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SCLY1 (Old Specification) Past Exam Questions
Although June 2016 will be a new specification and exam structure much of the material you have learnt in families
and households applies to the new exam. Below are examples of questions taken from the old exam papers that you
should practice writing plans for as they are still relevant.
However there are a few key differences:
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The question you will answer will be worth 20 marks not 24 marks.
You will have 30 minutes to write a 20 mark answer.
The essays will consist 4 paragraphs and a conclusion containing new information.
How to use this document:
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Use the extract from the mark scheme and examiners’ advice to create essay plans of the questions.
You may not have heard of all of the concepts in the mark scheme but there should be at least some that are
familiar to you.
The examiner’s advice usually outlines bad, moderate and good answers to the question so pick out the
ways in which you can achieve top band and incorporate this into your plan.
June 2015
Examine the impact of government policies and laws on family life. [24 marks]
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender
regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of
labour Policies/laws on abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions;
benefits; taxes; education; childcare; child protection; sexuality; immigration may be discussed Analysis and
evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing
perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist etc)
From the examiner’s report:
The most successful answers were able to identify relevant policies which had a clear impact on the family, and then
used a theoretical framework that helped analyse and evaluate these policies. Weaker answers struggled with one or
more of these elements. Typically such students identified a few policies (of which divorce reform, various rights to
gay and lesbian couples, child protection and welfare benefits were the most popular), but then struggled to relate
them to the family. Alternatively, they discussed theoretical perspectives on social policy in general, but then failed to
relate them to the family. Discussions on China’s one child policy and the various family policies of the Soviet Union
rarely led to much sociological analysis. Some students had knowledge of perspectives, but were unable to offer
much beyond statements such as ‘functionalists like policies because they support the family, while New Right don’t
because they undermine family’. Sometimes, in answers such as these, the sociological perspectives got in the way of
a coherent discussion of the impact on the family of government policies.
Item 2B Some sociologists argue that changes in society have led to a situation where childhood is being lost. By this,
they mean that children today no longer have an opportunity to enjoy childhood, but instead have to deal with adult
concerns and pressures while they are still young. An alternative view is that children are now denied access to the
adult world for a much longer period than was the case for previous generations of children.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that childhood is being lost in society today. [24
marks]
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: expansion of higher education; child-centredness; age
patriarchy; globalisation; toxic childhood; children’s health; child abuse; child protection; child poverty; the
disappearance of childhood; the commercialisation of childhood; the impact of technology; family diversity;
gender/class/ethnic/cross-cultural differences. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing
different sociological views on childhood and/or discussing the relative importance of various changes to childhood in
contemporary society.
From the examiner’s report:
Many answers demonstrated a significant amount of sociological knowledge, but failed to take note of the wording
of the question, and therefore were unable to apply the knowledge appropriately. For example, many students
ignored the reference to ‘today’ and instead launched into a lengthy account of the nature of childhood in the Middle
Ages, and subsequently struggled to focus on the 6 of 8 question. Other students were able to discuss the way in
which childhood was socially constructed and the changing nature of childhood, without explicitly discussing whether
childhood today is being lost. More focused answers tended to use Postman and Palmer to suggest that childhood
was being lost, contrasting these with the views of Opie and Pilcher that childhood remains distinct. Many made
reference to the mass media without necessarily tying it to the specifics of the question; similarly, others referred to
the commercialisation of childhood without linking this explicitly to the question. Many students compared various
cross-cultural models of childhood, and in some cases contrasted these with the experience of childhood in modern
industrial societies. Relatively few students were able to differentiate between stages of childhood, or address gender
or class differences. Overall only a minority of answers retained their focus on the issue of whether childhood is being
lost in society today.
June 2014
Examine the reasons for changing patterns of marriage and divorce over the last 50 years or so. [24 marks]
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: secularisation; rise of feminism; attitude to careers;
reconstituted families; cohabitation; confluent love; declining stigma; higher expectations of marriage; remarriage;
welfare provision; the ideology of romantic love; privatisation of nuclear families; legislation; individualisation; life
expectancy; domestic division of labour; variations in the patterns. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for
instance through discussing the importance of different factors or by locating the debate between different
perspectives (eg New Right, functionalist, feminist, postmodernist, etc).
From the examiner’s report:
Most students could provide evidence of sociological knowledge on changing patterns of marriage and divorce over
the past 50 years or so. There were some excellent answers that discussed a number of changes to marriage and
divorce patterns, and these were able to analyse successfully the reasons for such changes. The changing social
position of women, secularisation and rising female expectations were linked effectively to both marriage and
divorce, with factors such as the fear of divorce and legal reform also examined. The strongest answers employed a
strong conceptual and empirical base (with the work of Sharpe on female aspirations, Giddens on confluent love and
Fletcher on expectations all appearing), and had a detailed understanding of the nature of various divorce reforms.
Stronger answers were able to analyse reasons for changing patterns, whereas weaker responses tended just to list
reasons with little elaboration or comment. Some students reinterpreted the question into one on the effects of
changing patterns, and this led to some ill-focused material. Many students introduced theoretical perspectives such
as Feminism, the New Right and Postmodernism, but often simply offered a juxtaposed commentary on the outcome
of changing patterns rather than focusing on the reasons for the changes. Some weaker answers were confused
about some of the concepts employed, for example citing ‘the decline of secularisation’ or ‘less stigma attached to
marriage’. Similarly, details of divorce legislation were often unclear or inaccurate, with a significant minority of
students claiming that before the 1960s women were unable to get divorced at all.
Item 2B - In common with many western societies, the United Kingdom has an ageing population. Rising life
expectancy and a relatively low birth rate have meant that the average age of the population is rising. For some
writers, the increase in the number of people over the age of 65 presents a problem for society in terms of providing
for this group, most of whom are no longer in paid work. However, the fact that life expectancy is rising could be
regarded as a success for society. Similarly, an ageing population may provide positive opportunities rather than just
problems.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that an ageing population creates problems for
society. [24 marks]
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: ageism; discrimination; dependency ratio; pension rights;
beanpole family; extended family; child care; health and social care needs; infantilisation; third age; disengagement;
grey power; life expectancy; quality of life; retirement age. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by
comparing different sociological views and/or by discussing the extent to which an ageing population represents a
problem for society.
From the examiner’s report:
Many students were familiar with material such as the Griffiths Report, Hirsch and Townsend, and could offer a
thorough account of the impact of a growing elderly population on public services, the housing market and the
‘pensions crisis’, with concepts such as population pyramids, the dependency ratio and ageism used well. Marxist and
Feminist analyses of the problem (for example, the elderly offering little to capitalism, the burden of care falling on
women) were also used effectively, although there were several unsophisticated claims about the New Right and the
elderly as a component of the ‘underclass’ and part of a dependency culture. A few students gained credit for
recognising that a falling birth rate and low numbers of young people were also pertinent, and discussed associated
possible problems. Many students recognised the ‘assess’ aspect of the question and could identify possible benefits
(as well as problems) of an ageing population, for example, as childcare to support dual-earner families, as
volunteers etc. Such responses also examined ways in which problems might be tackled, such as an increase in the
retirement age and inward migration of younger people. Some answers discussed an ageing population as grounds
for celebration as evidence of improvements in living standards. A number of students made cross-cultural
comparisons of attitudes to older people in society, with varying degrees of success. A minority of students could
recognise diversity within the notion of ‘older people’ and this led to intelligent comparisons between an active and
potentially productive ‘young old’ and the more ‘dependent and ill’ stereotype that dominated many answers. Many
students relied heavily on the Item for inspiration, with those who used it as the basis for a balanced discussion of the
extent of the “problem” able to perform reasonably well. Weaker responses added little to the Item, or allowed their
answer to be dominated by an explanation of the reasons for demographic changes. The majority of the weaker
answers struggled to find anything positive to say about older people, and simply listed various problems that older
people bring to society. There was very little recognition that people may have paid into their pensions or made some
contribution in their working life. Some students seemed unfamiliar with the concepts of rising.
June 2013
Examine the factors affecting power relationships and the division of labour between couples. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: domestic violence; decision-making; control over finance;
women’s paid employment; the impact of feminism; legislation/policies (divorce, education, childcare, discrimination
etc); childlessness; family size; class and ethnic variations; same sex couples; conjugal roles; kinship relationships;
confluent love. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance through discussing the importance of
different factors or by locating the debate between different perspectives (eg Marxist, functionalist, feminist,
postmodernist etc).
From the examiner’s report:
Most students were able to provide evidence of knowledge of sociological material on changing patterns in the
domestic division of labour and power relationships, though in many cases the research cited was rather dated. Most
were also able to link this material to theoretical perspectives and discuss to what extent patterns really are
changing. However, what was often missing was a clear focus on the factors that might have influenced these
patterns. Many responses demonstrated the need for students to address the full wording of the question and not
simply to seize on a ‘key term’ such as division of labour. As a result, many students scored no more than 14 out of a
possible 24 marks for knowledgeable essays that failed to address power and/or did not draw out factors that affect
the division of labour and power. More successful students tended to use sources such as Parsons, Oakley, Willmott
and Young and Edgell but also more contemporary material such as Kan, Silver and Schlor and Gershuny and Dunne.
These sources were used to identify effectively factors such as the working status of women, the commercialisation of
housework, the growth in numbers of same sex couples, the age and education level of the couple, alleged biological
differences and size of income to analyse arguments for both segregated and joint conjugal roles and to examine
power issues connected to finance, decision-making and violence as well as to recognise opportunities for debate
between different perspectives and empirical evidence. Theoretical responses were occasionally successful (eg
functionalism vs radical feminism vs Marxist-feminism), but these often lacked specific detail on the division of
labour. It should also be noted that the question referred to couples so those who drifted towards single-parenting
could not receive much reward.
Item 2b- For functionalist sociologists, the family is an important institution in society. They see the family as having
a number of roles essential to the smooth running of society. For example, the family is seen as key to socialising
children into the norms and values of society. Other sociologists argue that the functionalist view is too uncritical
and ignores the conflict that takes place within the family.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociologists to our
understanding of the family. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: stabilisation of adult personalities; social stability;
sexual/reproductive/educational/economic functions of family; family as a unit of consumption; reproduction;
primary socialisation; gender roles; patriarchy; geographical mobility; hierarchy; social control. Analysis and
evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing different functionalist views or by contrasting functionalist
approaches with Marxist and/or feminist views.
From the examiner’s report:
On average, answers to this question were better than those for question 09. The majority of students were able to
identify a number of functionalist ideas, usually heavily focused on the work of Murdock and Parsons, and were able
to follow them up with a couple of simple points of evaluation from Marxists and/or feminists. Weaker answers
provided these elements more or less in a list format, with no analysis or explanation as to how the family carried out
these functions and with the evaluation simply juxtaposed. A number of students seem to think that evaluation
consists of merely presenting alternative views with little or no connection between them or comment on them.
Centres should steer students clear of this approach which often achieves limited reward. More incisive answers were
able to build on the Item to develop arguments around the failure of functionalism to consider the ‘dark side’ of the
family and its unsuitability in an increasingly diverse society. The most skilled answers carefully selected aspects of
other material and provided a direct and pertinent account of appropriate debates such as a Marxist-feminist critique
of the ‘warm bath’, New Right, endorsement of the idealisation of the nuclear family, and thorough debates over the
loss of functions to institutions such as the state.
Jan 2013
Examine Marxist views of the role of the family. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: family as unit of production/consumption; primary
socialisation; social control; ideology; hierarchy; authority; false consciousness; reserve army; inheritance of property;
consumerism; stabilisation of adult roles; reproduction; capitalism; gender roles; patriarchy. Analysis and evaluation
may be developed, for instance through comparing different Marxist views or by contrasting them with different
perspectives.
From the examiner’s report:
The quality of answers to this question varied considerably both between and within different centres. Some students
confused the role of the family with roles within the family and wrote lengthy but tangential answers on conjugal
roles. Others seemed to confuse Marxist views with functionalist views, again presenting quite lengthy accounts of
Murdock and Parsons. Better answers were able to identify Marxist views on the role of the family and made
reference to concepts such as unit of consumption, reproduction of the workforce, hierarchy, inheritance of property
and pressure valve. For some students, this was a process of listing various roles but showing little understanding,
while others were able to unpack and explain these roles in terms of how the family performed them and how they
benefited capitalism. Good answers were often able to bring Marxist-feminist views into the discussion when linking
the oppression of women to capitalism. For a number of students, evaluation meant simply juxtaposing different
views without any attempt to connect them. More successful approaches were able to interrogate Marxist views
successfully and make pertinent and incisive points about the timeless nature of some Marxist accounts, the failure of
underclass families to support capitalism and the inability of some lone-parent and dual-income families to act as a
pressure valve.
Item 2B- Life course analysis suggests that there is flexibility and variation in people’s family lives. Individuals make
decisions and choices at different times in their lives and this determines how their lives turn out. Postmodernists
argue that we no longer have clear structures such as the nuclear family, but instead individuals have greater choice.
This means that there is greater fragmentation and diversity of family types and lifestyles. Other sociologists suggest
that this range of choices is exaggerated and that society’s structures and expectations still have a large influence on
family types and relationships.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that there is greater diversity of family types and
lifestyles today. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: romantic love; confluent love; plastic sexuality; pure
relationship; individualisation; family practices; childlessness; changes in the position of women; neo-conventional
family; risk society; family diversity; family fragmentation; family instability; life course analysis. Analysis and
evaluation may be developed, for instance about the extent to which diversity of family types and lifestyles has been
exaggerated.
From the examiner’s report:
Most students were able to achieve a satisfactory mark by recounting several examples of family diversity and, with
varying levels of detail, by providing an explanation ofwhy these have challenged the dominance of the nuclear
family. Other students used general material on diversity, such as the Rapoports’ typologies, but often in a list-like
and undeveloped form. Some students discussed family change rather than diversity and these often focused on the
move from extended to nuclear families. Many used the question as an opportunity to display knowledge of the New
Right and feminism, but this was often used to discuss the desirability of family diversity rather than to explain its
extent. There were some good answers that explicitly addressed the idea of lifestyle choice in the question and were
able to provide theoretical and empirical support for their discussion. Better responses responded to the instruction
to “assess” and used the Item and other material to question whether the nuclear family is in decline. These
responses were sometimes quite sophisticated, using a postmodernist perspective on families and referring to the
continued importance of the nuclear family as a dominant pattern, the idea of the nuclear family as a common
aspiration and the extent to which reconstituted families and same-sex families were ‘nuclear’ in nature.
June 2012
Examine different sociological views on changes in the experience of childhood in the past 50 years or so. (24
marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: expansion of higher education; child-centredness; age
patriarchy; globalisation; toxic childhood; children’s health; child poverty; the disappearance of childhood; the
commercialisation of childhood; the impact of technology; family diversity; gender/class/ethnic/cross-cultural
differences. Analysis and evaluation may be developed for instance by comparing the importance of particular
changes or by locating the debate between different perspectives (eg ‘march of progress’ versus more critical
perspectives).
From the examiner’s report:
This question asked students to examine sociological views on the changes in the experience of childhood in the past
50 years or so. This proved to be quite difficult for a number of students, often because of a failure to read or
understand the question; these students therefore failed to properly interpret the question. Many students wrote
extensively about changes in childhood since the Middle Ages and struggled to apply this material successfully to the
question. Many students have very hazy ideas about what might fall into the category of the last 50 years or so, with
often long discussions of industrialisation and child labour as well as the introduction of compulsory schooling. Again,
these responses found it difficult to apply their discussion to the specifics of the question. Most students had some
concept of childhood as a social construction. There were some good answers covering a range of different
sociological views of how childhood has changed recently, the best often set within an analytic framework, for
example, views for and against the view that childhood had improved in the last 50 years. Most students were able to
outline a competent account of the rise of child-centredness; this was often contrasted with claims that childhood is
becoming increasingly controlled. Effective responses were able to focus most of their answer on more recent
changes and discussion of the extension of compulsory education, the impact of television and the Internet, and the
rise of ‘toxic childhood’, was often done well. Such responses were also able to make more effective use of the same
material as those less successful responses; eg linking age patriarchy to controls on children’s movement as a result
of ‘stranger danger’. More sophisticated answers highlighted the range and variety of experiences between social
classes, ethnicities and genders, and debated the kinds of changes that different groups have experienced.
Item 2B - The New Right see the decline of the traditional nuclear family and the growth of family diversity as
negative trends in modern society. For example, they point to the rising number of couples cohabiting and the large
number of children born outside marriage. From the New Right perspective, these changes have undermined the
family and are the cause of many social problems in Britain today. Other sociologists suggest that changes to the
family are exaggerated. For example, if we take a life-cycle approach to the study of families, then we will see that in
fact most people marry and most have children within marriage.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that the growth of family diversity has led to the
decline of the traditional nuclear family. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: cereal packet family; cohabitation; trial marriage; lone-parent
families; neo-conventional family; decline in stigma; births outside marriage; divorce; remarriage; serial monogamy;
singletons; sex outside marriage; ethnic diversity; civil partnerships; gay and lesbian families; new reproductive
technologies. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by considering the extent to which changes in
family life have led to family diversity or by considering whether the traditional nuclear family has declined. Students
may consider a variety of views – most likely New Right, feminist and postmodern.
From the examiner’s report:
Most responses had some knowledge of the increase in family diversity and the majority of students could identify at
least a few reasons for different types of diversity, which meant that there were relatively few very weak answers.
Many of these responses did little more than rehearse generic theoretical views of the nuclear family with, for
example, Murdock’s and Parsons’ views of functions of the nuclear family described in great detail, or New Right
views of the undesirability of diversity recycled from Item 2B. Relatively few answers contained any accurate
statistical evidence or could fully develop the concept of life-course analysis. Most students were able to recognise
various examples of family diversity (eg reconstituted and same-sex families) and were, with varying degrees of
depth and sophistication, able to explain the rise of such family types. Theoretical material from functionalism, the
New Right, feminism and postmodernism appeared frequently, but this was often in terms of a discussion of ‘is
diversity desirable?’ rather than assessing the extent of changes. More effective responses were characterised by the
development of a debate around whether diversity really does signify the decline of the nuclear family and such
responses often built upon Item 2B’s reference to lifecycles to recognise that cohabitation and reconstitution may be
essentially nuclear and that single-person households may often occur before and after nuclear families, rather than
being a conscious rejection of them.
Jan 2012
Examine the reasons for, and the effects of, changes in family size over the past 100 years or so. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: compulsory education; changing attitudes; geographical
mobility; changing role of women; extended family; child-centredness; divorce; access to contraception; the welfare
state; the cost of children; family diversity; decline in infant mortality; dual-worker households; the dependency ratio;
ageing population; impact on public services. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing
the importance of particular factors or by locating the debate between different perspectives (eg feminism, New
Right).
From the examiner’s report:
This question asked students to discuss the reasons for and the effects of changes in family size over the last 100
years or so. This proved to be quite difficult for a number of students, who failed to read or understand the question
and therefore failed to interpret it successfully. Many students wrote extensively about the reasons for changes in
family size without ever mentioning any effects of these changes. Other answers ignored the issue of family size and
wrote generally about family change and diversity without explicit mention of family size. However, many successful
answers were able to identify a range of reasons for the reduction in family size such as the changing position of
women, the development of contraception, the increasingly costly nature of child-rearing, the impact of divorce, and
the decline in infant mortality. Weaker answers tended to discuss family diversity with limited application to size. The
minority who did effectively address effects tended to focus on changes in the dependency ratio; some were able to
discuss child-centredness and female emancipation as a consequence of having few or no children. Some students
were able to use theories (predominantly postmodernism and Liberal feminism) and sociologists such as Sharpe and
Stacey to good effect, although a desire to employ concepts and named sociologists often distracted from a good
focus leading to some largely irrelevant and often lengthy usage of Murdock and Parsons, in particular. Many
students have very hazy ideas about what might fall into the category of the last 100 years or so, with often long
discussions of pre-industrial Britain that struggled to get to grips with the question.
Item 2B Government policies and laws include tax and benefit policies as well as legislation such as that relating to
divorce and marriage. Sociologists have different views on the impact of these policies and laws on families. For
example, feminists argue that social policies assume that the ideal family is a patriarchal nuclear family, and that
government policies and laws therefore favour this sort of family. On the other hand, the New Right argue that the
benefit system undermines traditional nuclear families by actively encouraging lone parents.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess sociological views of the impact of government policies and
laws on family life. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender
regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of
labour. Laws/policies on abortion, divorce, contraception, reproductive technology, marriage, adoption, pensions,
benefits, taxes, education, childcare, child protection, sexuality, immigration may be discussed. Analysis and
evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing
perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist).
From the examiner’s report:
Many successful answers were able to identify and discuss the impact of a range of government policies and laws
drawn from and beyond Item 2B (eg divorce, introduction of Civil Partnerships, adoption policies, the tax and benefit
system). Strong answers effectively provided commentary from New Right, various feminist approaches,
postmodernist and Marxist views. Some students juxtaposed these, but others managed to provide genuine
evaluation, eg through criticising the New Right view that benefits cause dependency. Some weaker answers added
little to the Item, or provided generic accounts of theory that had little connection to policy. Some students discussed
‘policy’ in general but, while this was acceptable, these answers often failed to focus sufficiently on impact. Some
excellent answers took sociological views as the basis for their answer and were able to discuss a range of policies
and laws and their impact within the context of different sociological perspectives and evaluate these views. The
question did not confine ‘policy’ to the UK and some students made effective use of examples from China, Romania,
Nazi Germany and the USSR in the form of contrast to the UK, although these answers often struggled to discuss
sociological views of these policies.
June 2011
Examine the reasons for changes in the divorce rate since 1969. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: secularisation; rise of feminism; attitude to careers; confluent
love; declining stigma; higher expectations of marriage; remarriage; welfare provision; the ideology of romantic love;
privatisation of nuclear families; legislation; individualisation; life expectancy; domestic division of labour;
fluctuations/recent decline. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance through comparing the relative
importance of particular factors or by locating the debate between different perspectives (eg feminism, New Right
etc).
From the examiner’s report:
Many candidates showed a good awareness of a number of factors influencing divorce rates, but some lacked any
real depth or detail. For example, the Divorce Reform Act (1969) was often mentioned but only a minority could
provide any detail about it beyond the fact that ‘it made divorce easier’. Indeed a number of candidates thought that
divorce was either prohibited before 1969 or only available to men. Weaker answers tended to be simply lists of
reasons, while more able candidates were able to explain how the reasons suggested could impact on divorce rates,
and also to discuss the relative importance of various factors. Many candidates included a lot of tangential material
that deflected from their answer. This was often material on the effects of divorce or material on reasons for
cohabitation. Candidates must read the question carefully and address it explicitly in their answer.
Item 2B Feminists take a critical view of the family. They argue that family life maintains and promotes gender
inequality. For example, this is reflected in the domestic division of labour. Housework and childcare in the family,
which are carried out mainly by women, are unpaid and hardly recognised as work at all. However, some sociologists
suggest that feminist theories ignore the extent of family diversity. In fact, family roles and relationships are varied
and therefore women’s experiences of family life are more diverse than some feminists suggest.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding
of family roles and relationships. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: decision-making; domestic labour; domestic violence; dual
burden; emotion work; house-husbands; joint and segregated conjugal roles; symmetrical family; feminism; finance;
gay couples; march of progress; patriarchy. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by raising issues
about the extent to which changes in the family have been exaggerated.
From the examiner’s report:
Very few candidates focused on the demands of the question ie by addressing the issue of the feminist contribution,
but most candidates demonstrated some potentially relevant knowledge of concepts, theory and studies. This
suggests that family roles and relationships and feminism are covered reasonably well in most centres. Better
candidates produced complex critiques of the different strands of feminist theory, or a critique of feminism using
functionalism/New Right theory, or were able to discuss effectively the debates about the extent of changes in roles
and where this left feminist analysis. Many candidates recycled the Item with the occasional reference to a
potentially relevant study, eg on same-sex relationships, but these points were usually not applied effectively. The
issue of the impact of diversity on roles and relationships was consequently very rarely addressed adequately.
Concepts were widely used but with varying degrees of accuracy. There was far more focus on roles than on
relationships. Many studies used were very dated (eg Oakley; Willmott and Young) with little reference to more
recent information that is readily available, such as the British Social Attitudes Survey. Accounts of relationships
focused almost entirely on domestic violence. Some candidates attempted to consider power relationships through
discussion of financial decision-making, but such responses were often confused or not applied well to the question.
Many candidates’ answers were knowledge-driven and lacked explicit focus on the demands of the question.
Jan 2011
Examine the reasons for changes in the patterns of marriage and cohabitation in the last 40 years or so. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: re-marriage rates, divorce, secularisation, rise of feminism,
access to contraception, birth rates, welfare provision, attitudes to careers, confluent love, access to higher
education, neo-conventional family, legislation, individualisation, single person households. Analysis and evaluation
may be developed, for instance through comparing the relative importance of particular factors.
From the examiner’s report:
Most candidates were able to recognise that marriage had become less popular, partially at the expense of
cohabitation, and to offer a sound range of reasons for this, for example secularisation, the changing role of women,
the fear of divorce, higher expectations of marriage and the cost of a ‘typical’ marriage. The best answers clearly
identified the changing patterns and then discussed reasons. Less successful answers launched into reasons without
stating the patterns that the discussion related to. The extent to which answers were successful also depended on the
level of analysis offered and the ability to use conceptual and theoretical knowledge to explain or evaluate the
changes identified. This was sometimes achieved successfully via discussion of the neo-conventional family, the
impact of postmodernity or feminism on attitudes to marriage and the attractiveness of alternatives. However, these
accounts sometimes drifted into a discussion of the merits of marriage and cohabitation rather than sticking to the
discussion of reasons for the changes in patterns. Similarly, stronger candidates often used knowledge of divorce to
link to cohabitation, reluctance to marry and remarriage, while others covered this issue at the expense of an explicit
focus on the question.
Item 2B ‘March of progress’ sociologists suggest that the modern family has become more child-centred than in the
past. Each individual child is seen as important. Parents spend a great deal of time and money making sure that their
children enjoy a comfortable upbringing. They want their children to have opportunities that they themselves never
had. Critics of this view would point to examples of child abuse and other negative experiences that children today
may face.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that the modern family has become more childcentred. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: toxic childhood, child abuse, educational opportunities, child
care, family size, divorce, affluence, commercialisation of childhood, leisure technologies, children’s rights, improved
health care, infant mortality, dependency. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by raising issues
about the extent to which positive changes in child-rearing have been exaggerated.
From the examiner’s report:
Many candidates had a range of appropriate sociological knowledge on the emergence and changing nature of
childhood. However, the extent to which this was marshalled to child-centredness and the modern family was
extremely variable. Skilful answers were able to focus specifically on parenting via ideas such as age patriarchy and
the decline in infant mortality, and to draw material on changes in education, employment law, divorce and the
media round to issues relevant to the family (eg children as an economic burden, parents relying on media as a
‘babysitter’). Others simply outlined material (especially Aries and Postman) with no explicit focus on the question.
Many candidates were able to construct a debate about child-centredness, with the work of Pugh, Palmer and Gittins
all used to challenge the child-centred thesis, or to suggest negative consequences of it. Weak answers tended to
provide unsophisticated accounts of child abuse as the main evaluative point, with lengthy narratives of the story of
Baby P with little sociological knowledge. Many knowledgeable and able candidates focused on society rather than
the family and therefore did not score as well as they might have done with a better focus on the specifics of the
question. It is clear that some candidates need practice on this aspect of writing exam answers in order to do
themselves justice in their response to the questions that are set.
June 2010
Examine the reasons for, and the consequences of, the fall in the death rate since 1900. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: life expectancy; infant mortality; improvements in health
care; medical knowledge; sanitation; health education and living standards; ageing population; ageism;
discrimination; dependency ratio; pension rights; positive aspects of retirement; beanpole family; extended family.
Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance through comparing the relative importance of particular
factors, or by discussing the likelihood of particular consequences.
From the examiner’s report:
It is clear that some centres are still not teaching this aspect of the specification and their candidates therefore
struggled to offer a coherent response. On the other hand, there were some excellent answers that discussed a range
of reasons for the fall in the death rate. These reasons included better sanitation, improved living standards,
improved nutrition, improved health care, and the development of medical science. The best responses were able not
only to identify a reason but also to explain clearly how it led to a fall in the death rate. These responses included
some evaluation as to the relative significance of this factor, such as comparing the importance of social and
economic factors with improvements in medicine. When it came to discussing the consequences of the fall in the
death rate, many candidates ignored this aspect of the question and therefore were unable to access the higher
bands in the mark scheme. Many candidates who did discuss the consequences often did so in entirely negative
terms. These answers tended to identify the financial burden for future generations, overcrowding, the costs of
health and social care, and the rise in the dependency ratio as the key consequences. A minority of candidates were
able to discuss the consequences in a more balanced manner and raised issues such as beanpole families, the role of
grandparents in childcare, rising living standards, political power of older age groups, and the raising of the
retirement age. Some candidates did recognise that a fall in the death rate can be seen as a positive trend.
Item 2B For functionalist sociologists, the family fulfils a number of important functions for individuals and for
society, such as the socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities. However, some sociologists
suggest that, in today’s society, these functions are being taken over by other institutions and the family is losing its
importance. For example, nurseries and playgroups have an increasingly important role in the socialisation of young
children whose parents are working full-time. Also, family life is much less stable than it was in the past and this
undermines the traditional functions of the family.
Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that, in today’s society, the family is losing its
functions. (24 marks)
From the mark scheme:
Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: the role of the education system; rising divorce rates; loneparent families; births outside marriage; rise of feminism; child care; choice; singletons; family diversity; greater
individualism; kinship patterns; the development of the welfare state; reproductive technologies. Analysis and
evaluation may be developed, for instance by raising issues about the extent to which changes in the functions of the
family have been exaggerated.
From the examiner’s report:
Generally, this question was not answered as successfully as Question 09. Many candidates failed to focus on
changing functions but instead discussed changing roles and diversity and assumed that this was the same as
changing functions without making any explicit connection. Candidates often demonstrated a range of knowledge of
different perspectives on the family, such as functionalist, Marxist or feminist accounts, but failed to apply this
knowledge to the demands of the question. A common response was to outline Parsons’ and/or Murdock’s views on
the functions of the family and then discuss how conjugal roles have changed, without making explicit reference to
changes to the functions of the family. Very few candidates made use of the reference in the Item to family instability
and its impact on the ability of the family to fulfil the functions of socialisation and stabilisation of adult personalities.
Good answers were able to take Murdock’s four functions of the family, for example, and discuss each one in turn in
terms of whether modern families still fulfil this function. For example, they discussed whether falling birth rates, the
rise of surrogate mothers and the growing number of births outside marriage meant that the reproductive function of
the family was being lost.