A-Level Sociology: The Family Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key sociological theories, concepts, and researchers associated with the sociology of the family.

Grandparent army

A phrase used to describe grandparents providing free childcare for dual working parents.

Gendered socialisation

The process by which individuals learn and internalise societal norms and values related to their gender, such as being nurturing for girls and independent for boys.

Ann Oakley (Gender Socialisation)

A sociologist who found that parents encourage girls to adopt stereotypical feminine traits and boys to be assertive, often through canalisation.

Bedroom culture

Angela McRobbie's study finding that teenage girls face more restrictions on their movements and socialising compared to boys, leading to a culture of conformity.

Patriarchy

A social system in which men hold primary power and authority, which radical feminists argue is entrenched in family structures.

Ideological state apparatus

Louis Althusser’s theory that the family enforces beliefs and values that benefit capitalism and create a false class consciousness.

Unit of consumption

The Marxist view that the family supports capitalism by purchasing products, ensuring profit for capitalists.

Safety valve (Millet)

The concept that a wife absorbs the stresses and frustrations of the male breadwinner to ensure he continues working without revolting against the employer.

Engels (Monogamous Marriage)

Argued that monogamy ensures the ownership of the means of production is passed on to the rightful male heir, keeping the rich wealthy.

Primary socialisation

A functional prerequisite described by Parsons as the process of teaching children the norms, values, and roles required for social integration.

Stabilisation of adult personalities

Talcott Parsons' concept that the family provides emotional support and stability for adults, known as 'warm bath theory'.

Symmetrical family

Willmott and Young's theory that modern nuclear families are becoming more equal, with shared domestic responsibilities and shared childcare.

Triple shift

A term coined by Oakley and Delphy to describe the emotional labor, housework, and paid employment performed by women.

Asymmetrical family

Leonard’s term for the continuing unequal division of labor within households where women still take on a greater burden.

Neo-conventional family

Giddens' term for a dual-earner nuclear family that remains based on marriage but features a more egalitarian division of labor.

Five types of family diversity

The Rapoports' study identifying organisational, cultural, social class, life-course, and generational differences in family forms.

Cereal packet family

Chester's term for the idealized nuclear family image promoted by the media that persists as a social aspiration.

The New Man

A concept of masculinity emerging from men's increased involvement in childcare and domestic duties previously associated with women.

Negotiated family

Ulrich Beck's concept where couples structure their relationships based on individual needs and wants through discussion rather than traditional norms.

Toxic childhood

Sue Palmer's argument that modern technology, screen usage, and decline in play are negatively impacting children's healthy development.

Beanpole family

A vertically extended family structure resulting from increased life expectancy and fewer children being born across generations.

Sandwich carers

Individuals, typically daughters, who are caught between the responsibilities of caring for their own children and their elderly parents.

Canalisation

The channelled direction of children toward specific toys and clothes that reinforce gendered expectations (e.g., dolls for girls, guns for boys).

Cultural capital

Bourdieu's theory that middle-class children have access to resources and knowledge that help them succeed and maintain traditional family structures.

Organic analogy

The functionalist comparison of society to the human body, where the family acts as an essential organ working in sync with other institutions.