sociology revision on family diversity, Childhood and Policies

Question 1

What are the main characteristics of an Asian family structure (living in the UK)?

Answer 1

Extended / multigenerational (vertically extended). Family often lives with elderly parents. Strong support network (Ballard). Respect for elderly authority. Many young members ( children). Nuclear family and marriage valued.

Question 2

What are the main features of an Afro Carribean family structure (living in the UK)?

Answer 2

Lone parent families. Matriarchal- women heads of households / independent (Mirza). Lack of male role models for children. Less marriages so less divorces.

Question 3

What examples of pull and push factors for migration can you give?

Answer 3

Pull factors (attract) : employment/ economy/ welfare/education/ politics / security and safety.
Push factors ( off putting) ; war, safety/ unemployment and poor economy/ poor welfare system / oppressive or corrupt regime/ poor education system.

Question 4

Where do migrants to the UK come from mainly?

Answer 4

Presently Europe ( in particular Eastern Europe). Also from Asia (Bengladesh /Pakistan..)
From West Indies ( after WW2 especially) and Africa ( 90s).

Question 5

What problems might Reconstituted Families be faced with?

Answer 5

Poverty ( need to pay for children from previous marriage) ( Ferry and Smith)
Tensions and challenge to authority ( step parent) (Allan and Crowe)
Divided loyalties

Question 6

Why is cohabitation a popular option at present?

Answer 6

More socially accepted / less attachment to tradition of marriage/secularisation (decline in religion)/ change in law (more rights)/ financial independence / rise of Feminism.

Question 7

what is LAT is about?

Answer 7

Living Apart Together- being in a sexual relationship ,unmarried, and not cohabiting. Keep property. Trendy. Seen as ideal.

Question 8

What has helped same sex families?

Answer 8

Change in laws ( Civil Partnership Act 2004/ Gay Marriage legal 2014) / better social acceptance/ rise of Feminism/ more independence/ less attachment to traditions and religion ( secularisation)

Question 9

People in what age brackets tend to live alone, and why?

Answer 9

Men under 35 and women over 65. Longer life expectancy ( women widowed and less men available) / rise of divorce/ individual choice ( Stein and creative singlehood) or choice after a divorce/ independence ( financial in particular)/ socially accepted/ decline of religious values ( secularisation) a

Question 10

What are the different types of extended families, and what are they exactly?

Answer 10

Vertically extended/ beanpole: three generations living together
Horizontally extended: Different family members ( can be same age range) from larger more extensive family living together
Modified extended: not living together but nearby, or in regular contact, and supportive. (Wilmott)

Question 11

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in an extended family?

Answer 11

+ : emotional support ( after divorce/ illness…)/ financial support / practical (childcare/ care for ill or elderly) / economical ( share bills provide shelter…) / more role models.
-: tensions / authority figure unclear or challenged/ finances and resources hard to balance

Question 12

What are the main reasons for divorce having increased since the 60s?

Answer 12

Divorce figures show a slowdown in divorces nowadays- as less people marry. But divorce has increased significantly due to : rise of Feminism / social acceptance- less stigma/ less attachment to traditions/ decline of religious values ( secularisation) / Independence ( especially financially for women) / Changes in the law to make divorce easier and cheaper.

Question 13

Give two conflicting views from two different theories about divorce.

Answer 13

Not desirable: New Right ( lone parents a burden on the State/ lack of role models for children lead to instability) / Functionalists ( as in favour of marriage and nuclear family) but say divorce is followed by remarriage so does not threaten nuclear family and marriage.
Desirable: Feminists ( to fight Patriarchy and oppression/ gives women a choice and independence) / Postmodernists (individual choice)

Question 14

Why is childhood a “social construct” ( created, shaped by society)?

Answer 14

Childhood is socially constructed, not universal. There is no single childhood experienced by all (Wagg). Childhood experiences differ from culture to culture.

Question 15

Who supports the idea that childhood has not always been a separate life stage in History?

Answer 15

Aries. In History, in Midddle- Ages, no childhood (Aries). Children entered wider society after weaning. Dressed as adults. Same laws and rights as adults
Notion of childhood started in 13th century with schools, the 17th C with different dress code, and culminated in a “cult of childhood” society nowadays . See also Shorter and Benedict.

Question 16

Who thinks that childhood is disappearing, and why?

Answer 16

Postman. Due to the rise of printed texts and now TV- children lose innocence early and are exposed to more and more adult issues. Children have same rights as adults. Disappearance of traditional unsupervised games, same dress as adults, and even child crime show that children are turning into adults .

Question 17

Who thinks that childhood is just changing, and not disappearing?

Answer 17

Jenks. Childhood is a social construct, created by modern society , which continues to change.

Question 18

What is the view of Postmodernists overall on childhood?

Answer 18

Childhood a time to prepare productive adults of the future, so nurturing, protection and control necessary.
Post modern families are unstable ( divorce etc…). So adults are more fearful for their children’s security. Children are the last refuge in an unstable world and need protecting. Greater surveillance is necessary (against child abuse etc…).

Question 19

What are Child Liberationists advocating?

Answer 19

Care and protection are a form of oppression, and are not for the benefit of the child. ( Firestone and Holt). Adult control is over: children’s space and movement / children’s time/ children’s body ( hairstyle, clothes, smacks, hugs etc) / children’s access to resources ( economically dependent).
Children need to be liberated from that sort of oppression.

Question 20

What is the “March of Progress” view on childhood?

Answer 20

Childhood is improving and is better than ever.
Better healthcare, money spent on education (for all), laws to protect children (against child abuse and labour), welfare specialists to support good development, higher living standards, all have improved children’s well -being.
Child centred family and society: smaller families mean more money spent on children. Parents now invest more emotion and finance into their children and have great aspirations for them. Children now help with decision making. Families and society now child centred with activities geared for children.

Question 21

What is toxic childhood about?

Answer 21

The harm and damage done to children.
New technology and bad parenting - no quality time spent with children, overuse of technology such as TV or video games to occupy children, no boundaries set and too much leniency- are now damaging children ( Sue Palmer).

Question 22

What is meant by “the dark side of the family”?

Answer 22

Many children suffer from domestic abuse from adults ( physical, sexual ,emotional or neglect). ( Childline: 20 000 calls a year). Age Patriarchy: male domination and oppression exist for children too ( Gittins/ Feminists)

Question 23

What examples of policies have been implemented by New right and Conservatives regarding the family, and with what intent?

Answer 23

Child Support Agency
Changes in laws on Divorce ( making divorce easier)
But, overall, it sees the traditional nuclear family as ‘natural’ and based on a biological division of labour between male breadwinner and female nurturer .If parents perform these roles properly, the family will be self-reliant, able to socialise children effectively and to care for its members. It opposes family diversity and sees lone-parent and same-sex families as damaging to children

Question 24

What examples of policies have New labour endorsed regarding the family, and to what purpose?

Answer 24

Working families Tax Credit
The New Deal (to help lone parent go back to work)
Right to adopt when unmarried
Civil partnership for same sex couples
Like the New Right, it favours the traditional family as usually the best place to raise children, but prefer means-tested benefits targeted at the poor rather than universal benefits ( benefits for poorer families will improve family life). Unlike the New Right, it is more accepting of family diversity