Families and Households -4

Practice flashcards covering key sociological concepts related to families and households, including definitions, theoretical perspectives, and trends in family diversity and childhood.

What is one reason for the decline in the death rate?

Medical advancements, less dangerous jobs, or improved education around health (e.g., smoking, diet).

What is meant by life expectancy?

The average number of years a person is expected to live.

What is net migration?

The difference between the number of people migrating into a country and those migrating out.

Who argued against Postman, stating that childhood was not disappearing due to an information hierarchy?

Opie.

According to Marxists, how does the family support capitalism?

It reproduces workers, facilitates the inheritance of wealth (Engels), acts as a unit of consumption, and functions as an ideological state apparatus (Althusser) to maintain false class consciousness.

What is one impact of an aging population?

An increased dependency ratio or more extended family structures.

Who is a main thinker in the New Right associated with the 'culture of dependency'?

Murray.

What did Parsons mean by 'functional fit' in relation to the family?

The family structure adapts to fit the needs of society, such as the nuclear family being functionally fit for geographical mobility.

What is a reconstituted family?

A step family formed when at least one parent has children from a prior relationship.

What is an extended family?

A family where multiple generations, such as aunts or grandparents, live together.

What does patriarchy mean?

Male dominance in society.

What type of family was most prominent in pre-industrial society?

The extended family.

What percentage of all households in 2011 consisted of single persons?

11%.

Which sociologist is associated with the concept of the neo-conventional family?

Chester.

What is an empty nest family?

A family where the parents are older and their children no longer live with them.

In what four ways do adults control children?

Space, Time, Resources, and Bodies.

Describe the Personal Life Perspective on the family, including a key sociologist and a strength/weakness.

The Personal Life Perspective (Smart) offers a more inclusive definition of family, including 'fictive kin,' but can be criticized for potentially losing the significance of traditional family structures.

According to Postmodernists like Giddens, what is a 'pure relationship' and 'confluent love'?

A 'pure relationship' (Giddens) is contingent on mutual satisfaction and lasts only as long as both partners benefit. 'Confluent love' defines this, being characterized by mutual fulfillment rather than lifelong commitment, and allowing individuals to leave relationships that no longer serve their needs.

List the 5 types of family diversity identified by the Rappaports.

Cultural diversity, Life course analysis, Organisational diversity, Generational diversity, and Social class diversity.

What are three causes of increased family diversity?

Changes in law (e.g., Divorce Reform Act), changes in social attitudes (e.g., acceptance of diverse family forms), and the changing role of women due to feminism and greater equality.

How have secularisation and globalization/immigration contributed to family diversity?

Secularisation has lessened the church's influence on family life and teachings, while globalization and immigration have led to dispersed extended families and new family types.

How does Parsons' functionalism explain changes in family structure?

Parsons' 'functional fit' theory argues that family structures change to meet the needs of society, rather than representing true diversity.

What is the New Right's view on family diversity, as articulated by Murray?

The New Right (Murray) argues that family diversity undermines traditional values and causes societal breakdown, advocating for the nuclear family (with instrumental and expressive roles) as the only correct type.

How do feminists like Stacey view family diversity?

Feminists like Stacey view family diversity positively, as it offers women more choice and freedom from traditional norms and expressive roles.

What is Chester's concept of the neo-conventional family?

Chester's neo-conventional family describes a more common, symmetrical family where both partners are dual earners.

What did Postman mean by 'disappearing childhood,' and what evidence did he provide?

Postman argued that childhood is disappearing due to the collapse of the information hierarchy, evidenced by children's access to adult information via social media, the criminality of children, and the blurring of adult and child cultures.

Who critiqued Postman's 'disappearing childhood' theory, and on what grounds?

Opie critiqued Postman, arguing that childhood is not disappearing but rather changing, maintaining a separate children's culture. Postman's theory is also criticized as reductionist for solely blaming television for the supposed disappearance of childhood.