families and households- tutor

Who believed that the march of progress view is an over exaggeration as women still do a majority of domestic labour?

Ann Oakley

Which sociologist suggested that the nuclear family was a universal institution?

Murdock

Give one reason for the rise in family diversity.

Increased migration (or secularisation)

Which Marxist thinker believed that the nuclear family is a tool of capitalism by enabling the inheritance of wealth?

Engels

Who takes the march of progress view of the roles in the family?

Young and Willmott

What is meant by maternal deprivation?

When a child does not have a mother figure

What is meant by Dependency Culture?

When the population relies on the government for handouts and benefits (associated with Murray).

How do sociologists refer to childhood?

As a social construction

What is the key feminist concept which refers to male dominance?

Patriarchy

What are the two main types of social policy related to families?

Material support (e.g., child benefits) and policies that help parents balance working and family life (e.g., maternity leave).

What was a key aim of Conservative social policy in the 1980s-90s regarding the family?

To strengthen the nuclear family and reduce welfare payments.

Name one policy implemented by the Conservatives in the 1980s-90s influenced by the New Right.

The Married Man's tax allowance.

What was Labour's approach to family policy between 1997-2010?

They favored dual-earning families while still supporting heterosexual, nuclear families.

Give an example of a social policy introduced by Labour between 1997-2010.

Sexuality discrimination laws, civil partnerships, or longer maternity leave.

What were the two main aims influencing family policy during the 2010-present coalition government?

Traditionalists favoring the New Right view and modernists who accept diversity.

Name a significant family policy introduced by the coalition government from 2010 onwards.

Shared parental leave or the Equal Marriage Act (same-sex marriage).

What did the Beverage report of 1942 lead to?

The introduction of the welfare state, including the NHS and housing benefit.

What significant change did the Divorce Reform Act of 1969 introduce?

Divorce no longer required a specific reason or proof.

When did the contraceptive pill become legal for unmarried women?

1967

How did Parsons describe conjugal roles within the family?

As instrumental (male) and expressive (female).

Describe the 'Allowance System' of managing family money.

Men would give wives a set amount for expenses, keeping any excess for themselves.

What is 'Pooling' as a method of managing family finances?

All money goes into a central pot, and there is joint responsibility for expenditure.

What criticisms are often made regarding the 'Allowance System' and men's control over money in families?

Men often gain more from women's unpaid labor, may not provide adequate financial recompense, and money might come with 'strings attached'.

According to Edgell (1980), how are decisions typically made in families?

Very important decisions are taken by men, important decisions jointly, and day-to-day decisions by women.

What did a 1995 survey suggest about decision-making equality in families?

70% of couples claimed equal say, with high-earning women more likely to report equality.

From a feminist perspective, what primarily influences decision-making in families?

Cultural expectations of a patriarchal society and gender role socialization, rather than just money.

What concepts suggest that the change in domestic division of labor has been exaggerated?

The 'triple shift' and 'dual burden' experienced by women.

What did the British Social Attitudes Survey (1992) find regarding the domestic division of labor in dual-career families?

While some household tasks became more equal, women still had major responsibility for domestic tasks.

What was Ann Oakley's critique of men's participation in domestic tasks?

She argued that 'jointly' does not mean 'equally,' and men often frame their participation as 'helping their wives.'

According to Rapoport and Rapoport (1970), how were career women still primarily viewed?

As 'wives and mothers.'

What did Dunne (1999) find about the division of domestic labor in gay and lesbian couples?

They tend to be more equal and symmetrical than heterosexual couples, though unequal earnings could still lead to unequal division.

How has the increase in economically active women and mothers influenced the division of roles?

Men need to be more involved in domestic chores when women work outside the home.

How have secularisation and weakening gender identities contributed to changes in family roles?

There is less pressure to conform to traditional gender roles.

How has the decline in the extended family affected the division of labor within couples?

With fewer family members to help, couples need to be more equal in tasks like childcare.

How have technology and living standards influenced domestic labor?

New technologies like washing machines and dishwashers have reduced the need for some manual domestic tasks.

What is meant by the 'commercialisation of domestic labour'?

The growth of industries where families pay for certain tasks to be completed or hire help like au pairs and nannies, due to dual-earning households.

What is the 'cereal packet family'?

It refers to the 'perfect' nuclear family type with clear instrumental and expressive roles, typically consisting of two parents and two children.

What is meant by an 'aging population'?

It means the average age of individuals in a population is increasing, generally due to people living longer.

Give one reason for the aging population.

Increased healthcare and knowledge, better living standards, or safer working conditions.

Name two sociologists that studied domestic violence mentioned in the notes.

Dobash and Dobash.

What is cohabitation?

It is when people live together but are not legally married.

Give one reason for the rise in cohabitation.

Secularisation, financial cost of marriage, using it as a pre-marriage test, or a rise in divorce making marriage seem risky.

What term is used for people who leave their country of birth to live somewhere else?

Emigrant.

What term is used for people who enter a new country to live there?

Immigrant.

Give one reason, other than the Divorce Reform Act, for the rise in divorce.

Secularisation (less religious obligation), increased choice and confluent love (Giddens), or the rise of feminism leading to women's financial independence.

What is the main difference between postmodernist and 'sociology of personal life' views of the family?

Postmodernism emphasizes choice and individualism (Giddens), while the sociology of personal life (Smart) offers a more inclusive perspective beyond traditional family structures.

Give one way the line between childhood and adulthood has become less clear.

The 'fall of information hierarchy' allows children access to adult content, changing clothing styles, or the sexualisation of children.

Who criticized the 'march of progress' view (Willmott and Young), arguing that women still perform the majority of domestic labor?

Oakley.

What are some issues with statistics on domestic violence?

They are often inaccurate because victims are afraid or believe they won't be believed, they might blame themselves, it's difficult to prove forms of abuse, and it's hard to separate public and private sphere incidents.

On average, how many women a week are killed by a current or former male partner?

Two.

What did Yearshire find regarding women making reports of domestic violence?

On average, a woman suffers 35 assaults before making a report.

According to radical feminists Dobash and Dobash, what is a key cause of domestic violence?

Patriarchy and men challenging women's authority, or a crisis of masculinity.

What is a criticism of the radical feminist view on domestic violence by Dobash and Dobash?

It is criticized for focusing too much on the nuclear family, potentially generalizing, not accounting for male victims or female perpetrators, and assuming not all men are violent.

According to the New Right sociologist Murray, what types of families are more prone to domestic violence?

Dysfunctional families, such as cohabiting relationships, those with teen parents, or divorced individuals, with higher rates in lower classes due to low moral standards.

What is a criticism of Murray's New Right view on domestic violence?

Domestic violence is not limited to working-class people or specific family structures and occurs across all social classes.

According to postmodernist Giddens, what can cause domestic violence?

The emotional intensity of family life and the increasing isolation of the nuclear family, which can escalate to violence due to a lack of people to vent to.

What is a criticism of Giddens' postmodernist view on domestic violence?

Domestic violence is not only experienced in nuclear families, and individuals can choose family structures that provide support beyond extended family.

According to Marxist feminist Ansley, what is one cause of domestic violence?

Men being 'takers of shit' who are frustrated at work and take it out on their families.

According to Marxist feminists Wilkinson & Pickett, what is domestic violence a result of?

Stress on family members caused by social inequality, where a lack of resources, time, and money leads to frustration and reduced social support.

Has the childbearing (fertility) rate generally increased or decreased?

Decreased.

Give three reasons for the decrease in fertility rates.

Increased access to contraception, decreased infant mortality rates, changing roles of women (feminism), the high cost of raising children, compulsory education extending parental support, secularisation, or changing values viewing parenthood as a stressful commitment.

What is one impact of changing fertility rates on society?

An increase in the dependency ratio, a reduction in the labor force (leading to immigration to fill gaps), an increase in 'beanpole families,' or a decrease in full-time mothers (linked to feminism and childfree choices).

Who suggested that the nuclear family was a universal institution?

Murdock.

Give one reason for the rise in family diversity.

Increased migration and globalisation.

Which Marxist thinker believed that the nuclear family is a tool of capitalism for enabling the inheritance of wealth?

Engels.

Who takes the 'march of progress' view regarding roles within the family?

Willmott and Young.

How do sociologists often refer to childhood?

As a social construct.

What is the key feminist concept that refers to male dominance?

Patriarchy.

What term is used by Parsons to describe the role of the breadwinner and disciplinarian of the family?

Instrumental role

Give two reasons why domestic violence is underreported.

Lack of reprimand, fear, may not know they are a victim, or believe they deserve it.

In which ethnic group are matrifocal single-parent families most common?

Afro-Caribbean

What term is used to describe a marriage with more than two partners?

Polygamy

What is an ascribed status?

A status one is born into, such as class, according to Parsons.

What is the difference between an 'empty nest' and an 'empty shell marriage'?

An 'empty nest' is when children have grown up and no longer live at home; an 'empty shell marriage' is when there is no love between partners, but they usually stay together for the children.

Before the Divorce Reform Act, what three reasons could be given by a woman for wanting a divorce?

Abuse, affair/adultery, abandonment

What is an extended family?

When multiple generations (three or more) live together or in close proximity to each other.

What are three main causes of domestic violence?

Crisis of masculinity, husband's expectations regarding a woman's domestic work, possessiveness and sexual jealousy, and allocation of family resources (money).

According to Postman, what is the concept of 'disappearing childhood' linked to?

Information hierarchy and new media, where children and adults have access to the same content, and adults participate in children's culture and vice versa, leading to children committing similar crimes as adults.

How does Opie challenge Postman's view of disappearing childhood?

Opie argues that childhood is not disappearing but changing, with children still having separate cultures, exemplified by children's rhymes.

What is Sue Palmer's concept of 'toxic childhood'?

An increase in ADHD and other mental issues in children due to factors like not interacting with family, not spending time outside, poor sleeping patterns, unhealthy food patterns, and a decline in emotional security.

What is the concept of 'universal childhood'?

The idea that the 'Western notion of childhood' is spreading around the world due to global media and charity.

According to the 'March of Progress' view, what are some changes to the status of childhood?

Laws like compulsory education, the United Nations' 'rights of the child' charter, and increasing child-centredness.

What are some of the rights of the child recognized by the United Nations?

Life, survival and development; protection from violence, abuse or neglect; an education that enables children to fulfill their potential; and the right to be raised by, or have a relationship with, their parents.

How do children's experiences differ based on gender, according to the conflict view?

Girls may experience a 'bedroom culture.'

How do children's experiences differ based on ethnicity, according to the conflict view?

Afro-Caribbean families often have lone-parent mothers; Asian cultures may have multi-generational households and stricter norms.

How do children's experiences differ based on social class, according to the conflict view?

Material deprivation, such as poor mothers being more likely to give birth to children of lower birth weight, linked to delayed physical and mental development.

What are four ways children are controlled by adults?

Control over space (e.g., CCTV, monitoring), time (e.g., strict routines for eating, TV), resources (e.g., pocket money), and bodies (e.g., clothes, food, posture).

How does cultural relativity support the idea that childhood is a social construct?

It shows intra-cultural differences (e.g., class) and inter-cultural differences (e.g., international tribes) in childhood experiences.

How does historical relativity, particularly Aries' work, support the idea that childhood is a social construct?

Aries argued that childhood has changed over time and is a modern construction, noting that previously children and adults looked the same in paintings.

How does Pilcher argue for childhood as a biological concept?

By citing physical immaturity (pre-puberty), psychological immaturity (pre-frontal lobe not fully developed until 20s), and socially separated laws creating distinct life stages.

What is the dominant framework view of childhood, according to James and Prout?

Children are seen as simple and amoral (black and white), while adults are complex and moral (greys).

What is the 'sensible analytical approach' to understanding childhood?

A mixed view that sees childhood as partly biological (up to around 12+ years of age) and partly a social construct.

What is a household?

A group of individuals who may be related by blood or legally who live together.

What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?

An asylum seeker has not yet been processed, while a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country due to war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Give one reason why families have become more child-centred.

Changes in laws (e.g., age of leaving school), having less children, or having more resources for children.

Name the four types of marital breakdown.

Divorce, separation, empty shell marriage, and annulment.

What is serial monogamy?

Sexually exclusive relationships that follow one after another.

What is meant by a sandwich generation?

A generation that is looking after both their own children and their elderly parents at the same time.

Name one way that Postman suggests that childhood is disappearing.

Technology blurring the information hierarchy, increased crime, sexualization, or blurring of responsibilities.

What term did Parsons use to explain the process of social institutions changing to fit the needs of society?

Functional fit theory.