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GCSE Sociology > Family > Flashcards

Family Flashcards

1
Q

Which different family forms are there?

A

Nuclear, blended, extended, lone-parent, same- sex and neo-conventional.

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2
Q

Describe the nuclear family

A

Consists of a heterosexual couple and their dependent child/children.

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3
Q

Describe the extended family

A

The nuclear family + grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.

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4
Q

Describe the blended/reconstituted family

A

One or both partners have a kid/s from a previous relationship living with them.

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5
Q

Describe the neo-conventional family

A

A typical conventional family where both parents go to work.

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6
Q

Describe Rapoport and Rapoport’s research

A

They used secondary research from other sociologists to study family diversity in Britain.

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7
Q

Identify the 5 types of family diversity

A

Organisational: how roles are organised (division of labour)
Cultural: differ in cultural beliefs/values
Social class: can affect resources available, child discipline, etc
Life-course: the stage in the family life-cycle that a particular fam has reached
Cohort: vary from generation to generation, e.g divorce is easier now

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8
Q

Identify the alternative types of families across different cultures

A

LIVING ALONE (specifically young and elder people), COMMUNE (a group that shares accomodation, wealth and property), KIBBUTZ (live communally in Israel) and HOUSEHOLD (people live together and may not be related).

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9
Q

Describe the functional approach on families.

A

Focuses on the positive functions that the nuclear family performs for individuals and society.
Murdock identified four essential functions:
The sexual function
The reproductive function
The economic function
The educational function

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10
Q

Describe Parson’s view on the family

A

He argued that the family has two significant functions:
-Primary socialisation
-Stabilisation of adult personalities
He focused on the idealised middle-class nuclear family.
He also concluded that men and women have biologically suited roles and functions:
Instumental role (breadwinner)-men
Expressive role (housewife)-women

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11
Q

What is primary socialisation?

A

The process of parents teaching their kids the norms and values of society throgh particularistic standards.

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12
Q

What is the stabilisation of adult personalities?

A

Also known as the warm bath theory, refers to the process of family memebers providing emotional support to each other to relieve work and school stress.

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13
Q

What is the marxist approach to families?

A

The nuclear family recreates social inequalities over time and through primary socialisation WC children learn to accept their lower position in an unequal society.

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14
Q

Describe Zaretsky’s view on the family

A

Claims that family provides false consciousness and this maintains capitalism as it prevents a revolution.
The rise of industrial capitalism introduced two seperate spheres in relation to women’s role:
The public sphere (work)-men
The private sphere (home)-women
Women undertake unpaid labour within the home which is devalued, even though wage labour relies on it.
Bourgeoisie-inheritance
Proletariat-reproduce more workers
Unpaid labour, consumerism and inheritance of wealth are how families serve capitalism.

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15
Q

What is the feminist approach to the families?

A

Families actively contribute to the construction of gender differences through primary socialisation,e.g by dressing girls in pink and boys in blue, and through canalisation.

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16
Q

Describe canalisation

A

Refers to the way parents channel their children’s interests into toys, games and activities that are deemed gender appropriate.

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17
Q

Describe Delphy and Leonard’s view on the family.

A

The radical feminists argue that the family’s main fucntion is to preserve patriarchy.
Men benefit from women’s unpaid labour and exploit them. Women tend to be financially dependent on them.
Disagree that families today are symmetrical:
-Even women who work are still mainly responsible for doemstic tasks.
Men don’t do it cause they feel it degrades their masculinity and only help out sometimes as they feel it’s their wife’s responsibility.

18
Q

How is male dominance maintained?

A

1- Men acting as the breadwinner
2- Wome often have a double or triple shift
3- Domestic abuse from men
4- Gender socialisation teaching stereotypical roles for boys and girls

19
Q

Explain Ann Oakley’s view on the family

A

-Defines the nuclear family as the conventional family.
-Argues that roles are socially constructed as conventional families set the pattern for the next gen of parents so norms remain.
Believes the conventional family is very stressful due to economic dependence and women’s housework.
Defined the term dual burden.

20
Q

What is the dual burden?

A

Refers to the paid work and housework women perform.
Expected by the husband to be a housewife and contribute financially to sustain the family.
Men do little or nothing to help with domestic tasks.

21
Q

Describe the effects of patriarchy on the family

A

Father- male authority figure
Mother-reduced authority figure
Can affect power relationships within a family.
If only the man works they may have economic power over other family members: may limit the wife’s independence and others may not have a say.
Mkes women powerless and inferior

22
Q

What are conjugal roles?

A

The domestic roles of a married/cohabiting couple.
Segregated and joint

23
Q

Describe segregated conjugal roles

A

A clear division of domestic labour: tasks are divided by gender.
The couple spend little of their leisure time together

24
Q

Describe joint conjugal roles

A

Similar roles that are shared and make an equal contribution.
Leisure time is mostly spent together.
-SYMMETRICAL FAMILY

25
Q

Describe Wilmott and Young’s perspective

A

Argue that families in Britain today are more symmetrical due to increasing joint conjugal roles.
Believe decision-making, including financial ones, is more shared and families are more home-centred.
Developed the principle of stratified diffusion as a guide to changes in family life.

26
Q

What are some reasons for the move to symmetry?

A

-The rise of feminism
-Changes in women’s attitudes
-Changes in laws

27
Q

What is meant by the principle stratified diffusion?

A

According to this, many social changes in, e.g norms and values, stem from the top of the social class system and work downwards (‘diffuse’) into the rest of society.
Middle-class to working-class.

28
Q

Criticisms of Wilmott and Young

A

-Ann Oakley directly opposes them because of the dual burden
-The ‘New man’ is hard to find

29
Q

Describe how contemporary parent-child relationships are

A

Less authoritarian, more likely to involve kids in decisions, the average family size is now smaller-more attention from parents and children are now financially dependent for longer.

30
Q

Describe relationships with extended family

A

The extended family is becoming less important and ties are weakening due to distance perhaps.
The geographical distance results in less support for the nuclear family.

31
Q

Identify contemporary family-related issues

A

-The quality of parenting: if they care for kids education, lack of parental warmth, too much conflict.
-Relationships between teens and adults: some teens see themselves as parents, some can’t control their teens resulting in delinquency
-Care of elderly people: older ppl are dpendent on family and the life expectancy in the UK has increased
-Arranged marriage: parents have a superior role in matchmaking, NOT FORCED

32
Q

Describe the changing family/household structures

A

DECREASED:
Nuclear family- due to secularisation, increase in divorce and changing role of women.
INCREASED:
Blended family- more divorce and individualism
Lone-parent family- changing views on the family-marriage and socially acceptable for women to be single
Same-sex family- changes in laws and attitudes
Dual-career family- changing position of women’s role
One-person households- longer life expectancy and greater individualism
Co-habiting couple

33
Q

What is meant by the term secularisation?

A

Refers to the decline of religious beliefs among society.

34
Q

Identify the different forms of marriage

A

-Monogamy
-Bigamy
-Serial monogamy
-Polygyny: a man has 2+ wives
-Polyandry: a woman has 2+ husbands
-Polygamy: the practice of having more than one spouse at a time
-Empty shell marriage: a couple has seperated but still live together

35
Q

Identify some of the reasons that have led to the increase in divorce since 1945

A

-Legal changes:cheaper and quicker
-Changing attitudes: socially acceptable
-Women now work a lot more therefore much less are financially dependent
-Secularisation: less religious barrier to divorce and less importance in marriage.
-The media makes people have high expectations of marriage and if they’re not met then divorce may occur.

36
Q

Identify the consequences of divorce

A

-More lone-parent/blended families and one-person households
-Conflict between the former spouses may prolong even after divorce over custody/parenting and property.
-May experience lack of emotional support
-Can lead to a significant loss of income
-Blended families may create difficulties for adjustment, or may provide more attention/support for kids.

37
Q

Describe the functionalist view on divorce

A

-Divorce can lead to fewer dysfunctional families and greater economy.
-May create jobs to help the economy

38
Q

Describe the marxist view on divorce

A

Divorce is more common in WC families due to stress/inequality caused by capitalism.

39
Q

Describe the feminist view on divorce

A

Divorce can be positive to allow women to escape patriarchal relationships and female oppression

40
Q

Describe the new right view on divorce

A

Against divorce
Believe the nuclear family is essential for the functioning of a good society and doesn’t create social problems.

GCSE Sociology (4 decks)

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