key terms Flashcards
Bean Pole Family
A family with a long, thin structure. For example, there might be 4 generations alive, but each generation hasn’t had many children. This is a 21st century example of an extended family, but its members are more likely to live apart than in the past.
Birth Rate
The number of babies born per thousand per year.
Civil Partnership
Two people living together in the same household in an emotionally intimate, committed relationship without being officially married.
Ideological Functions
Refers to the ways in which the ideas spread through institutions work top maintain the power of dominant groups in society.
Individualisation
The process where individuals have more freedom to make life-choices and shape their identities because of a weakening of traditional social structures, norms and values. For example, secularization means people have more choice over whether they should get married or simply cohabit.
Instrumental Role
The provider or breadwinner role which involves going out to work and earning money for the family – the traditional male role within the family.
Nuclear Family
A man and a woman and their dependent children, either their own or adopted.
Primary Socialisation
The first stages of learning the norms and values of a society; learning basic skills and norms, such as language, and basic manners.
Symmetrical Family
A family in which the roles of husbands and wives, although not identical are more similar. There are three elements:
– Both men and women do paid work.
– Men and women both do housework.
– Couples spend their leisure time together rather than separately
Polygamy
the practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
The cereal-packet family
the picture of the family that the media tends to present, especially in adverts.
the March of Progress
the idea that everything progresses over time. e.g living standards, medical, education
