Family Flashcards
(78 cards)
1
Q
What is a family?
A
A group of people that are related by blood, marriage or adoption.
2
Q
What is kinship?
A
People feel very strong ties to families even if they don’t always like each other.
(Sense of duty and feelings to family members)
3
Q
Family organising themselves in different ways is known as…
A
Family structure
4
Q
What is polygamy?
A
Marriage to more than one partner at a time.
5
Q
Men controlling family life is known as…
A
Patriarchy
6
Q
Women controlling family life is known as…
A
Matriarchy
7
Q
Monogamy
A
Marriage to only 1 person at a time.
We practice this in Britain as polygamy is illegal
8
Q
Nuclear families
A
A family consisting of a man and a women (heterosexual couple) and their biological children.
This Family structure was seen as better for society.
9
Q
George Murdock on nuclear families
A
(Functionalist) said that all societies have nuclear families
10
Q
Talcott Parsons on Nuclear families
A
(Functionalist) said that a nuclear family is essential for the proper socialisation of children and of parents.
11
Q
Feminists on family structure
A
They say that the basic family is the mother and her child. They also say other types of families are perfectly good as long as everyone is supported.
12
Q
David Cameron (Conservative PM) on families
A
Said he wanted to encourage people to marry because it was good for the children.
He views family breakdown as a problem for society.
13
Q
Cereal packed family
A
Medias name for the nuclear family
(Portrays the traditional family as mum and dad having breakfast with the kids before dad heads off to work and the mum stays home to cook, clean and care)
14
Q
Cohabition
A
Sharing a home. (With a sexual partner)
People choose to live together before they marry.
Some couples never marry.
15
Q
Singlehood
A
Living alone. Many are old people who live alone after their partner has died.
I’m todays society it has become more of a choice.
16
Q
Coupled, child free
A
People may live together in an empty nest, this is where the child has grown up and left home
17
Q
Same Sex families
A
Both parents are of the same sex. Homosexual couples choose to bring up children.
18
Q
Reconstituted family
A
Parents and children from more than one relationship form a family. (Sometimes known as a blended family)
(Step-fathers etc.)
19
Q
Lone/single parent families
A
Can be result of death or divorce. The majority of single parents are women in their thirties as a result of relationship breakdown.
20
Q
Apart together
A
Some people may be together but not live together.
21
Q
Multiple parenting
A
Biological and social (adopted) parents
22
Q
Adoption
A
Child adopted as the couple may not be able to have children of their own biologically so they become social parents.
23
Q
IVF
A
The use of technology (sperm donation, surrogacy and egg donation)
24
Q
1950s families
A
Most households would’ve been a family
Poorer people would’ve started married life living with their parents
Women married early and started a family when they were young
Divorce, sex or children outside marriage would’ve been shocking.
25
1970s families
Family life changes rapidly. Divorce sex and children outside marriage are still not accepted. But are more common. More women are taking jobs outside the home this results in more women delaying having children as they wanted a career.
26
Modern day families
There is now no such thing as a typical family type. People have freedom on how they want to organise their family.
Lots of different ways of living and structures of families.
Contraception is now in the hands of women.
Number of children being born per family has been reduced.
People choose to divorce more often.
27
5 Reasons why families are changing…
Changing norms & values
Technology
Secularisation
Gender attitudes
Changed in law
28
People have developed different ideas about families. Not seen as unusual for people to live together before marriage
Homosexuality is more accepted
Men & Women are now much more equal
Reasons why families are changing…
Changing norms and values
29
Until 1960 contraception was only used if the man was willing (condoms)
The 1st contraception women controlled was the pill. This meant women had freedom to choose to have children. Families therefore became smaller. Women could choose to have sex outside of marriage as there was no fear of falling pregnant.
Reasons why family is changing…
Technology
30
Reasons why family is changing…
Secularisation
Religion is less important in peoples lives than it once was. Christian religion teaches people that marriage is sacred and divorce is bad. If people are less religious they then are less likely to get married before having sex and more likely to divorce.
31
Reasons why family is changing…
Gender attitudes
In 1970s more women became feminists. Challenging traditional ideas about staying in the family home or that men were in charge.
More women got jobs for themselves which meant they didn’t have to rely on men to give them money.
Women can divorce if they’re unhappy
- No longer putting up with domestic abuse.
32
How many lone parent families in UK?
2,000,000
| 2 million
33
What’s the average age for a lone parent?
30 years old (mostly mothers)
34
Single parenthood and poverty
Children in single parent families are more likely to live in poverty.
1/4 of children in lone parent families are in low income families.
This is because many lone parents don’t receive financial support from their partner/ex-partner or they don’t have time for a full time job.
35
Why do some see lone parent households as a problem?
Government published a report that showed children of lone parent families were more likely to experience behavioural problems. They also do less well in school and are more likely to be ill.
36
Divorce in 1960s and before
Divorce was seen as shameful and only men could file for a divorce. Many people lived in empty shell marriages as divorce was hard to obtain.
In 1969 divorce legislation changed. You no longer had to provide evidence of desertion, abuse or adultery.
37
Empty shell marriages
People that are married but do not love each other.
| Can be due to a breakdown in their relationship or marriages for specific reasons such as visas or for money/business
38
Secularisation
Fewer people are religious, so they do not feel that they have to follow religious rules for marriage.
39
How changed in womens lives affects the rate of divorce
Women now have jobs and careers which means that they do not need to rely on marrying men for money and are less likely to put up with a bad marriage as they can support themselves.
40
How changing norms and values affects rate of divorce.
Divorce is no longer seen as shameful. As more people experience divorce as children they are likely to experience it themselves.
41
Worldwide change from traditional family structures
Post familial
42
Why do conservative politicians say family life is dying out.
They say that the fact fewer people are getting married and the divorce rate is rising is evidence that people lack family values. They also say children bought up in families with only one parent have worse lives and develop social problems.
43
Who said- “past romantic love meant that Once people had married they were stuck with each other. Now people choose to marry, cohabit and remain together. Divorce and family breakdown rates are high but most form new relationships. People are now in families of choice.
Anthony Giddens
44
1950s children vs Modern day children
1950- Children live in large families and had many brothers and sisters. Children leave school at 15 and begin work. Children played outside with eachother as there were fewer cars. Children usually had 2 parents (working father and housewife mother). Children experienced harsh discipline. Hitting was common. (Violence)
Modern Day- Children love in small families with few siblings. Children stay on at college until 18 as there’s little work for young people. Children stay indoors, play computer games or they participate in organised activities/clubs. Children live in a variety of family arrangements. Children protected by law from violence in the home.
45
1950s Women vs Modern Day Women
1950s- Women work in the home cooking, cleaning and caring. Women had larger families and unable to work due to regular pregnancies. Women may have had jobs but husband may not have liked it. As it wold seem that they couldn’t earn enough. Husbands were abusive and dominant which women had to put up with.
Women were not often in charge of family money.
Modern Day- Women expect men to help in the home. Women have access to contraception so they have smaller families. Women have careers and can support family without men. Women have options of leaving an abusive partner. Both men and women earn pay and choose how to spend their money.
46
1950s Men vs Modern Day Men
1950s- Men did not do housework/cook/clean. Men discipline children with violence (hitting). Men work long hours outside home and went to pub in leisure time. Men live in family homes with their wives and children. Men would hide the fact that they were gay as it was against the law.
Modern Day- men are willing to help in the home and enjoy cooking. Men are more caring fathers and more involved with their children. Men are happier to stay at home and with their families and share family life. Men and women do not necessarily live with each-other but share responsibilities for children. Gay men can set up civil partnerships with other men and bring up children together. Crisis of masculinity.
47
The legal aid and advice act
(1949)
| Gave financial assistance with solicitors and court fees
48
The divorce reform act
(1969)
| Made divorce available on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown
49
The family law act
(1996)
| Increased the amount of time before a divorce could be granted and made marriage counselling an option
50
The marriage (same sex couples) act
(2013)
| Allowed same sex couples to marry
51
What year was the Contraceptive pill made available to all women
1960
52
Equal pay act
(1970)
| Men and women had to be paid fairly and equally at work
53
Sex discrimination act
(1975)
| Made it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their sex
54
How many opposite sex cohabitating couples were there in 2014
3,000,000
| 3 million
55
How many same sex coulples cohabiting in 2014
84,000
| 84 thousand
56
Average first time marrying
32.4 years for men
30 years for Women
57
How much do weddings cost
About £30,000 on average
| 30 thousand pounds
58
How much does it cost to raise a child to 18 and 21
18= £148,000
21= £230,000
59
Positive affects of older people in families
They can often provide childcare for grandchildren
Boomerang affect
Grandparents pass of family traditions
And are a form of financial support
60
Negative affects of older people in families
1/3 of people over the age of 80 require support. Due to health issues or physical illness.
Care is usually provided by their children who are also parents (sandwhich generation)
61
Boomerang Child
A child who returns to the family household after previously leaving for financial support
62
Sandwich generation
The generation caught between caring for their elderly parents and their young children
63
Functionalist perspective on family
Functionalists focuses on the positive functions that the nuclear family performs for individuals and society.
64
Murdock (Func) view on family
Murdock identified 4 functions of the family:
Sexual- The nuclear family regulates a married couples sexual behaviour and helps maintain their relationship
Reproductive function- the nuclear family produces new members for society.
Economic- society needs a way of providing people with financial support
Socialisation/Education- society needs to ensure that new members learn its culture. This learning takes place through socialisation within the nuclear family
65
Parsons (Func) view of family
Parsons identified 2 vital functions all families perform in all societies. Primary socialisation and stabilisation of adult personalities.
66
Stabilisation of adult personalities/ warm bath theory
Parsons said that everyday life outside the family is stressful for adults. The husband and wife support each other emotionally. Therefore the family plays a key role in maintaining the emotional stability of adults.
67
Marxist view of family
Critical of the nuclear family and it’s role in maintaining the capitalist system. Also say that the nuclear family recreates inequality between social classes overtime. EG the bourgeoisie can buy their kids a privileged education and pass their wealth on
68
Zaretsky (Marxist) on family
The family is vital unit of consumption for capitalism. Families buy and consume products if capitalism and enable the bourgeoisie to make profits.
69
The new right- Charles Murray on family
Believes that the traditional nuclear family is the best type of family. He says the nuclear family is threatened by the welfare state.
The children if single parents families do not have a male role model in the family and therefore grow up to be lazy , benefit dependent or criminal.
70
Feminists on family
Generally critical of the role of the family in society and it’s negative impact on women. As family contributes to the construction of gender differences through primary socialisation differences.
Parents canalise their kids into toys games and activities that are seen as gender appropriate.
Reproduces gender inequalities over time.
71
Postmodernist view on family
Suggests that people are now choosing family types that suit their individual emotional and social needs rather then following a traditional pattern.
72
What year was the school leaving age raised to 16
1972
73
EMA is scrapped by the Coalition Government
2010
74
When was the school leaving age raised to 18
2013
75
Children act
(1989)
Gave every child protection from abuse and took the view that children are best looked after in their own families
76
Protection of children act
(1999) made strict laws ensuring that anyone with a history of harming children couldnt work in childcare.
77
Neil Postman on childhood
Disappearance of childhood
Children have rights and can access the adult world through TV and internet.
Children imitate adult behaviour in dress and in criminal activity
78
Sue palmer on childhood
Toxic childhood
Working parents mean that children have less adult time. They are vulnerable to damage through technological change, junk food and TV. She claimed this leads to obesity, self harm, drug abuse, early sex/parenthood and binge drinking
