Family Flashcards
Extended Family
Refers to a group of relatives extending beyond the nuclear family. Typically three generations living together, or having regular contact if geographically apart.
Lone Parent Family
A family in which one parent lives with the child(ren).
Boomerang Family
When children move back in with their parents after having moved out to attend university etc. Reasons for this include:
- Caring for elderly parents
- Recession leading to youth unemployment
- Rising house prices
- Help raising children after divorce
Polygamous
Having more than one partner at a time.
Nuclear Family
A two-generation family consisting of a heterosexual couple living with their child(ren) - parents can be married or cohabiting.
Empty Nest
A family without children because they have left home.
Gay/Lesbian Family
A family in which a homosexual couple (married or cohabiting) live together with their child(ren) - through previous marriages, adoption, sperm banks etc.
Reconstituted/Blended Family
A family in which one or both partners have children from previous relationships living with them.
Beanpole Family
A multigenerational family in which each generation has fewer members (children) due to increased women’s rights and free contraception.
Family
A group of individuals related by blood or law.
Household
Consists of either one person who lives alone, or a group of people living together, e.g. a family or flat mates.
Functionalists View on Family
Family (POSITIVE) is the “heart” of society and has many functions:
- Primary Socialisation
- Provide emotional + economic support
- Develop Identity (teach culture/religion)
- Provide a means of controlling reproduction (encourage monogamy)
Marxists View on Family
Family (NEGATIVE) teaches children hierarchy and to obey authority.
Believe Functionalists view the family through “rose-tinted spectacles” and overlook all the domestic violence and sexual abuse taking place.
Over half of all child sexual abuse cases take place within the family.
New Rights View on Family
People who cannot financially support themselves or are drug addicts should not have children because they will be dysfunctional + depend on the welfare state.
Feminist View on Family
Family exploits women as they work double/triple shift and relationships are not fully democratic.
Marriage in the UK is on the decrease because…
- Role of women has changed (Sex Discrimination Act)
- Weddings are expensive (average £12,000)
- Secular society means increase in cohabiting couples and individuals do not value marriage as much anymore
Statistics to prove marriage has lost importance in modern society
- In the mid 1960s, 5% of women had lived with a man before marriage and this increased by 65% in the late 1990s.
- In 1975, 10% of children were born outside of marriage and this increased to 40% in 2000.
Divorce is on the increase because…
- Women are no longer financially dependant on men (Equal Pay Act)
- Increase in life expectancy
- Declining influence of religion
- Higher expectations of marriage (media)
- Divorce law changed in 1969 to include conditions like unreasonable behaviour a prolonged separation
Homosexual Rights
- Given the right to adopt a child (2002)
- Civil Partnership (2004) grants same legal rights to marriage
- Right to marriage in a religious place of worship (2013)
Beanpole families are on the increase because…
- Women have careers so cannot cope with lots of children/delay it
- Families have become more child-centred so opt for fewer children
- Increased availability of contraception means couple wait longer
Child-centred Family
- A family planned around the needs and want of the child(ren).
- Child(ren) get their own and find it difficult to obey authority.
- Parents work around the goals of their child, whether this involves practising flashcards or driving them to swimming lessons etc.
Reasons child-centred families exist
- Parents working long hours feel guilty for not spending enough time with their children
- Parents who have had a rough upbringing themselves will want to give their child the best possible experiences
- Single parents can feel guilty for not providing their child with a proper family unit so may be more lenient with them
- Results in parents spending excessive amounts on their children with extravagant toys, clothes and extracurricular activities.
Evaluate child-centred families
Advantage(s)
- Parents feel content/have peace of mind
- Parents are involved in their child’s upbringing
- Children instilled with confidence and self belief
Disadvantage(s)
- Stressful for parents (physically/mentally draining)
- Children become spoilt and cannot deal with rejection
- Perceive privilege as the norm so do not value hard work
- In frequent trouble at school as they do not obey authority
Arguments to support a decline in child-centred families
- More families are dual-worker so children receive less attention
- Electronics are frequently used to entertain children which have replaced traditional family time
History of Parent-Child Relationships
19th Century
- Childhood depends on age, gender and social class
- Middle-class children were often educated beyond primary level and cared for by a paid employee, e.g. nanny.
- Working-class boys expected to work from an early age as cotton mill workers, spinners and weavers etc.
- Working-class girls in unpaid work like housework and child minding
20th Century
- Education viewed as a barrier to paid employment by parents
- Parents were reliant on children’s income
- Introduction of Education Act (1918) meant all children must attend school until the age of 14 (childhood officially recognised)
Modern Day
- Beanpole/Child-centred family more common
- Relationships are less authoritarian
- Freedom of children recognised (involved in divorce process)
- Financially dependant on parents for longer - children must remain in full time education or training until 17 (2013) and 18 (2015)
Ways parents are dependant on their children
- Scott (2004) argued that children help out in family businesses ad with childcare and housework
- Provide emotional support for parents at a young age
- Children of immigrants may act as translators
- Care for them in old age
Separated Conjugal Roles
Men and women have different roles within the household. Women take full responsibility for housework and childcare, where men are expected to be the ‘breadwinners’ and earn an income.
Joint Conjugal Roles
When domestic duties are shared equally between married or cohabiting couples. Families are more likely to be dual-worker.
Domestic Division of Labour
Couples share tasks such as housework, childcare and DIY within the home.
Symmetrical Family
Men and women have equal responsibility over domestic duties within the home and are dual workers.
Young and Willmott (1973)
Believed most families in Britain were becoming symmetrical because:
- Rise in feminism during the 1960s impacted gender roles
- More effective use of contraception meant women have control
- Changes to law have made women financially independent
- Increased interest in home life, e.g. DIY and home-based leisure activities, so men spend more time at home with their families
Criticisms of Symmetrical Family Research
- Liberal feminists like Ann Oakley believe that families are still patriarchal and exploit women through the double/triple shift. She argued that finding about the symmetrical family were inaccurate since Young and Willmott considered a man washing up once a week as “helpful in the home”.
- Crompton and Lyonette (2008) argue more women are in paid employment than men help out in the home. In fact, the gap between men and women’s contribution in the home has narrowed because women spend less time on it - rather than men do more.
New Man
Term used to describe modern men who share domestic duties with their partners, e.g. housework and childcare. These men have a native role in the upbringing of their children and often spend ‘quality time’ with their families.
Re-socialisation
The process of learning to take on a new role from:
- Growing older
- Getting married
- Having children
- Moving out
Toxic Childhood
A sheltered upbringing in which children have limited freedoms and are constantly protected by their parents from the outside world, e.g. not allowed to play outside from fear of being kidnapped.
History of Childhood
- Children’s Charter Act (1889)
- Education Act (1918) meant children must attend school until 14 - childhood officially recognised
- Protection of Children Act (1978) protects children from dangerous individuals who have been convicted of child abuse in the past
- Children must remain in full time education or training until 17 (2013) and 18 (2015)
- Toxic Childhood
Childhood
The period of time an individual is dependant on their parents or carers - childhood lasts a lot longer than it used to.
Alternatives to Family
- Shared Households, e.g. care homes, university dorms etc.
- Communes
- Single hood (1 in 4 people live alone), e.g. young adults, elderly and divorced couples
Commune
Refers to a community of people living in either a large house or in smaller houses over shared land. Residents share their property, childcare and chores. Some communes are completely detached from society and make their living selling produce like candles, fruit and vegetables etc.
Evaluate Commune Lifestyle
Advantage(s)
- Cheaper cost of living
- Tend to be environmentally friendly
- Sense of security and belonging
Disadvantage(s)
- Little or no privacy
- Less personal space
- Few opportunities for personal development
Horizontal Extended Family
Same generation of relatives living together (e.g. uncles, aunts or cousins).
Vertical Extended Family
Different generations of relatives living together (e.g. grand parents).
Evaluate the importance of Extended Families
Advantage(s)
- Important for socialising children into addressing different ages
- Free child care which can cost £200 on average weekly and is difficult for parents to payment, especially during the recession
- Britain is a multicultural society and Asians have the most extended families, where children learn their cultural identity (language etc.)
- Lower cost of living with elderly parents selling their homes to give their children an early inheritance, and live with them (rather than in a care home)
Disadvantage(s)
- Nuclear Family is most popular in Britain
- Traditionally white British moved away from their parents trying to achieve more privacy and independence (care homes)
- Young adults live on their own and develop their careers
Criticism of Lone Parents Families
Functionalists
- Dependant on the welfare state
- Create dysfunctional children
New Right Sociologists
- Do not fit traditional nuclear family set up
- Children do not learn gender roles
Evaluate the impact of divorce on children
Advantage(s)
- Detrimental for couple to remain together
- Mother is financially independent
- Family can become more child-centred
Disadvantage(s)
- Gender socialisation impacted
- Financial difficulty, even poverty
- Emotionally unstable (no sense of belonging + feeling the need to choose between parents)
Ways our family or household change over time
- Marriage (Husband/Wife or Reconstituted Family)
- Divorce (Single/Lone Parent)
- Children (Nuclear Family
- Moving out (Student Household)
- Career (Single)
- Old Age (Grandparent/Widow(er))
Reasons people are getting married later
- Women have increased educational/career opportunities
- Premarital sex is no longer taboo, in fact 40% of children were born out of marriage in 2000.
Reasons divorcees remarry
- Desire love and companionship
- Have young children they need support raising
- Want to be the norm (especially for women)
Birth Rate
Number of live births per 1000 of the population each year
Death Rate
Number of deaths per 1000 of the population each year
Democratic Relationships
Relationships between married or unmarried couple, or parents with children, based on equality.
Demography
A systematic study of human populations, including their size age and gender structures, birth and death rates and life expectancy.
Kinship
Relationships between people based on blood ties, marriage or adoption.
Domestic Abuse
When one family member uses intimidation tactics to control another family member, can be physical or emotional abuse.
Family Diversity
Difference within various family models, e.g. nuclear, lone parents etc.
Generation
All the people born and living at about the same time
Paternity Leave
Father can share childcare - take up to 6 month off (only 4-8% of those eligible take it according to Goverment ministers) - Guardian
Married Couple’s Allowance (2015/16)
Married Couple’s Allowance could reduce your tax bill each year if you’re married or in a civil partnership.
For the 2015 to 2016 tax year, it could cut your tax bill by between £322 and £835.50 a year.
Government was to keep the family unit together so children learn are functional and parents take responsibility for them.
Pryor and Trinder
Found that middle class parents were more likely to have ‘democratic’ relationships with their children.
Are families becoming more child-centred?
Yes
- Pryor and Trinder say middle class parents have ‘democratic’ relationships with their children
- New Man spends more time with children
- Beanpole family means each child receive more attention
No
- Dual worker families means children are neglected by both parents
- Technology substitutes family time
