Sociologist Family+households

Question 1

Couples - Dobash and Dobash

Answer 1

Marriage and the nuclear family is the key institution of patriarchy, and the main source of women’s oppression.

Question 2

Couples - Wilkinson

Answer 2

Domestic violence is the result of stress on the family caused by social inequality.

Question 3

Couples - Ansley

Answer 3

Domestic violence is the product of capitalism: male workers are exploited at work and take their frustration out on their wives.

Question 4

Social policy - Donzelot

Answer 4

argues that social policy is a form of state control of the family.

Question 5

Social policy - LEONARD (FEMINISM)

Answer 5

although maternity leave policies benefit women, it reinforces patriarchy, because the terms of paternity leave are less generous, implying that women are the natural carers.

Question 6

Childhood - Gittins

Answer 6

There is an age patriarchy of adult domination and child dependency.

Question 7

Couples - Parsons

Answer 7

Expressive role (Women) = Homemaker; involves cooking, cleaning and looking after children.
Instrumental role (Men) = Breadwinner; involves paid work and earning the income for the family.

Question 8

Couples - Bott

Answer 8

Segregated conjugal roles: couples work and spend leisurely time seperately. Joint conjugal roles: couples share domestic tasks and leisure time.

Question 9

Couples - Duncombe and Marsden

Answer 9

Women not only carry the dual burden of paid and domestic work, but also have to do the emotional work

Question 10

Demography - PHILLIPSON (MARXIST)

Answer 10

The old are of no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive and are an economically dependent group

Question 11

Demography - HUNT (POSTMODERNIST)

Answer 11

Age is just a number. The elderly are becoming a market for body maintenance and rejuvenation services and goods.

Question 12

Childhood - ARIES

Answer 12

in the Middle Ages ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’ – children were not seen as essentially different to adults like they are today.

Question 13

Childhood - Postman

Answer 13

childhood is essentially a social artifact. Its origin is closely linked to the printing press and the growth of literacy, which made possible the segregation of groups into children and adults.

Question 14

Childhood - Shorter

Answer 14

families and societies have become more ‘child-centred,’ where children are seen as a priority.

Question 15

Childhood - Palmer

Answer 15

Rapid technological and cultural changes have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development.

Question 16

Changing Family - Fletcher

Answer 16

the rising expectation of marriage based upon unrealistic scenarios shown in movies has led to the dissatisfaction amongst many couples

Question 17

Social policy - Fletcher

Answer 17

health, education and housing policies in the years since the industrial revolution has gradually led to the development of families functioning more effectively

Question 18

Social policy - Murray

Answer 18

welfare policies have undermined the nuclear family and given perverse incentives for people to start single-parent families or to end their marriages and form single-parent families

Question 19

Social policy - Drew

Answer 19

uses the concept of ‘gender regimes’ to describe how social policies in different countries can either encourage or discourage gender equality in the family and at work.

Question 20

Family diversity - Parsons

Answer 20

Parsons functional fit theory argues that as society changes, the family changes in order to fit into society and be useful to society

Question 21

Family diversity - Chester

Answer 21

There has been an important change from the conventional family (segregated conjugal roles) to the neo-conventional family, which adopts a symmetrical
family structure.

Question 22

Family diversity - Giddens

Answer 22

Society has become ‘disembedded’ from traditional family structures, leaving us free to choose how we live our lives.

Question 23

Family diversity - Beck

Answer 23

Equality and individualism have created the ‘negotiated family’ which varied according to the members wants.

Question 24

Family diversity - Rapoport

Answer 24

5 types of family diversity: Organisational (role allocation), cultural, class, life course (family change) and Cohort(altering norms).

Question 25

Family diversity - Smart

Answer 25

By focusing on people’s meanings, our attention is drawn to a range of other personal or intimate relationships that are important to people, even though they may not be conventionally defined as family.

Question 26

Family theories - Murdock (functionalist)

Answer 26

The nuclear family performs four essential functions:
• Socialisation of the young
• Satisfaction of the member’s economic needs
• Reproduction of the next generation
• Stable satisfaction of the sex drive

Question 27

Family theories - Parsons (functionalist)

Answer 27

Pre-industrial society = extended family - had the function of production and consumption
Modern society = nuclear family - have the function of social and geographical mobility

Question 28

Family theories - Parsons #2 (functionalist)

Answer 28

The nuclear family has two irreducible functions: Primary socialisation of the young and Stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 29

Family theories - ENGELS (marxist)

Answer 29

The family exists so men can pass their private property onto their biological offspring, notably a son.

Question 30

Family theories - ZARETZKY (marxist)

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Family theories - POULANTZAS (marxist)

Answer 31

Nuclear families are brainwashed into thinking capitalism is fair, which teaches lower generations how to conform and co-operate with the capitalist system.