key terms in the family

Question 1

Bean Pole Family

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Birth Rate

Answer 2

The number of babies born per thousand per year.

Question 3

Civil Partnership

Answer 3

A contract/partnership similar to marriage for gay and lesbian couples which gives legal recognition to their relationship

Question 4

Co-habitation

Answer 4

Two people living together in the same household in an emotionally intimate, committed relationship without being officially married.

Question 5

Commercialisation of Housework

Answer 5

Where new technologies lead to new products which people can buy which reduces the amount of domestic labour people have to do at home – e.g. hoovers, washing machines, microwaves and microwave meals reduce the amount of time spend cleaning, washing and cooking.

Question 6

Death Rate

Answer 6

The number of deaths per thousand members of a population per year.

Question 7

Dual Burden is when someone

Answer 7

does both paid work and a significant amount of the domestic labour, such as housework at home. According to radical feminists, it is mainly women who suffer this.

Question 8

Economic Factors

Answer 8

Refers to things to do with money – for example how wealth a society is and the amount of wealth and income an individual or family has.

Question 9

Emotional Work is thinking about the

Answer 9

emotional well-being of other members of the family and acting in ways which will be of emotional benefit to others. For example, hugging and reassuring children when they have nightmares, organizing Christmas and birthday parties so that everyone feels included and has a good time.

Question 10

Extended family

Answer 10

Family beyond the traditional nuclear family, incorporating aunts, uncles, and grandparents. In the traditional extended family, all members lived together

Question 11

Gender Norms

Answer 11

The ‘expected’ patterns of behaviour associated with masculinity and femininity – for example, femininity = caring, masculinity = competitive.

Question 12

Gender Roles

Answer 12

The social positions and occupations we associate with men and women – for example we tend to associate the caring role with women, and the ‘provider role’ with men.

Question 13

Globalisation (simple definition)

Answer 13

The increasing interconnectedness of societies across the globe.

Question 14

Ideological Functions

Answer 14

Refers to the ways in which the ideas spread through institutions work to maintain the power of dominant groups in society.

Question 15

Individualisation is the process where

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Instrumental Role

Answer 16

The provider or breadwinner role which involves going out to work and earning money for the family – the traditional male role within the family.

Question 17

Matrifocal Household

Answer 17

A family structure in which mothers are the heads of household and fathers have less power and control in family life and the allocation of resources.

Question 18

Negotiated Families

Answer 18

do not conform to the traditional family norm, but vary according to the wishes and expectations of their members, who decided what is best for them by discussion. This is the typical type of family in postmodern society.

Question 19

Nuclear Family

Answer 19

A man and a woman and their dependent children, either their own or adopted.

Question 20

Patriarchy

Answer 20

A society where men hold the power and women are excluded, disadvantaged or oppressed. An example of a patriarchal society is one which women are not allowed to vote, but men are.

Question 21

Postmodernism is the view that

Answer 21

social changes since the 1950s have resulted in a world in which individuals have much more choice and freedom than is suggested by Modernists social theories such as Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism.

Question 22

Primary Socialisation

Answer 22

The first stages of learning the norms and values of a society; learning basic skills and norms, such as language, and basic manners.

Question 23

Serial Monogamy

Answer 23

Where an individual has a string of committed relationships, one after the other.

Question 24

Social Construction of Childhood

Answer 24

The idea that the norms and values and social roles associated with childhood are influenced by society, rather than being determined by the biological age of a child.

Question 25

Symmetrical Family

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Toxic Childhood

Answer 26

Where social changes, especially the invention of new technologies, does increasing amounts of harm to children. For example, the internet and mobile phones results in screen saturation with increases anxiety and reduces attention spans.