Theories of the Family - Key Terms

Question 1

Family

Answer 1

Social institution consisting of a group of people who are related by kinship ties

Question 2

Kinship

Answer 2

Relations of blood, marriage or adoption

Question 3

Household

Answer 3

A person living alone or a group of people living together at the same address

Question 4

Nuclear family

Answer 4

A family with two generations of parents and children living together in one household

Question 5

Patriarchy

Answer 5

Male dominance with men having power and authority

Question 6

Primary socialisation

Answer 6

Socialisation during early years of childhood

Question 7

Expressive role

Answer 7

Nurturing, caring and emotional role

Question 8

Instrumental role

Answer 8

The provider / breadwinner role in the family

Question 9

Classic extended family

Answer 9

Several related nuclear families or family members live in the same house, street or area

Question 10

Privatised nuclear family

Answer 10

Self-contained, self-reliant and home-centred family unit that is separated and isolated from extended kin, neighbours and local community

Question 11

Modified extended family

Answer 11

Related nuclear families, geographically living apart but maintaining regular contact

Question 12

Division of labour

Answer 12

Division of work into specialised jobs

Question 13

Domestic labour

Answer 13

Unpaid housework (E.g. cooking, cleaning, childcare and looking after sick or elderly)

Question 14

Dependancy culture

Answer 14

Set of values and beliefs, centred on dependancy on others, welfare state

Question 15

Underclass

Answer 15

Social group right at the bottom of the social class hierarchy

Question 16

Monogamy

Answer 16

Form of marriage where a person can only be legally married to one partner at a time

Question 17

Ideological state apparatus

Answer 17

Agencies which serve to spread ideology and justify power of dominant social class

Question 18

Symmetrical family

Answer 18

Family where the roles of the husband and wife have become more equal

Question 19

Family ideology

Answer 19

Dominant set of beliefs, values and images about how families are and how they ought to be

Question 20

Stereotype

Answer 20

Generalised, oversimplified view of an institution/social group

Question 21

Cereal packet family

Answer 21

Stereotype of ideal family found in media and advertising. Married couple with father as breadwinner and mother as caregiver

Question 22

Life course

Answer 22

Sequence of significant events (marriage, parenthood, retirement) individuals experience as they make their way through life

Question 23

Individualisation

Answer 23

Process whereby traditional social relationships, role and beliefs lose their influence over lives of individuals

Question 24

Confluent love

Answer 24

Active and conditional love, involves building of trust and emotional intimacy between two people. Conditional as it last as long as it meets needs of both partners

Question 25

Pure relationship

Answer 25

Relationship where a couple choose to stay together because it meets their emotional and sexual needs

Question 26

Divorce rate

Answer 26

Number of divorced per 1000 married people per year

Question 27

Secularisation

Answer 27

Process where religious thinking, practice and institutions decline and lose influence in society

Question 28

Marriage rate

Answer 28

Number of men or women marrying per 1000 unmarried men or women per year

Question 29

Moral panic

Answer 29

Wave of public concern about some exaggerated or imaginary threat to society, stirred up by media

Question 30

Beanpole family

Answer 30

Multi-generation extended family, which is long and thin, with few family members

Question 31

Arranged marriage

Answer 31

Marriage arranged by parents of the marriage partners, with view of compatibility of background and status

Question 32

Domestic division of labour

Answer 32

Division of roles, responsibilities and work tasks within a household

Question 33

Segregated conjugal roles

Answer 33

Clear division and separation between male and female roles

Question 34

Joint conjugal roles

Answer 34

Roles show few divisions between male and females

Question 35

Demography

Answer 35

Term used for the study of characteristics of human populations

Question 36

Life expectancy

Answer 36

An estimate of how long the average person can be expected to live

Question 37

Birth rate

Answer 37

Number of live births per 1000 of population per year

Question 38

Death rate

Answer 38

Number of deaths per 1000 of population per year

Question 39

Infant mortality rate (IMR)

Answer 39

Number of deaths of babies in their first year of life per 1000 live births per year

Question 40

Ageing population

Answer 40

One in which the average age is getting higher, with greater proportion of population over retirement age

Question 41

Dependancy ratio

Answer 41

Relationship between the proportion of the population who are working and not working

Question 42

General fertility rate (GFR)

Answer 42

Number of live births per 1000 women of child bearing age per year

Question 43

Total fertility rate (TFR)

Answer 43

Average number of children women will have their child bearing years