family

Question 1

(couples)
What are Parsons biologically suited roles for men and women.

Answer 1

Women Expressive Roles - the homemaker
Men Instrumental Role - the breadwinner

Question 2

(couples)
What are Botts conjugal roles?

Answer 2

Segregated Conjugal Roles - the division of labour between men and women, they spend leisure time separately
Join Conjugal Roles - couples share domestic tasks and leisure time

Question 3

(couples)
Why do Willmott and Young believe there is an increase in symmetrical families.

Answer 3

Increase in joint conjugal roles

Question 4

(couples)
What is the dual burden? (Feri and Smith)

Answer 4

Women do paid work and domestic work.

Question 5

(couples)
What is the triple shift? (Duncombe and Marsden)

Answer 5

Women do not only carry the dual burden but they also have to do emotional work.

Question 6

(couples)
What is the material explanation for men being the primary decision maker?

Answer 6

Men have more power in decision making because they earn more

Question 7

(couples)
What is the cultural explanation for men being seen as the primary decision maker?

Answer 7

Gender role socialisation instils the view that men are the primary decision makers

Question 8

(couples)
What do Dobash and Dobash say is the reason for domestic abuse?

Answer 8

Domestic violence is inevitable because it serves to preserve the preserve the power that men have over women.

Question 9

(couples)
What does Ansley say is the reason for domestic abuse?

Answer 9

Domestic violence is the product of capitalism. Men are exploited at work and take it out on their wives.

Question 10

(couples)
What does Wilkinson say is the cause of domestic violence?

Answer 10

Domestic violence is the result of stress on the family due to social inequality.

Question 11

(childhood)
What does Aries say about the change of childhood over time?

Answer 11

Childhood did not exist in the middle ages. Children were equal to adults from responsibilities to skills. Children and adults are now distinguished through things like clothing, rights and responsibilities.

Question 12

(childhood)
What does Postman say about the changes to childhood overtime?

Answer 12

Childhood is disappearing. The printed word created a hierarchy but now TV blurs this distinction as you do not need skills to access this.

Question 13

(childhood)
What does Shorter say about the changes to childhood overtime?

Answer 13

In the middle ages there was a high death rate for children. This encouraged neglect. Children were referred to as “it” or given the name of a dead sibling.

Question 14

(childhood)
What does The March of Progress say about the improvement of childhood.

Answer 14

It has improved significantly. New laws protect children.

Question 15

(childhood)
What does Palmer say about the improvements of childhood?

Answer 15

There is now a ‘toxic childhood’. Rapid technological changes damage children’s development.

Question 16

(childhood)
What does Gittens say about the improvements of childhood?

Answer 16

There is an age patriarchy. Adult domination and child dependency. This can assert its self in violence against children.

Question 17

(functionalism)
What is the organic analogy?

Answer 17

The human body is made up of different parts that function to meet its needs. Society has the same through education, government, religion etc that meet society’s needs.

Question 18

(functionalism)
What are the four functions of the nuclear family according to Murdock?

Answer 18

1) socialisation of the young
2) satisfaction of the members economic needs
3) reproduction of the next generation
4) stabilisation of the sex drive

Question 19

(functionalism)
What are the functions that the families perform in certain societies according to Parsons?

Answer 19

Pre-industrial Society - extended family: they had the function of production and consumption
Modern Society - nuclear family: social and geographical mobility

Question 20

(marxism)
What does Engels say family is for?

Answer 20

Family exists so men can pass of private property onto their biological offspring. (A son)

Question 21

(marxism)
What does Zaretsky believe the ideological function of the family is?

Answer 21

There is a ‘cult of private life’ - the belief that we can only gain fulfilment from family life which distracts attention from exploitation.

Question 22

(marxism)
What does Poulantzas believe about nuclear families?

Answer 22

Nuclear families are brainwashed into thinking capitalism is fair, which teachers lower gens to conform to

Question 23

What do liberal feminists say about the family?

Answer 23

Gender inequality is gradually being overcome through reform and policy change.

Question 24

Marxists feminists argue that capitalism is the main form of women’s oppression, what functions does this perform for capitalism?

Answer 24

• Reproducing the labour force: women socialise the next generation of workers
• Absorbing anger: wives soak up their husbands frustration
• A reserve army of cheap labour: when not needed women workers can return to their domestic roles

Question 25

What do radical feminists argue about the family?

Answer 25

The family and marriage is the key to a patriarchal society. Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services. The patriarchy needs to be overturned through separatism.

Question 26

What do difference feminists say about the family?

Answer 26

Not all women share the same experience of oppression. Women of different ethnicities, class, age etc will have different experiences of the family

Question 27

What do the new right say about the biologically based division of labour?

Answer 27

The men are breadwinners and the women are the homemakers. This is natural and biologically determined.

Question 28

What does Smart say about relationships and the nuclear family? (Personal Life Perspective)

Answer 28

Relationships gives a sense of identity, belonging and relatedness. Interaction sets believe that structural approaches assume that the traditional nuclear family is dominant.

Question 29

What is the definition of birth rate? Give examples of anomalies.

Answer 29

Birth rate - the number of live births per year per 1000. There were 3 ‘baby booms’ after WW1, WW2 and during the 1960s

Question 30

What are the 4 main reasons for the decline in birth rate?

Answer 30

1) Changes in the position of women - increased education, wider access to abortion etc 2) Fall in infant mortality - improved housing, nutrition, antibiotics 3) Children as an economic liability - laws banning child labour & the introduction of compulsory schooling meant children are economically dependant for longer 4) Child centredness - parents are focusing on quality not quantity, people are having fewer children but more resources are given to these children

Question 31

What are the 4 impacts of the declining birth rate?

Answer 31

1) Dependency ratio increase - the relationship between the size of the working population and the non working population (the dependant) 2) The working populations earnings support the dependant through tax 3) Women are having fewer children because this reduces the ‘burden of dependency’ 4) Public services - fewer schools & child health services

Question 32

What is the definition of death rate and give some anomalies?

Answer 32

Death Rate - the number of deaths per 1000 per year. Disease fluctuations in WW1, WW2, the 1918 flu epidemic and COVID-19

Question 33

What are the four reasons for a decline in death rate?

Answer 33

1) improved nutrition 2) medical improvements 3) public health improvements (better housing) 4) social change (decline in manual labour)

Question 34

What are the 3 reasons for an aging population?

Answer 34

1) increased life expectancy 2) low infant mortality rate 3) declining fertility

Question 35

What are the 4 impacts of an aging population?

Answer 35

1) increased strain on public services 2) more one person households 3) the rising dependency ratio 4) ageism

Question 36

What does Phillipson (marxist) say about the ageing population?

Answer 36

The elderly are no use to capitalism because they add to the dependency ratio.

Question 37

What does Hunt (post modernist) say about the ageing population?

Answer 37

We can choose our identity no matter what our age is: our age no longer determines who we are. As a result of this the elderly become a market for body maintenance such as cosmetic surgery, gym, anti ageing products.

Question 38

Define immigration

Answer 38

Movement in society

Question 39

Define emigration

Answer 39

Movement out of society

Question 40

What are the push and pull factors for migration?

Answer 40

Push factors - unemployment and economic recession Pull factors - higher wages and better opportunities

Question 41

What % of marriages end in divorce?

Answer 41

40%

Question 42

What are the 5 reasons for the increase in divorce?

Answer 42

1) Legal changes - divorce reform act 1966 2) Less stigma 3) Secularisation - decline in religious influence 4) Higher expectations - movies have led to unrealistic expectations of marriage (Fletcher) 5) Women’s financial independence - more women are now in paid employment

Question 43

What are the 5 reasons for a decrease of people getting married?

Answer 43

1) changing attitudes - less pressure to marry 2) alternatives to marriage - cohabitation 3) impact of feminism 4) women’s economic dependence 5) rising divorce rates - putting people off of marriage

Question 44

What are 3 trends in marriage of modern society?

Answer 44

1) rise in serial monogamy 2) later marriages 3) fewer church weddings

Question 45

What are 3 trends in partnerships in modern society?

Answer 45

1) more people living together without being married 2) increase in same sex partnerships 3) more people living alone

Question 46

What are 3 trends in childbearing in modern society?

Answer 46

1) more children are being born outside of marriage 2) women are having children later 3) radical feminists are still unhappy with women being the main caregiver

Question 47

What is Parsons view on family diversity?

Answer 47

Family diversity has increased. There has been a shift from the traditional nuclear family. Lone parent and cohabiting families are more common. Functionalists and the new right reject this.

Question 48

What do the new right say about family diversity?

Answer 48

The nuclear family is the only natural family type. Other family types lead to social problems. (eg. lone parent families lead to dependency culture.)

Question 49

What does Chester say about family diversity?

Answer 49

There has been an increase in family diversity but the nuclear family is still dominant. There have been important changes to the family such as segregated conjugal roles.

Question 50

What do post modernists say about family diversity?

Answer 50

Society has become ‘disembedded’ from traditional family structures leaving us free to live how we want.

Question 51

What do the personal life perspective say about family diversity?

Answer 51

We are not disembedded individuals, but we make decisions about relationships within a web of connectedness.

Question 52

What does Fletcher say about social policy?

Answer 52

The introduction of health, education and housing policies in the years since the industrial revolution has gradually led to the development of the welfare state.

Question 53

What does Donzelot say about social policy?

Answer 53

The policing of families. Doctors and health visitors use their knowledge to control families. Surveillance is not targeted equally on all social classes; poor families are more likely to be seen as problem families.

Question 54

What does Murray say about social policy?

Answer 54

The state is providing overly generous welfare benefits. This is because these policies offer ‘perverse incentives.’ The state rewards people for irresponsible or antisocial behaviour

Question 55

What are Drew’s gender regimes?

Answer 55

Familistic gender regimes - policies are based on the traditional gender division between males and females. Individualistic gender regimes - Policies are based on the belief that husbands and wives should be treated the same.