is seen as a union of the families rather than a love match. This custom is found in some areas of India and Pakistan.

Question 11

What is China’s One child Policy?

Answer 11

In 1979, China began to restrict family size due to the size of the population. China has been slowly getting rid of it’s one child policy over the year due to it’s ageing population and low birth rate. Now all couples in China are allowed to have 2 children if they wish.

Question 12

Changing Marriage Patterns Intro.

Answer 12

Marriage arrangements have greatly changed in the last 50 years. It was the norm for most adults in the 50’s and most marriages were first-time marriages, lasting until one or other partner died. However due to changing norms, values, laws and other factors. This no longer seems to be the case.

Question 13

Reasons for changes in marriage patterns. (norms)

Answer 13

Norms have changed. It is perfectly acceptable now to remain single and the sigma for unmarried woman has gone. This blaze attitutde towards marriage greatly differs from the 1950’s where young girls were gifted items in preparation of getting married from friends and family. Things like cutlery, table linen and even baby clothes.

Question 14

Changing marriage patterns due to religion.

Answer 14

The influence of religion has declined. The Christian religion strongly supports the idea of having sex and children only within marriage. Unmarried couples living together were said to be ‘living in sin’. However, with the increase in secularisation and the church being generally less strict than it has been, these opinions are not so common among the population generally.

Question 15

Changing in marriage patterns due to changing position of women.

Answer 15

Changing position of women have meant more women may seek a career and no longer
feel the need to marry for financial reasons. women may have other priorities such as a career, rather than marriage and a family. women earning money and contributing more to family economy may have improved
their position in the home.

Question 16

Change in marriage patterns due to finances.

Answer 16

The high cost of a wedding can also lead to a later age of marriage or put couples off marrying altogether. The magazine Brides conducted a survey among its readers to find out how much they were spending on their weddings and the average came up to about £30,000.

Question 17

Positive outcomes of the possible decline of marriage.

Answer 17

Feminists see the decline of marriage as positive as marriage is a patriarchal institute. They also believe the decline in marriage reflects the increase in women’s rights and opportunities. It may reflect the reality of women being able to go further in their careers.

Question 18

Negative outcomes of the decline in marriage.

Answer 18

Functionalists say the decline in marriage means less effective primary socialisation. This leads to a decline in morality and thus more problem children. It would have an overall negative effect on society.

Question 19

Explain what sociologists mean by family diversity.

Answer 19

In the 1980’s the Rappoports put forward the idea that families were becoming more diverse in contemporary Britain and were moving away from only one min family form. Some of the ways in which families are becoming more diverse is in how they are organised in terms of structure, in the different roles between men and women and in kinship patterns. For example, some families are lone-parent while some families are extended.

Question 20

The importance of the Nuclear family : Chester.

Answer 20

Robert Chester argues that the nuclear family is still the main family type. He says this because: the majority of people still marry and do not divorce, most cohabiting couples go on to marry, many divorced people remarry, most people live in a nuclear family at some time in their lives and the nuclear family is the type people aspire to. Data from the office for National Statistics shows married or co-habiting couple families are still the most common familiy type.

Question 21

Strengths of the Rapoports view?

Answer 21

They take into account differences in class and culture and the age of people in the family. They also see the changes in a positive light and suggesting it is not inherently bad.

Question 22

Weakness of Rapoports view?

Answer 22

They used secondary sources, secondary data and the work of other sociologists.

Question 23

Strength’s of Chester’s view?

Answer 23

He acknowledges there has been some diversity of the family and doesnt see this as negative. He believes the extent of family diversity has been exaggerated.

Question 24

Weakness of Chester’s view?

Answer 24

The number of people livinig in nuclear damilys is declining.

Question 25

What are African-Caribbean families like?

Answer 25

-Lower rate of marriage, higher rate of divorce and separation and a higher rate of single parenthood than other ethnic groups.

Question 26

What are Pakistani and Bangladeshi people like?

Answer 26

More likely to get married, more likely to have larger families and women are less likely to work when they have children. They have much lower rates of separation and divorce and are more likely to keep ties with the extended family. However, there are signsof change among younger members of the Asian community who have been bon in Britain.

Question 27

Reasons for family diversity - change in norms?

Answer 27

Social norms in the 1950’s supported marriage and the nuclear family. Stigma was attached to having children out of wedlock, divorce and same-sex relationships. These norms were based on religious ideas. However norms have changed over time. All of these things have become more acceptable and is associated with the secularisation of society.

Question 28

Reasons for an increase in the number of lone-parent familes (Laws and Norms)

Answer 28

Lone parent families are not new and have been formed in the past by death of one parent or separation however there are now more lone parent families today which are either the result of divorce or of woman choosing to have their own children in the first place. The norms have changed. Before, there was a stigma attached to it. For example, in the 1950’s (catholics) young unmarried girls who found themself to be pregnant were often sent away to relatives or to a convent to have their babies.

Question 29

Increase in number of lone parent families - changing position of women.

Answer 29

The position of women have changed. Many women are inding that they no longer have to marry or stay in a marriage in order to have financial stability. Benefits from the welfare state are also available.

Question 30

New right views on lone-parent families

Answer 30

Lone-parent families are an ‘inadequate’ form of family and the cause of many of society’s problems. Charlles Murray argues that boys brought up without a father figure in the home will not see fatherly behaviour to aspire to nor understand that the role of men is, to work and provide money for the family. As a result, they are more likely to turn to crime and fail in school.

Question 31

Functionalists view on lone-parent families.

Answer 31

Lone-parent families cannot provide proper socialisation or role models. They agree with the new right. However, the home office statistics suggest there is no difference between the crime rates of those from lone-parent families or 2 parent families. Other institutions could perform the function of the family so they are therefore not at a disadvantage.

Question 32

Feminists view on lone parent families.

Answer 32

Lone-parent families give women freedom and independence. The existence of the welfare state alows this type of family to be sustainable and thus allows woman to escape from domestic abuse. However, feminism ignores the positive sides of the family.

Question 33

Are single person households more common?

Answer 33

29% of UK households are single person households. They are becoming more common in the Uk.

Question 34

Reasons for growth in singlehood - changing norms.

Answer 34

Norms have changed. In the past, women who did not marry were often called derogatory names such as “spinsters2 or being “left on the shelf”. However men were not held to the same standards an were referred to as “bachelor”. Now however, marriage and children are no longer seen as the only acceptable ambitions for women.

Question 35

Reasons for growth in singlehood - contraception.

Answer 35

In 1967, the contraceptive pill was made available to unmarried women. This development, along with the changing norms of sociiety meant that unmarried men and women could have sex outside of marriage without fear of shame or children.

Question 36

Reasing for growth in singlehood - the position of women.

Answer 36

In the 90’s Sue Sharpe found that the priorities of working - class girls had changed since the 70s from “love, marriage, family and career” in that order to “ a job and career”. So some women might be choosing singlehood and opting for a different form of fulfillment and satisfaction than marriage and children.

Question 37

What do postmodernists say about the growth of singlehood?

Answer 37

It’s another sign that people are free to choose their family situation and how they want to live in contemporary society. Women in particular are no longer under pressure to follow a set of norms but are free to choose an alternative path to the status quo.

Question 38

How has family size changed?

Answer 38

The Office for National Statistics show that the average family in the UK is getting smaller despite an increase in the birth rate over recent years. Women born in 1964 had an average family size of 1.9 compared to 2.4 children in their mother’s generation.

Question 39

Reasons for changes in family size - changing position of women.

Answer 39

More women seek a career and may postpone having children, have less children, or have none at all as their are values more important for them now.

Question 40

Reasons for the change in family size - the decline of religion.

Answer 40

The christian faith argues that the purpose of marriage is to have children. Now this could have been an obstacle to the introduction to contraception if not for the increase in secularisation in ‘Christian’ communities.

Question 41

Reasons for changes to family size - technological factors.

Answer 41

In the 60’s the contraceptive pill was introduced. This gave womens the means to limit the number of children they had.

Question 42

Reasons for change in family size - financial factors.

Answer 42

In a recent poll, 1/10 women said they had to limit family size because of the expense of having children. The costs of having children have been rising partly due to people’s changing ideas on the expected standard of living. When asked, people believed this included a mobile phone, a week’s holiday in Britain, an occasional takeaway and a modest meal out.

Question 43

Why is the masculine role changing?

Answer 43

Many of the ‘traditional’ industries in Britain such as coal mining has declined leading to male unemployment and the loss of the breadwinner role. These manual jobs have been replaced by jobs in the service industries that are gender neutral. More women are succeeding in education and following a career, challenging the male role as breadwinner. These changes have challenged the respect and status men have traditionally enjoyed.

Question 44

Is there a crisis of masculinity?

Answer 44

These changes have left men feeling unsure about their identity. This is concerning since younger men have higher rates of suicide and depression. Many charities have acknowledged this and have tried to fight against male inewualities in health care. However, changing roles may be seen as a positive as fathers can be more intimate with their sons.

Question 45

What are the ideas about childhood?

Answer 45

Childhood is a social construct. Phillip Aries states that the current idea about childhood is relatively new and did not always exist, instead children were seen as mini adults and were used for labour no education.

Question 46

Do we have “child-centered” families?

Answer 46

Licing standards have risen and family sizes are smaller allowing parents to focus their money attention and care on fewer children. Working hours for most parents have reduced and parents have more leisure time to spend with their children. Phillipe Aries calls the 20th century “the century of the child.” However there is inequality amongst children in the UK. Poor children are still more likely to die in childhood or achieve lower results.

Question 47

Modern childhood problems. - Postman

Answer 47

Neil Postman believes the child-centric trend has reversed today since children are becoming more like adults. He blames this mostly on television culture with early exposure to portrayals of sex and violence.

Question 48

Ageing population - sandwich generation.

Answer 48

The sandwich generation refers to middle aged or older women who act as carers for their elderly parents while at the same time caring for their own children. This is a result of the greater life expectancy in contemporary UK.

Question 49

Ageing population - “boomerang children”

Answer 49

Grown up children who return to live at home as a result of unfavourable circumstances such as not being able to afford rent. This is a result of an ageing population.

Question 50

What is the modified extended family?

Answer 50

There are more grandparents today due to greater life expectancy. They can help out. Extended families may no longer live very close to each other however they may still keep in close contact. Studies have shown that all genrations benfit from such arrangements.