Family Flashcards
(132 cards)
1
Q
What is a household
A
A group of people who live together, they may or may not be related through blood or marriage
2
Q
What is a family
A
A form of household where all the people who live together are related through either kinship ties or marriage
3
Q
What is a nuclear family
A
Also known as a ‘cereal packet family’
Any family that consists of a mother, father and their biological child(ren)
Refers to two generations of family members living together
4
Q
What is an extended family
A
Contains relatives beyond the nuclear family e.g. grandparents
5
Q
What is a reconstituted family
A
Often referred to as a ‘step-family’
Still consists of parents and children although one of the parents may be a social parent, meaning they are not the child’s biological parents
6
Q
What are other family types lesser mentioned
A
Non married parents (cohabitating)
Carers/ foster parents
Gay and lesbian couples who’ve adopted
Grandparents looking after the children
7
Q
Role model
A
The child copies what it sees other family members doing
8
Q
Negative sanctions
A
The child is punished for breaking the family’s rules and so is less likely to repeat the behaviour in the future
9
Q
Deliberate instruction
A
The family tells the child what, how and why to do something
10
Q
Positive sanctions
A
The child is given a reward for behaving correctly and so is likely to repeat the behaviour in the future
11
Q
Play
A
The child is given toys or games that develop skills or social norms
12
Q
Why is family a ‘gatekeeper’
A
It introduces children to the other agents of socialisation: the media, peer group, education, religion
13
Q
What are the 7 functions of the family
A
Physical care Regulation of sexual activity Socialisation and social control Economic support Emotional support Reproduction A place in society
14
Q
What is physical care as a function of the family
A
To ensure that new babies actually survive to become adult members of that society
15
Q
What is regulation of sexual activity as a function of the family
A
Usually expected that sexual relations take place inside some kind of marriage relationship or pairing
Families exist to control sexual behaviour so that new offspring are as healthy as possible
16
Q
What is socialisation and social control as a function of a family
A
To ensure that children are satisfactorily socialises into the norms and values of society
In our society, people are still considered children who have to be protected until they are 18 years of age
The most important trainers are the family - who are teaching & influencing us all the time
17
Q
What is economic support as a function of the family
A
Families work to provide us with food, shelter, clothing etc.
18
Q
What is emotional support as a function of the family
A
To satisfy our emotional needs for love and security
We need to feel loved and wanted by others, particularly when we’re young
For most people, their family is their strongest emotional bond
19
Q
What is reproduction as a function of the family
A
Women are having fewer children and having them later in life. Women now have an average of 1.8 children and the average age of a woman to have her first child is 27 (30 if married). More women are remaining childless due to:
Changing role of women
High cost of having children
20
Q
What is a place in society as a function of the family
A
The family gives its members a place in society, a home, relatives, neighbours, locality, an ethnic group, social status, religion
Some of these come later through;
Geographical mobility - moving away
Social mobility - achieving a higher social class e.g. through career success/ achieving a lower social class e.g. through imprisonment
21
Q
What family best fulfils the functions, reproduction and regulation of sex
A
Nuclear family as both the man and woman are present
22
Q
What family best fulfils the function, primary socialisation
A
Extended family as there is more people to socialise with
23
Q
What family best fulfils the function, emotional support
A
Reconstituted family as step-parents put in more effort
24
Q
What family best fulfils the function, economical support
A
Extended family as there are more people to help provide
25
5 Strengths of the Functionalists approach
This approach shows how a part of society can work at two levels - both fulfilling the needs of each individual and the whole society
Provides a harmonious view of society
Shows how each part of society is interrelated, each contributing to the well being of the whole
Stresses the importance of the family as the basic of society
The family is seen as important in passing on the norms and values which are universal in society
26
5 weaknesses of the Functionalists approach
The approach is too happy - suggests that family life is always good and happy
Tends to ignore the exploitation and conflict stressed by Marxists
Stresses the idea that the nuclear family is universal, this approach ignores other types of family - assuming they are inadequate
Does not consider the ways in which functions may be performed by other institutions (rather than just the family)
Feminists are critical as Functionalists assumes that gender roles are fixed, ignoring the change that has taken place
27
What do Feminists believe that differences and inequalities are the result of
Culture and learning. They are not natural and innate, they are variable and learned
28
Patriarchy
Term used to describe a social system based on gender inequality (male dominance) whereby men dominate and women are subordinate
29
3 Types of Feminists
Liberal Feminists
Marxist Feminists
Radical Feminists
30
Problems and solutions for Liberal Feminists
Problems:
Existing inequalities and discrimination are harmful to both genders - they limit all in the choices they make
Gender prejudice is based on individual ignorance
Solutions:
Gradual progress towards equality within the existing system e.g. changing laws
Changes in attitudes and socialisation patterns for both sexes
Campaigning against sex discrimination and for equal rights and opportunities for women
More choices for women in relation to family life
31
Problems and solutions for Marxist Feminists
Problems:
Capitalism is the root cause of patriarchy and oppression of women
Women are a 'reserve army' of cheap labour
Women reproduce the labour force through unpaid domestic labour, by socialising the next generation of workers and maintain and servicing the current one at no cost to the capitalist
Oppression of women in family linked to exploitation of working class
Wives soak up frustration their husbands feel due to being exploited
Solutions:
Abolish the family
Replace capitalism with communism so oppression of women will end
Both sexes need to cooperate to bring around a revolution and create a classless society
32
Problems and solutions for Radical Feminists
Problems:
All societies are founded on patriarchy
Men are the enemy - Source of women's exploitation and oppression
Heterosexual relationships are oppressive - involve 'sleeping with the enemy'
```
Solutions:
Creation of all-female or matrilocal households as an alternative
Overturn the patriarchal system
Abolish the family
Separatism
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33
Separatism
Women organising themselves to live independently of men
34
What do Marxists see all society's institutions as
Ways to help maintain class inequality and capitalism
35
What did Marxist sociologist Engels argue
That monogamy became essential because of the inheritance of private property. (Men had to be sure they were the legitimate fathers before their heirs inherited anything)
He also argued that the monogamous nuclear family represented an 'historical defeat of the female sex' - (this is because it is the men who earn the money and decide who inherit it)
36
Marxists argue capitalism justifies inequality and maintain the capitalist system. What are the 2 ways this is achieved
Through primary socialisation - children are socialised into the idea that hierarchy is inevitable. If it is played out at home they will see it 'normal' in wider society
Offering a 'safety valve' for people's frustration - male workers are powerless in the capitalist industry but this is disguised in the structure of the family as the male is on top (physically, economically and legally)
37
Ideological conditioning device
A Marxist's belief
| Something which conditions people to think and behave a specific way
38
Functionalist's views
The family ensure the stabilisation of the adult personality
Nuclear family provides a socially and geographically mobile workforce in industrial society
The family fulfils all vital functions and needs for society
Family ensures the primary socialisation of children
Family ensures the stable satisfaction of the sex drive
39
Marxist's views
Women are a reserve army of cheap labour
Family serves to pass on dominant ideology to the next generations
Relationships in family reflect inequalities in wider society
Reproduces class inequality through inheritance
Family is exploited as a unit of consumption
Capitalism leads to patriarchy in the family
40
Feminists views
Family is a key stone of patriarchy
Family reproduced patriarchal ideology
The role of men and women are not becoming more symmetrical, women still do more
Family exploits and women and limits opportunities in society
41
The dual burden
Women's employment are added to 'mother-housewife role' because men are unwilling to do their fair share of domestic work
42
Triple shift
Duncombe and Marsden (1995) argued that this is paid work, housework and childcare and 'emotion work'
43
'Lagged adaptation'
Gershuny (1992) said that there is a time lag between women taking up paid work and men getting more involved at home
44
Why are conjugal roles more similar
Privatised families - no extended family available to help
Changing attitudes - marriage is seen more as a partnership
Changing laws - women have more legal rights
Comfortable homes - men have become more home-centred
Fewer children - women's lives are not dominated by childbearing and childcare
Feminisation of the workforce - more women in paid employment
45
The part time trap
The part time worker still has to do the domestic tasks and cannot progress in her career
46
Why did women return to the workforce
```
Longer life expectancy
Dissatisfaction with housewife role
Changing laws
Growth of sector jobs
Reliable contraception to limit family size
Growth of consumerism
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47
Industrialisation
Process where society becomes developed by industry in order to produce secondary goods and services
48
Info about pre-industrialisation
Before the period of industrialisation jobs revolved around agriculture and were mainly home centred work
Pre-industrialisation family were mainly extended and the members of the family lived & worked together. They often grew crops for themselves then extras they took the market to sell
49
'Modernisation of society'
Once industrialisation took place it brought about the change of people leaving the home to work in the cities
50
Family in industrialisation society
The nuclear family became dominant. This occurred because the home became separated because of people leaving home to work in cities
51
Who is Talcott Parsons
Functionalist sociologist who believed that the change in the family structure before and after industrialisation was because the nuclear family was much more useful to industrial society
52
Why the shift towards the nuclear family during industrialisation
Focus into socialising children into the norms of values of society
Industrial society took over functions of the family, education and healthcare
Had less kin so made it more mobile and they can move about the country to where there is work
53
How did roles change during industrialisation
Parsons said that the following roles were best for society:
Men - practical and planning leaders
Women - emotional and expressive leaders of the family
54
3 stages of the symmetrical family
Stage 1 - At this point the family works together as an economic production unit (Pre-industrialisation)
Stage 2 - Extended families become broken down into individuals who leave home to work (Early industrialisation)
Stage 3 - The family is based on consumption rather that production. At this stage husband and wives had joint roles - this is known as 'symmetrical roles' (Privatised Nuclear, Early 20th C)
55
What was Young and Wilmott's (1973) explanation for why the symmetrical family came about
```
Rising wages
Welfare support
More people moving around for work
Couples having less children
Women and men sharing domestic duties
Equal Pay Act/ more women in employment
Women working part-time
Increasing independence of women
Decline of the close-knit extended family
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56
Examples of conjugal roles
Women becoming breadwinners
Men being house husbands
Both men and women cooking
More educated women
57
Black matriarchal families
Within African-Caribbean communities families with absent fathers is common
58
Info about Afro-Caribbean families in the UK
Less likely to be married
More likely to live in single parent matriarchal households
Extended family networks are important (more likely than white single mothers to be supported by extended family in bringing up the children)
Intermarriage between Afro-Caribbean's and whites are more common -> Dual Heritage children
59
Asian patrilocal extended families
Dench, Gavron and Young (2006) studied family life in Bethnal Green
Extended families had disappeared from the white community but were still prominent in the Bangladeshi community where over a quarter lived in extended families with the husband's parents
60
Asians in the UK
Obligation to kin - even if abroad
Pakistanis and Bangladeshis more likely to live in nuclear families
Children felt strong sense of duty to family and religious traditions
Sikhs and East African Asians more likely to live in extended families
Marriage is highly valued - often arranged and there is little intermarriage and divorce
61
Class and family
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Working class families are more likely to live close to extended family
Middle class families live further apart
Technology has meant constant contact and support may be achieved without living locally
Conjugal roles are more likely to be shared in middle class families
Traditional segregated conjugal roles are more likely in a working class family
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62
Class affects family by
Income affects housing, area you live in, material goods and life chances
The better off are often the better educated
The better off are more likely to marry later than the poorer
Those from poorer areas are more likely to become teenage parents
63
Polygyny
Man with more than one wife
64
Polyandry
Woman with more than one husband
65
Polygamy
Both polyandry and polygyny
66
Monogamy
Marriage involving two people of the opposite sex
67
Serial monogamy
Married to several people over a lifetime, but one at a time
68
Forms of marriage
Serial monogamy
Polygamy
Polyandry
Polygyny
69
Marriage
The legal contract between individuals that creates kinship
70
Arranged marriage
Marriages arranged by people other than the couple getting wedded
71
Advantages of arranged marriage
Avoid judgement
Bring honour to family
Don't need to worry about finding a partner
Less likely to divorce
72
Disadvantages of arranged marriage
Could be unhappy
Don't have a say
Feel social pressure
73
Explaining marital breakdown
Marriage is declining
Divorce is increasing
Remarriages are rising
74
Why is marriage in decline
```
Women are more independent
Education
Work
Feminism
More choices
Contraception
Changing attitudes
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75
Sue Sharpe's findings (2001) after questioning 11-16 year olds on marriage
Most saw marriage as a choice
Like the idea of cohabitation first
Boys keener on marriage than girls
76
Advantages of marriage compared to cohabitation
Security - harder to leave
More commitment
Meets traditional and religious requirements
77
Advantages of cohabitation compared to marriage
Easier to leave if unhappy
Cheaper (no divorce costs)
Less paperwork - less expense of a wedding
78
Divorce
The legal termination of a marital contract
79
Types of marital breakdown
Divorce
Separation
Empty shell marriage
80
Empty shell marriage
A marriage which survives although one or both parties consider it a failure
81
Reasons for divorce increase
Changes in the LAW
Changing EXPECTATIONS of love and marriage
Changing social VALUES
ECONOMIC position of women
LACK of children/ LONGER life expectancy
LEVEL
Isolation
82
Why has legal changes increased divorce
Divorce is now easier due to the 1969 Divorce Reform Act and 1984 Family Law Act
83
1969 Divorce Reform Act
Allowed couples to divorce for irretrievable breakdown
84
1984 Family Law Act
Allowed couples to divorce after 1 year instead of 3
85
Why has changing expectations of love and marriage increased divorce
Marriage is not seen as for life, it is only until someone is not happy. It is confluent love
86
Why has changing social values increased divorce
Divorce is more acceptable, there is less stigma as the world is less religious
87
Secular
Less religious
88
Why has economic position of women increased divorce
Combining work and family leads to a dual burden. Women are less dependent, and so can survive on their own
89
Why has lack of children increased divorce
Voluntary childlessness has made it easier for couples to split
90
Why has isolation increased divorce
Some couples living in neolocal families do not feel the pressure from extended family to stay together
91
What did Rogers and Pryor (1998) conclude after looking at 200 studies on divorce
Short term distress is common
Risk of longer term problems (e.g. educational achievement, behaviour, income)
The child's age and gender does not affect the outcome of divorce
The parents ability to cope affects the outcome
92
Domestic violence
An act of violence or neglect within a family
93
What are the main types of domestic violence
Physical e.g. Hitting, battering, slapping and hurting someone physically
Mental e.g. Verbal abuse through words, playing with someone's mind, harsh and hurtful words
94
What did Kathryn Coleman (2007) find out about domestic violence
Women are more likely than men to have experience 'intimate violence' across all four types of abuse - partner abuse, family abuse, sexual assault and stalking
95
Why people may not report domestic violence
May be ashamed
May love their partner
Think it was a one-off
May be frightened
96
What do official statistics understate
The true extent of domestic violence
British Crime Survey gives a more accurate picture
97
What did David Cheal 1991 find about police and prosecutors being reluctant to record, investigate or prosecute the cases reported
The reluctance is due to the fact that police and other state agencies are not prepared to become involved in the family
98
Feminist view point about domestic violence
Patriarchal society allows men to have unrealistic expectations of their partner. They think they can use violence to control women
The family is the main source of female oppression. Women are dominated by the threat of domestic violence
99
Newer types of domestic violence
Male victims
Violence in same-sex relationships
Honour based violence
Elder abuse
100
Abuse of Men
Men find it harder to admit to being abused
Fear of being laughed at
Unlikely to get custody after separation or divorce
101
What did Luckhurst (2003) argue
Male victims are invisible
102
What did Catherine Donovan (2007) find
40% of women and 35% of men in same-sex relationships had experienced abuse (emotional abuse being the most common)
103
What did Help the Aged's 2006 report on elder abuse find
That 46% of abusers were relatives and 25% were children
104
What are the 4 types of child abuse
Neglect
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
105
Victoria Climbié
Had cigarettes burnt on her, tied up for 24 hours, beat up with bicycle chains
Abused by Aunty and boyfriend
Agencies - NHS, NSPCC, churches and police
106
Neolocal
The couple set up the own home
107
Boomerang family
A family in which non-dependent children return home to live with their parents
108
Beanpole Family
A tall, narrow extended family often containing four or more generations
109
Symmetrical family
A family is which conjugal roles are similar but not identical
110
Sisterhood
Remixing single; the term 'creative sisterhood' refers to remaining single as a positive lifestyle choice
111
What are the four main functions of the family
Reproduction - the family has an important role in procreation and childbearing
Primary socialisation - society needs to ensure that new members will support its norms and values
Emotional gratification and nurture - the family is a place of safety and security
Economic provision - we all need financial support, food and shelter, particularly if we are young, elderly or sick
112
Horizontally extended family
Relatives of a same generation living together
113
What are the two most important functions of the family according to Talcott Parsons
The primary socialisation of children
The stabilisation of adult personalities - sometimes called the 'warm bath' (the family has a warm, loving environment where the cares of the world can be washed away)
114
What suggests the nuclear family is in decline
Less than a quarter of households in Britain are now couples with dependent children. In 1961, it was 38%
115
Communes
A group of people who share living accommodation, possessions, wealth and property. Communal households try to achieve equality in terms of the status of women and men, adults and children. Kanter (1979) described an American commune which named its cat as head of the household rather than singling out a member
116
Kibbutzim
Consists of a group of people who love communally, with shared ownership of land and factories.
Parents and children are kept separate apart from a few hours a day
Children have a 'kibbutz mother'
All children born in the same year are raised and educated together
117
The Nayar people
Found in Kerala, India
The Nayar were warriors and spent a part of each year as mercenaries
Before puberty, a woman chooses her lovers in a ritual marriage ceremony
Visited at night by each lover
Lived with mum and siblings and children were brought by and lived with the mother's kin group
118
The Oneida community
Aimed to live by Christian standards
Rejected personal wealth and personal property
Marriage was based on group marriage
Children were taught to treat all Oneidan adults as their parents
Children, sexual partners and property were shared
119
Different types of cohabitation
'Trial marriage' - a couple who loves together to see if they could do it permanently. The intention is to marry unless something goes wrong
Couples are committed to long-term relationships; private promises take the palace of traditional vows
Short-term relationships without commitment
120
Empty nest families
Originally nuclear families, but the children have grown up and left home
121
Types of conjugal roles
Segregated conjugal roles
| Integrated (or joint) conjugal roles
122
Segregated conjugal roles
Where male and female partner play different roles in the family with a clear divisions and separation between the male role and the female's role
123
Integrated (or joint) conjugal roles
Where there are few divisions between male and female roles
124
What's Young and Wilmott's principle of stratified diffusion
The symmetrical conjugal roles developed first in middle-class families and was gradually spreading to working-class families
125
What did Anne Oakley (1974) say about Young and Wilmott's study
They exaggerated the amount of symmetry in conjugal roles
126
What did Egdell (1980) find
Studies decision-making in a small sample of middle-class families and found that the decisions the couple felt were most important were usually made by the man
127
Why do recent studies disprove Egdell's study (1980)
Economic power affects family power, so higher female earnings or male unemployment can give women more say in family decisions
128
Children in the 19th century
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Children saw little of their parents in middle-class families, often sent to boarding school or acted after by a nanny or governess
Children were seen as workers in working-class families, economic assets as they could work and bring in money
```
129
Children in the 20th Century
Families are more child-centred
Outing and family activities focus more on the children
Parents are more involved, spending time with them and taking more interest
The children's welfare is seen as the major family priority, involving financial cost and sacrifice
130
Causes of child-centredness
Smaller families - more care and attention for each child
Working hours were 75 in the 19th century and now is 39 hours per week - more time with children
Increasing affluence - more money spent on children and their activities
Social security system provides a wide range of benefits to help parents care
The science of childhood has developed - research and books had helped parents bring up children to encourage their full development
131
Murdock (1945)
Found nuclear family within each society
Nuclear families are 'universal' - found everywhere
'Hidden' inside much larger extended families
132
Leach (1967)
Nuclear family is too small to give people everything they expect
Criticised the dark side of the family
