Family And Households

Question 1

Explain the reasons for increase in Cohabitation (15)

Answer 1

POINT: Change in Social attitudes due to a decline in traditional values.
EVIDENCE: Wilson - society becoming more secular (Secularisation), religion + church loosing influence on peoples life.
EXPLAIN: (People less likely abide to the teachings -essential-, less moral obligation and pressure). Beck and Gernsheim - post modern values of individualism on the rise - promote self fulfillment + personal freedom. (Less judgment and stigma into couples not fitting into a past norm). LINK - Therfore change in attitudes -> increased cohabitation, ideals around marriage have weakened (including religion and tradition)

POINT: Change in position of women. EVIDENCE: Laws - sex discrimination act(1975). Equal pay act(1970) Allan and crow - financial independence. EXPLANATION: Financial security and stabilization. LINK: Can succeed in life without marrying a man, self reliant able.

POINT: Increase in cost of living. EVIDENCE: Marriages seen as too expensive Giddens - relationships not based on economic obligations but satisfaction + fulfillment. EXPLAIN: Cohabitate as alternative- avoid funds, show same intimacy. LINK: Financially acceptable alternate

Question 2

Are families bad for individuals (35)

Answer 2

Intro: Groups such as Marxists, marxist feminists and radical feminists belive families are bad for individuals as they reinforce inequality aswell as maintain patriarchy onto women and capitalism onto lower classes.
However, others groups such as funcionalists like parsons and post modernists more oppose this view and see family as a institution that creates stability and order in society for all whilst also acting as suppourt economical and emotional suppourt for individuals within the family.

PARA 1: FEMINISM
POINT: Feminists say families are bad - reinforce patriarchy.
EVIDENCE: Oakley – gender role socialisation teaches girls expressive roles, leading to the dual burden and triple shift.
EXPLAIN: Reinforces gender inequality in both home and workplace.
COUNTER: Young & Willmott – symmetrical family is more equal (e.g., joint conjugal roles) + liberal feminists.
LINK: Feminists like Oakley therefore suggest family bad for women - unequal divison of labour. Y&W + LF -roles are becoming shared

PARA 2:
POINT: Marxists argue families are bad as they maintain capitalism opression/inequality.
EVIDENCE: Zaretsky – family offers a “cushion zone” from work to help workers tolerate, forget and return to exploitation. Engels - Hierarchy + obedience in family taught to kids.
EXPLAIN: Reproduces class inequality and benefits capitalism, not individuals.
COUNTER: Parsons – ‘warm bath theory’ to Instead offer emotional suppourt to continue function in societal roles.
LINK: But Marxists argue these functions serve capitalism, whilst functionalist belive it helps with emotional stability on societal roles.

PARA 3:
POINT: Postmodernists argue families aren’t inherently bad—just diverse.
EVIDENCE: Stacey – family diversity allows women to escape oppression and choose new roles (e.g. divorce-extended families) same sex, .
EXPLAIN: Modern families can promote individual freedom, not inequality.
COUNTER: New right - too much choice causes instability and loss of societal structure.
LINK: Postmodernists say fanily life now more based on individual choice and diverse whilst marxists believe it rids societal structure

CONCLUSION
Feminist and Marxist views show valid criticisms of family.
EVIDENCE: They expose how families can reinforce oppression.
COUNTER: Liberal feminists say there moving away from this whilst functonalists argue that family isnt oppressing but fair roles for all individuals that create stability and PM say it expresses freedom but NR say that freedom removes structure. I think however there is many reason family benefits you cant ignore the inequality women still face through home and worklife inequality

Question 3

Evaluate the view relationships in families are equal

Answer 3

1. Unequal Conjugal roles - responsibilities and tasks within the household. Oakley found through investigation - women majority done housework + childcare - dual burden -> (duncome and marsden) triple shift. Evaluate - Y&W

Question 4

Are relationships equal

Answer 4

Unequal conjugal roles - t

Question 5

Are Families/relationships patriarchal