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Family
What is a family?
A group of people related by blood, marriage or adoption
What are nuclear, extended, lone, same sex,
reconstituted and empty nest families?
A nuclear family
A two-generation family
containing married or
cohabiting parents and their
children or child who live
together
An extended
family
An extension of the nuclear
family. Three generations
live together or nearby e.g.
children, parents and
parents of the parents
A reconstituted
family
An empty nest
family
When divorced
men/women remarry &
form a new family with
their children
When children have grown up
and left home, the parents
continue to live together in
the family home
A lone parent
family
Same sex
families
A beanpole
family
A family in which one
parent lives with their
child or children
A family in which a
homosexual couple
(married or cohabiting)
live together with their
child or children
Families which have few
horizontal extensions (e.g. very
few or no aunts/uncles/cousins
etc) but a tall vertical structure
e.g. great grandparents,
grandparents, parents, children
Why is there a greater diversity of families in
Britain today?
The divorce rate has increased
The marriage rate is going down
There is now less stigma attached to homosexuality
Families are having fewer children
Is the nuclear family typical of families in
modern Britain?
Some sociologists argue that the nuclear family is still the most
“typical” or common family type. Other sociologists disagree.
Reasons to show the nuclear family is
the most “typical”
Reasons to show the nuclear family is
not the most “typical”
Lots of products are designed for the
nuclear family e.g. family tickets are for
two parents and two children
More divorce means that there are more
single parent and reconstituted families
Products are specifically designed for the Changes in attitudes and laws means that
nuclear family e.g. cars have two adult
it is now acceptable to be in a same-sex
seats in the front and seats for children in couple
the back
What are functionalist views on the family?
Functionalists view the nuclear family as positive and an important part
of society. The nuclear family performs useful functions for individuals
and for society such as:
• Reproduction
• Primary socialisation
• Emotional support
• Economic support
What are New Right views on the family?
The New Right see the traditional nuclear family with the mum and dad
sticking to traditional roles as the best for society.
The New Right are against other family types
New Right sociologists argue that if children are not raised in a nuclear
family then they will not get the right socialisation and will end up
becoming a criminal
The New Right dislike the fact that the family is ‘falling apart’ in modern
society.
What do sociologists mean by the dark side of
the family?
• Many sociologists have highlighted that all is not well within the
family since there is a well documented and well published set of
statistics that would seem to indicate that domestic violence is on the
increase.
• Domestic violence is all about power and control in the family. It is
not just physical abuse it is also mental, psychological, emotional and
also the implied threat of violence.
Why do feminists believe the nuclear family is
unfair on women?
A feminist is: Someone who believes that women should have the
same status and opportunities as men. Feminists try to make women
equal to men.
Feminists say that women have to carry out:
The dual burden
The triple shift
Also, girls in the family are socialised into the housewife role from a
young age e.g. given cooking sets and dolls to play with (canalisation)
What is the division of labour?
The division of task such as housework, childcare and DIY. Some sociologists say the division of
labour is fair and others disagree. Below are the reasons why:
Division of labour is equal
Division of labour is not equal
The ‘NEW MAN’
There has been an increase in the ‘new man’. This is a type of man who is
willing to take on any role in or outside of the home and does not believe
in following traditional roles whereby he should not have to do
housework, cooking etc
Triple shift
Most women have 3 main roles:
Housework
Full time work
Emotion work
They are mostly responsible for making sure everyone is
happy/ resolving arguments/ holding relationships
together
Money management
Rather than one partner having control of family finances there is much
more evidence that money is now equally distributed between husband
and wife because they both work and money is put into a joint account
Dual Burden
Women are more involved in full time work but are still
expected to be in charge of the housework. Men do not
take an ‘equal’ share in the housework but help when it is
convenient.
Decision making
Men and women are now more likely to have a discussion before a big
family decision is made and come to an agreement rather than the man
having the final say.
Invisible work
Women are shown to think about family issues more than
men. Deciding what to make for dinner/ shopping lists/
remembering birthdays/
What are conjugal roles?
The domestic roles of married or cohabiting partners.
What is the symmetrical family?
• A family in which partners carry out tasks equally. They may carry out
tasks separately or together but contribution is always split 50/50.
Evidence to show that the family is symmetrical comes from:
Money management
Rather than one partner having control of
family finances there is much more
evidence that money is now equally
distributed between husband and wife
because they both work and money is put
into a joint account
The ‘NEW MAN’
There has been an increase in the ‘new
man’. This is a type of man who is willing
to take on any role in or outside of the
home and does not believe in following
traditional roles whereby he should not
have to do housework, cooking etc
Decision making
Men and women are now more likely to
have a discussion before a big family
decision is made and come to an
agreement rather than the man having
the final say.
Does the New Man exist?
Some sociologists argue that the New Man exists.
There has been an increase in the ‘new man’. This is a type of man who is
willing to take on any role in or outside of the home and does not believe in
following traditional roles whereby he should not have to do housework,
cooking etc.
Other sociologists such as feminists argue that the new man is a myth and
the majority of men stick to traditional roles and do not feel that it is there
“role” to take on traditionally female tasks. E.g. most men refuse to cook
dinner.
What role do grandparents play in families?
• The rise in life expectancy has resulted in an increasing number of
families having older members who are no longer in paid
employment. Around 20 per cent of the UK population are aged 65
and over. As their children are likely to have married and had children
later in life, this often results in an older generation being
grandparents of young children. As well as enjoying their own
retirement, they regularly provide unpaid childcare and support for
parents.
What role do children play in families?
Children are now a “focal” part of the family. This means that they are
the main concern for parents.
Children now have more power in the family and can influence
decisions made by parents.
How have children’s role in the family
changed in the last 50 years?
Some sociologists argue that children’s role in the family has got better
in the past 50 years. However, some sociologists disagree with this.
Reasons to show that children’s role has improved
Reasons to show that children’s role has not improved
Relationships are less authoritarian, there is less
emphasis on parental authority/discipline and
children get an equal say
Working class families do not involve their children in
decision-making.
Relationships are more child-centered- more focus
on children’s interests and needs. The average
family size is smaller today and so children receive
more individual attention from parents.
Some children are still forced to help out in a family
business or with childcare and housework.
Young people are now more financially dependent
on their family and for a longer time. This means
they don’t have to go out and work at a young age.
Some children are victims of domestic abuse. The
amount of calls to child line is constantly increasing.
Why have men and women’s roles in the
family changed in the last 50 years?
In the last 50 years it is believed that families have become more
symmetrical. This has happened because:
• Feminism encourages women to fight back against patriarchal ideas e.g.
women are now less likely to accept that they should do all the housework
• More effective forms of contraception mean that women are having fewer
children which gives them a better chance at going out and getting a job
• Women having jobs means they have financial independence and don’t
rely on their husbands wage
How has life expectancy changed?
Life expectancy is the average number of years a newborn baby is
expected to live.
Life expectancy has gone up.
In the 1950s life expectancy was 70. Life expectancy today is 80.
How have patterns of fertility changed?
Less children are being born
Women are choosing to have children later in their life. E.g. 50 years
ago it was common for women to have children in their early 20s.
Today it is more common for women to have children in their 30s.
What impact will an ageing population have
on the country?
An ageing population means that the average age of citizens is
increasing. Society has a smaller proportion of young people and an
increasing proportion of older people.
The impact of this is:
• An increase in one-person households
• More healthcare will need to be available
• Taxes will increase to fund pensions
Why has marriage declined?
Marriage has declined because:
• Women are now more focussed on careers and less focussed on
finding a partner
• Changing attitudes mean that there is no stigma attached to not
being married
• The increasing divorce rate means that people are afraid to get
married as it may just end in divorce
Why has cohabitation increased?
Cohabitation has increased because:
• People are fearful that if they marry it may end in divorce- this can be
very expensive
• Changing social attitudes means that there is no longer a stigma
attached to cohabitation
Why have births outside of marriage
increased?
Births outside of marriage have increased because:
• There is no longer a stigma attached to having a child outside of
marriage
• The increased availability of welfare benefits means that women can
have children and not have to worry about having a husband to
provide financial support
What are the effects of divorce?
The main effects of divorce are:
• More single parent families
• The increase in single parent families may mean that the government
has to provide more welfare support for single parents
• An increase in reconstituted families
What are the arguments in favour of lone
parent families?
Arguments in favour of lone parent families:
• Better for children to be raised in an environment where there is no
conflict
• Feminists argue that women who raise a child as a single parent
escape patriarchy
What are the arguments against lone parent
families?
Arguments against lone parent families:
• The New Right argue that lone parents cannot adequately socialise
their children properly. Single mothers are not capable of disciplining
their sons.
• The New Right also argue that single parents are a drain on the
welfare state as they rely on the benefits to survive.
What debates are there around the quality of
parenting as a social issue?
Some sociologists argue that the quality of parenting in the UK is not good
enough, for example
• An increase in childhood obesity shows that children are not looked after
nutritionally
• Children are not receiving adequate help from their parents with school
work
• Parents are not socialising their children with the skills they need e.g. how
to use correct language
What debates are there around the care of
the disabled and elderly as a social issue?
Social and medical advances mean that the quality of later life is improving.
Most people are able to maintain reasonably healthy and independent lives
into their 70s and 80s.
This is because of medical advancements and an increase in the amount of
social services that are available to support both the elderly and disabled.
However, some sociologists argue that older people from a working class
background are likely to suffer more in old age. This is often because they
are suffering the consequences of having more physically gruelling jobs at a
young age and not having a pension fund which allows them to have a
decent standard of living.
What debates are there around the relationship
between teenagers and adults as a social issue?
• Some sociologists identify teenagers as a problem for society.
• There is an increasing number of “teenage” families who are seen as
incapable of socialising children properly.
• In most cases these teenagers leave education without qualifications
and the cycle of poverty begins for the children who are materially
deprived in education.
Can you give 3 recent examples from the
news that relate to anything above?
You have to read/watch the news to be able to do this