FAMILY - A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY ( Tariq Rehman )

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and theorists from the lecture notes on family in A Level Sociology.

Murdock's four functional prerequisites

Common residence; economic cooperation/reproduction; adults of both sexes; having children (own or adopted).

Household

One or more unrelated people living together in a particular place.

Single-person household

A household consisting of one person, often due to divorce, bereavement, or living apart together.

Couple household

A household headed by a couple (married or in a long-term relationship).

Shared household (commune)

A household where several people share living space, either related or unrelated.

Nuclear family

Two generations: parents and children living in the same household.

Extended family

All kin beyond the nuclear family.

Beanpole family

A multi-generational family with few children per generation; people live longer.

Patriarchal family

Authority within the family held by males.

Matriarchal family

Authority within the family held by females.

Symmetrical family

Authority and tasks shared between the couple.

Reconstituted family

One or both partners previously married with children from previous marriages.

Lone parent family

A family with just one parent.

ONS 2017 UK family statistics

Key figures: total families ~19M; opposite-sex married 4.9M; same-sex married 6,000; civil partnerships 8,000; opposite-sex cohabiting 1.2M; same-sex cohabiting 4,000; lone parents 1.7M.

Functionalist perspective

Family fulfills functions that keep society running smoothly (reproduction, socialization, care, protection, emotional support, status assignment, regulation of sexual behavior).

Parson's two core functions

Stabilization of adult personality and primary socialization of children.

Primary socialization

Process by which children learn attitudes, values and actions appropriate to their culture.

Core function (Fletcher)

Childbearing, child rearing, physical and psychological wellbeing.

Peripheral functions (Fletcher)

Education, healthcare, recreation.

Stabilization of adult personality

Family provides a relaxing environment to relieve daily stresses.

Sexual control

Regulation of sexual behavior within the family.

Reproduction (functional prerequisite)

Producing the next generation.

Economic function (functional prerequisite)

Men work, women housekeep, taxes paid, food and shelter supplied.

Educational function (functional prerequisite)

Primary socialisation by teaching norms and values.

Horvitz's bridge between micro and macro

Family acts as a bridge where rules are transmitted and children imitate behavior.

Loss of function debate

Idea that industrialization has reduced some traditional family functions.

Fit thesis

Extended families adapted to industrialization; nuclear families emerged due to geographic mobility and labor flexibility.

Parson and Goode on fit

Evidence that extended families were multifunctional, kinship-based, economically productive, and labor providers; mobility was limited.

Working-class extended family

Broadly extended networks used to secure jobs; kinship helps when both parents work; income supplemented by relatives.

Middle-class nuclear family

Tends to be nuclear due to education costs and smaller family size.

Upper-class family structure

Mixture of nuclear and extended due to available space.

Post-industrial society

Globalization and mobility leading to dispersed extended networks and more lone parents.

Wilmot’s dispersed extended family

Extended networks that are geographically spread out due to mobility.

Evaluation of functionalist account

Critiques include middle-class bias, privatized nuclear family focus, limited male involvement, domestic violence, and lack of kin support.

Conflict perspective

Looks at how family reinforces social inequalities and benefits men; supports capitalism through ideological, economic and political means.

Neo-Marxist capitals

Families provide cultural, social and symbolic capital that advantage some classes.

Cultural capital

Knowledge, skills and education that help success at work and in schooling.

Social capital

Networks and connections that help individuals gain opportunities.

Symbolic capital

Prestige and social power that can be converted into tangible advantages.

Feminist perspective

Examines how gender roles in the family shape inequality; includes liberal, radical, Marxist and post-feminist strands.

Liberal feminism

Equality of opportunity; freedom to choose one’s role in paid work or child rearing.

Radical feminism

Patriarchy as the root of women’s oppression; focus on gender-based power and violence.

Marxist feminism

Double/triple shift and unpaid domestic labor; women’s exploitation tied to capitalism.

Post-feminism

Critiques universal claims; recognizes diverse experiences and choices among women.

Dual burden

Women bear both paid work and domestic responsibilities.

Triple shift

Emotional labor and caregiving alongside other roles.

New Man

Men who participate more in domestic tasks; debated as a real trend.

Asymmetrical family

Conjugal roles are unequal, with the man as breadwinner and the woman as homemaker.

Symmetrical family (Wilmot & Young)

Conjugal roles are shared; more joint decision making and domestic work.

Conjugal roles

Roles of partners within a marriage in terms of work and domestic tasks.

Edgell 1980

Study showing men often dominate important decisions (home, finances, car).

New Right perspective on family diversity

Advocates traditional nuclear families; view family diversity as morally problematic and harmful.

Privatized nuclear family

Family life focused within the household, with less reliance on extended kin.

Postmodern permeability of family

Families are chosen and can take many forms; boundaries are flexible.

Neo-conventional family

Dual-earner family where both spouses work; a middle ground between traditional and fully egalitarian.

Cross-cultural perspectives on family

Ethnicity and culture shape family forms and values (e.g., extended vs nuclear tendencies among different groups).

Childhood as a social construction

Childhood is defined by social norms and varies across cultures and historical periods.

Childhood and education theories (Mead, Malinowski, Aries)

Cross-cultural and historical analyses of childhood roles, autonomy, and social status.

Little Emperor syndrome

China’s one-child policy leading to intense parental attention on a single child.

Postman March of Progress

Idea that children’s lives have improved in modern society, though exposed to media and risk.

Helicopter parenting

Overinvolved parenting that can reduce children’s self-esteem and independence.

Age and family life concepts

Social construction of age, youth, adulthood, elderly; life course and cohort concepts.

Pivot/sandwich generation

Middle-aged people caring for both children and aging parents.

Disengagement theory

Old people withdraw from social roles and networks as they age.

Activity theory

Staying active and engaged in society enhances well-being in old age.

Life course and cohorts

Life events shape trajectories; cohorts share experiences across time.

Bourdieu’s cultural capital in childhood

Access to education and culture that advantages middle/upper-class children.

Oakley on motherhood and housework

Autonomy of housewife is often more theoretical than real; gendered division of labor persists.