GCSE sociology – The Family revision

What is a family? / A group of people related by blood or marriage
What is a household? / A group of people who live together who may or may not be related. E.g. friends living together
What are the different family structures? / nuclear -
lone parent
reconstituted – re married
same sex
empty nest – when children have left home
extended – 3 generations
bean pole – long and thin -
cohabiting – living together as man and wife
How can ethnicity affect the type of family? / Afro Caribbean more likely to live in a matrifocal family – run by women either on their own or with their mums
south Asian – Pakistan, Indian – more likely to live in extended family types – similar to white working class
What is family diversity? / A term given to describe the different types of family that exist
What is a conventional nuclear family? / A stereotypical nuclear family with dad working and mum staying at home and looking after the house and family
What is the relationship between the family and politics? / All political parties promote the benefits of living in a family with tax, health and welfare schemes that are aimed at the family.
Child tax credits – attempt to tackle child poverty.
- help parents & guardians with cost of child care.
Sure start – “aims to deliver the best start in life for children and to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and community by…
-increasing the availability of childcare for all children
-improving health and emotional development for young children
-supporting parents as parents and in their aspiration towards employment.”
Some activities Sure Start centres run – breastfeeding help, domestic violence help, play groups, ICT classes, ESOL classes and teenage parent groups.
How are CNF seen as the perfect fit? / Small enough to move town to gain employment.
Some jobs gain more status therefore children need to move out and create their own families in order to avoid role conflict with dad or mum.
Small enough to develop a strong conjugal bond between husband and wife.
What is a non conventional family? / Reconstituted, cohabiting couples – they don’t fit the stereotype. This is due to mums now going out to work as 2 wages are needed; dads more often staying at home, couple decide not to get married as too expensive….
What is the Functionalist view of the family? – What are the functions?
+ / Warm bath theory. Families are the primary socialiser to the children and teach them the basic norms and values
Reproduces future generations.
Economic provision – looks after the children and buys. things which keep the economy going, i.e. food, clothes.
Emotional provider - TLC
What is the Marxist view of the family?- what are the functions>
- / Argue that the family produce the next lot of labour to be used by the capitalists for free. Families socialise children into being passive, obey authority and to work hard – the perfect worker all ready to be exploited by the boss.
Educational advantages passed through families.
What is the Feminist view of the family? – What are the functions?
- / Argue that the family socialises children into a specific gender roles which is for the benefit of the man and society. Toys, clothes, language achieve this and girls learn to be passive, gentle, a sex object and a homemaker.
How has the pattern of marriage changed - / Fewer marriages are taking place.
People getting married later.
Those who do marry and divorce are more likely to re marry.
Same sex couples can now be united in a civil partnership and the law has just changed allowing marriage
Why has the pattern of marriage changed? / Fewer couples marryingas divorce is so high, don’t see the point in getting married to get divorced.
Expensive to get married so cohabit.
No stigma living together or having children out of wed lock.
Socially acceptable to remain single.
Couples no longer ‘fear’ God – ‘living in sin’ in no longer an issue
Getting married later – as want a career first, or to get established in a job.
Want to save enough money to have a housed sorted.
No rush- need to save for a wedding
Who benefits from marriage? / Feminists: They believe marriage benefits the male more as they control the money and make the most important decisions plus they are more likely to be on the receiving end of abuse.
New Right: The children benefit as they have 2 role models and are more likely to be successful in life. In addition society benefits by the children being ‘stable’ and socialised correctly.
How has the pattern of fertility changed? / Women are having fewer children.
The average for a woman having a child has increased.
Why has the pattern of fertility changed? / Fewer children due to contraception.
Children are expensive to bring up so focus on just 1 or 2.
Children are more likely to survive child birth and live so no need to have lots.
Women having children later – as they want a career first.
Technology, such as IVF, enables women to have children at a later age.
Women want to find ‘the right man’ to have a family with
Why has divorce increased? / Divorce Reform Act 1967-1971
No social stigma.
Cheaper.
Women are more independent so can look after themselves if they want a divorce.
People want more, especially women so less prepared to put up with ‘second best’.
More romantic novels giving ideas of perfect partners lead to disappointments and unrealistic expectations of marital bliss.
living longer so married longer
What are the consequences of divorce for the adults / Remarriage or cohabitation
Decisions about property and access to children have to be made.
Emotional – could be good or bad
Financial consequences – more or less
What are the consequences of divorce for the children? / Adjust to any new partner/step parent.
Keeping in contact with ‘absent’ parent.
Stress- could be more or less.
Could be good –2 lots of presents at Christmas!
What are the consequences of divorce for the society at large? / More lone parent mothers needing financial assistance
step families increase with natural mother and step father being the main carer
What are conjugal roles? / Tasks that are performed in the household.
What are joint conjugal roles? / Where household tasks are share equally between the male and female
What are segregated conjugal roles? / when household tasks are divided up with the male doing the male specific jobs such as gardening, DIY and the female doing the domestic chores
What is a symmetrical family? / where houseful tasks are shared between husband and wife
Would a feminist agree that families are symmetrical / No- they argue that females still carry out a triple shift of paid work, domestic work and emotional work despite their paid work being full time.
Why have roles changed in the family? / Women: contraception, norms and values have changed, women are now working, increasing opportunities for them.
Men: roles have changed – men tend to play a greater part in the lives of their children – changed because women expect them to take a more equal role and there is less stigma attached to men being house husbands.
How have relationships between parents and children changed over time? / Less authoritarian, children can now speak their mind. Children have rights and listened to rather than be ‘seen and not heard’. Relationships tend to be warmer as more time is spent at home due technology making leisure being more ‘home based’.