aqa families and households

What are social policies in relation to the family?

Laws or government actions that directly or indirectly affect families, e.g. marriage laws, childcare support, divorce law.

Name a policy that increased family diversity.

The Divorce Reform Act (1969) – made divorce easier, leading to more single-parent and reconstituted families.

How did the Equal Pay Act (1970) affect the family?

Encouraged more women into work, contributing to dual-earner households and changing gender roles.

What is the New Right view on family policies?

Critical of policies that undermine the nuclear family – prefer traditional, married, heterosexual families.

How do feminists view family policy?

They argue policies often reinforce patriarchy, even when appearing neutral (e.g. maternity leave vs paternity).

What are the main family types in the UK?

Nuclear, extended, lone-parent, reconstituted (stepfamilies), same-sex, boomerang families.

What is a reconstituted family?

A family formed after divorce/separation where one or both parents bring children from previous relationships.

What is the symmetrical family according to Young and Willmott?

A more equal family type where roles are shared between men and women – seen in working-class families.

What is the difference between nuclear and extended families?

Nuclear = two parents + children. Extended = includes other relatives (e.g., grandparents, aunts).

What is family structure?

The organisation and composition of a family unit, e.g. nuclear, extended, lone-parent.

What do postmodernists say about family structure?

There is no single dominant family type anymore – family life is diverse, fluid and based on choice.

What is family diversity?

The idea that there is a variety of family forms in society, rather than one dominant type.

What are reasons for increasing family diversity?

Secularisation, feminism, policy changes, individualism, more LGBTQ+ rights, more divorce.

How has secularisation influenced family diversity?

Weaker religious influence means more acceptance of cohabitation, divorce, and same-sex families.

How has feminism contributed to family diversity?

Women now prioritise careers, delay marriage/children, and reject traditional domestic roles.

What is demography?

The study of population trends like birth rate, death rate, fertility rate, migration and ageing.

What is the impact of an ageing population on family structure?

More multigenerational households, increased dependency ratio, and more care roles for middle-aged adults.

How does net migration affect family diversity?

Increases cultural diversity – brings in different family norms (e.g., extended family from South Asian communities).

How has the decline in birth rate changed families?

Smaller families are more common – more child-centred parenting and dual-earner households.

How are all these factors (policy, demography, etc.) linked to changing family structures?

They collectively shift norms and roles – leading to diverse, flexible family types instead of a dominant nuclear model.