PAPER 2 SOCIOLOGY

Flashcard 1
Q: What is meant by family diversity?
A: The idea that there are many different family structures beyond the traditional nuclear family, including lone-parent, reconstituted, extended, and same-sex families.

Flashcard 2
Q: Identify 3 types of family diversity.
A: 1. Cultural diversity (e.g., Asian vs. Caribbean families)
2. Social class diversity (differences in parenting and resources)
3. Life-stage diversity (different family structures at different life stages)

Flashcard 3
Q: What did the Rapoports argue about family diversity?
A: They identified five types of family diversity: organizational, cultural, social class, life course, and generational.

Flashcard 4
Q: What is a beanpole family?
A: A family that is vertically extended with few horizontal ties – more intergenerational (grandparents, parents, children) but fewer siblings or cousins.

💍 Cohabitation, Marriage, and Divorce

Flashcard 5
Q: Why has cohabitation increased in modern society?
A: Greater secularisation, changing social norms, rising cost of weddings, and declining stigma toward living together before marriage.

Flashcard 6
Q: Give two reasons for the decline in marriage rates.
A: 1. Secularisation
2. Greater career opportunities and independence for women

Flashcard 7
Q: Name two key reasons for the rise in divorce.
A: 1. Changes in the law (e.g., Divorce Reform Act 1969)
2. Increased expectations of marriage (Giddens – confluent love)

Flashcard 8
Q: What is a reconstituted family?
A: A family where one or both partners have children from previous relationships – also called a stepfamily or blended family.

👶 Fertility and Birth Rates

Flashcard 9
Q: Why has fertility declined in modern societies?
A: Access to contraception, increased female education and employment, and changing norms around family size.

Flashcard 10
Q: What impact does declining fertility have on society?
A: Smaller families, aging population, and changes in dependency ratios.

🏠 Domestic Division of Labor

Flashcard 11
Q: What did Parsons argue about domestic roles?
A: Men take on the instrumental role (breadwinner) and women the expressive role (caregiver) – based on biological differences.

Flashcard 12
Q: What did Bott (1957) mean by joint and segregated conjugal roles?
A: Joint: partners share roles; Segregated: clear division of labor with men and women performing distinct tasks.

Flashcard 13
Q: What was found in Oakley’s study on housework?
A: Only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework – challenging the view of a symmetrical family.

Flashcard 14
Q: What is the 'triple shift' according to Duncombe and Marsden?
A: Women do paid work, housework, and emotional work.

Flashcard 15
Q: What is the 'dual burden'?
A: When women are expected to take on paid employment and domestic responsibilities.

💵 Power and Decision-Making

Flashcard 16
Q: What did Edgell find about decision-making in families?
A: Men made more important decisions (e.g., finance), while women made less important decisions (e.g., food shopping).

Flashcard 17
Q: What is the pooling system?
A: When couples share income and have joint responsibility for expenditure – seen as more equal than the allowance system.

Flashcard 18
Q: According to Pahl and Vogler, how is money handled in couples?
A: They found variation, with pooling more common among dual-earner households but not always leading to equality.

🧱 Domestic Violence

Flashcard 19
Q: What is the radical feminist view of domestic violence?
A: It is a result of patriarchal society and male dominance; men use violence to control women (Dobash and Dobash).

Flashcard 20
Q: How do Marxist feminists explain domestic violence?
A: Result of stress from capitalism and frustration in the male breadwinner role, taken out on women at home.

Flashcard 21
Q: What is the 'dark figure' of domestic violence?
A: The large number of domestic violence cases that go unreported due to fear, shame, or distrust of authorities.

👶 Childhood as a Social Construct

Flashcard 22
Q: What does it mean to say childhood is a social construct?
A: The experience of childhood varies across time, cultures, and societies – not a fixed, biological stage.

Flashcard 23
Q: What did Aries argue about historical childhood?
A: In medieval times, childhood did not exist as a separate phase; children were treated like mini-adults.

Flashcard 24
Q: How does modern Western society view childhood?
A: As a time of innocence, dependence, and protection – supported by laws and education.

Flashcard 25
Q: What is 'toxic childhood' according to Palmer?
A: Modern society harms children through fast food, excessive screen time, and pressure from exams and consumerism.

Flashcard 26
Q: What did Postman argue about childhood?
A: That it is disappearing due to the breakdown of information hierarchies – children are exposed to adult content through media.

The Functionalist View of Education

Flashcard 1
Q: What is the functionalist view of education?
A: Education serves key functions for society, including socialization, role allocation, and the transmission of norms and values.

Flashcard 2
Q: What did Emile Durkheim argue about education?
A: Education creates social solidarity and teaches shared norms and values needed for cooperation and unity.

Flashcard 3
Q: What did Talcott Parsons say about school?
A: School acts as a bridge between family and wider society, based on meritocracy and universalistic standards.

Flashcard 4
Q: What is role allocation (Davis and Moore)?
A: Education sorts individuals into roles in the workforce based on merit and ability, rewarding the most talented.

Flashcard 5
Q: One criticism of the functionalist view of education?
A: It ignores inequality and how education may reproduce class advantage rather than reward merit.

🧑‍🏫 Marxist View of Education

Flashcard 6
Q: What is the Marxist view of education?
A: Education serves the interests of capitalism by reproducing class inequality and legitimizing the ruling class ideology.

Flashcard 7
Q: What did Althusser argue about education?
A: Education is an ideological state apparatus that transmits ruling class ideology and maintains class control.

Flashcard 8
Q: What is the hidden curriculum (according to Marxists)?
A: The unspoken values taught in schools, such as obedience and acceptance of hierarchy, which prepare students for exploitation.

Flashcard 9
Q: What did Bowles and Gintis argue in the "correspondence principle"?
A: The school system mirrors the workplace – it teaches discipline, punctuality, and hierarchy to prepare workers.

Flashcard 10
Q: One criticism of the Marxist view of education?
A: It is too deterministic and assumes students always accept the system – ignores student resistance.

👩‍🎓 Feminist View of Education

Flashcard 11
Q: What is the feminist view of education?
A: Education has historically reinforced patriarchy, though some feminists argue it is improving due to changes in gender roles.

Flashcard 12
Q: How does school reinforce gender roles?
A: Through gendered subject choices, male-dominated leadership, sexist expectations, and the hidden curriculum.

Flashcard 13
Q: What is a strength of the feminist view of education?
A: Highlights gender inequality and the persistence of sexism in education and the curriculum.

Flashcard 14
Q: One criticism of the feminist view of education?
A: It may overlook improvements in female achievement and the challenges faced by boys.

🔍 Social Class and Educational Achievement

Flashcard 15
Q: How does social class affect educational achievement?
A: Working-class students often underachieve due to material deprivation, cultural factors, and school bias.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is cultural capital (Bourdieu)?
A: Middle-class students possess the values, language, and skills that are valued in education, giving them an advantage.

Flashcard 17
Q: What is material deprivation?
A: Lack of resources like books, internet, quiet space, or proper nutrition that negatively affect student achievement.

Flashcard 18
Q: What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
A: When a teacher labels a student, the student internalizes the label and acts accordingly, impacting their performance.

Flashcard 19
Q: What are anti-school subcultures?
A: Groups of students (often working-class) who reject school values and norms, leading to poor achievement