GCSE Sociology – Family Questions



Identify two...... (2 marks)Identify two reasons for the rise in single parent households. People want to further in education so they go to school, college, university and live by themselves.Old people are living longer therefore when one dies; the other partner is left by themselves.Identify to reasons why the average life expectancy for women is higher than for men. Women are more health conscious about their health. Identify two reasons for the general rise in the divorce rate over the last 40 years.Divorce is now more acceptable in society, whereas in the old days divorce was seen as a sin.Women have more opportunities, like getting a good career so they do not need the man for financial support and can leave unhappy marriages. Identify two reasons for the rise in lone parent families over the last 40 years.The rise in divorce.Women do not need the man anymore for financial support as there are certain benefits for lone parents so the woman can leave an unhappy marriage and be able to look after her children too.Identify the two reasons why the average age of marriage has risen over the last 30 years.Women are more independent therefore putting their careers in front of their family life, delaying the age of marriage.People want to trial out marriage therefore cohabit before making quick decisions which also delays the age of marriage.Identify the two types of family units in which people might live as a result of divorce.Lone parent familiesReconstituted familiesIdentify two reasons for the decline in the birth rate over the last 40 years.Women want an education so they can get good careers, delaying settling down and having children.Religion is in decline therefore more people use contraception than in the past.Identify two possible consequences of living in a step family.Do not get along with the new step parentDo not get as much attention as before so they misbehave.3235449350Explain what sociologists mean by...... (4 marks)020000Explain what sociologists mean by...... (4 marks)Explain what sociologists mean by an extended family.Sociologists mean by an extended family is a group of relatives extended beyond a nuclear family. The extended family might contain three generations who live under the same roof or close by. This is known as the vertical extension because the family tree is stretched downwards which is the opposite to the horizontal extended family in which the family tree stretches sideways with aunties, uncles. This is common in certain communities, like the Asians but is becoming less common than in the past as nowadays we have to move around for work therefore may not stay as close. Explain what sociologists mean by a reconstituted family.A reconstituted family is a term for when two adults join by marriage, cohabitation or civil partnership, but who have children from previous relationships. The reconstituted family is increasing in percentage mainly for the rise in divorce, which then leads on to remarriages. A reconstituted family, in the olden days, would have been considered shameful as two couples got divorced and then remarried, while having children in their previous relationship. But because the world has become more secularized, reconstituted families has been seen a norm.Explain what sociologists mean by primary socialisation.Socialisation is the process through which we learn the culture and norms and values of the society we are born in. This process prepares us for the future roles we play in life. Primary socialisation is the process of early leaning, usually by the parents, during which babies and younger children learn basic morals and manners, right from wrong, language and skills they would need later in life. Primary socialisation is very important during a person’s life because it is the education they will use their whole life so if taught well, the individual will always ‘stick to it’. The opposite of primary is the secondary socialisation during the later stages in a child’s life and through adult life too. An individual learns the norms and values in society by peer groups, schools, workplaces, religion and the media.Explain what sociologists mean by the ‘triple shift’.The triple shift is when an individual, most commonly with women, goes to work and earns money, comes home and does the household tasks. This has changed from the past because traditionally the woman would have to stay at home and do the domestic duties while looking after the children and the man would be the breadwinner, going out to work daily. The triple shift concept has grown because nowadays women want to go out and work however the kids might want emotional support from their mother rather than their father, so the woman would have the ‘triple shift’.Explain what sociologists mean by serial monogamy.Monogamous means having one partner at a time and serial means a series. Serial monogamy is when a person gets married and then later gets divorced. This is then repeated once or more times. Traditionally, when a person got married, that would be their partner for life hence ‘till death do us part’. However, nowadays divorce is more acceptable but many people choose to remarry. Except, now more people are choosing to cohabit more rather than rushing into marriage then getting divorced because it is not working out. Explain what sociologists mean by the beanpole family.Beanpole families are a multi generation family, long and thin in shape. In the past, the family tree would be considered fat and wide in shape because of how many children people had and short because the life expectancy was very low. This is because the generations are getting smaller as people are having fewer children yet they live longer. However, nowadays the beanpole family is more common because people are having less children because many people, especially women, want a career with good money and might not want to settle down early or even settle down and have children. Also the life expectancy rate has increased therefore the family tree will be longer as old people are living longer.Explain what sociologists mean by conjugal roles.Conjugal roles are the domestic roles like cooking, cleaning, childcare etc of married or cohabiting couples. In the past the roles used to be ‘segregated’ meaning that the woman was expected to do the household jobs and look after the kids while the man would earn in order to support the family. Nowadays, the roles in the household are more shared than in the past. This is because women are becoming more independent and are working therefore demand that the man shares responsibility of the domestic duties. Explain what sociologists mean by empty shell marriages.Empty shell marriages is when couples are still married and live in the same house but lead separate lives. Many couples stay in this type of marriage because of religion, as it may be shameful to divorce. Also many couples would stay together because of the children, not wanting them to go through a ‘tough life’. This would be the situation in the past, however nowadays, because religion is less important, love marriages have become more common. Explain what sociologists mean by the burden of dependency.A burden is a major responsibility. In Britain the working age population has the responsibility of supporting all the dependant people. As the numbers of old people increase we have to pay more taxes to help support them but there are fewer people to pay. We call this the burden of dependency. This is because the birth rate is dropping. This is a problem for the economy because the economy has less money to spend on other resources. In the past, this would not be the case as old people were not living as long so the population could manage to support the old people. Explain what sociologists mean by a democratic family. A democratic family is when the decisions in the household are shared. This is becoming more popular because are women are working more so there needs to be more equality. Nowadays, decisions are shared with the children too which has changed from the past as children should be ‘seen but not heard’. In the past, the main type of family would be the patriarchal family which is headed by the man. This is the opposite of a democratic family as it gives the persons in the family more equality. Explain what sociologists mean by a traditional nuclear family.A nuclear family is a married or cohabiting mother and father with child/children. It contains two generations and family members living in the same household. A traditional nuclear family however, is a mother and father with their children. In the past, the traditional nuclear family would be seen as the norm. Traditionally, the nuclear family would be headed by the man as he was the breadwinner therefore gained the power in the family. Also the roles in the nuclear household were very ‘segregated’. The man would go to work and earn money to support the family, while the woman would stay at home, look after the children, clean up around the house, cook the meals and possibly even look after the old people in the family. However, nowadays the nuclear family is more equal as the roles are more equal and fair. Also, more women in the families work, so women demand more power because they are the breadwinners too. Explain what sociologists mean by authority relationships.Authority means power and because we are talking about relationships, it refers to the person in the family who has the most power. Traditionally the man would be the breadwinner of the family therefore he had the most power because he was supporting the family. However, because women are becoming more independent, they go out and work too so they too demand power, making the relationship more equal as the couple are both earning the money. Also modern relationships are more democratic because women are more assertive and independent so they have a bigger say in issues and domestic jobs like cleaning. Also nowadays kids have a say in family issues which did not happen in the past as kids were ‘seen but or heard’. We call this: democratic. Describe ONE and explain how/why... (5 marks)Describe one change in the role of women in families and explain why this has change has occurred.In the past, women were expected to create a nice home for the husband after he comes back from work. She also would have to look after the children, cleanup around the house and prepare the dinner too. However, nowadays, women and men are more likely to share the household duties and childcare or even reverse roles, where the man is the househusband and the woman is the breadwinner. This change may have occurred because women are becoming much more independent than in the past therefore they are likely to go out to work and demand that the man also helps around the house because it would be unfair is she was doing ‘the triple shift’ concept. This may also be because society has shown that men should be doing more things to help the woman therefore they have become influenced and do help around the house. In dual income households, women feel they should have a greater say in decisions around the house as they contributed to the finances therefore could argue that the man should do more in the household. As religious beliefs around Britain have changed more than in the past, women are likely to adapt or change their view on what the husband/man should do therefore demand they do more. Describe how the pattern of divorce has changed in Britain over the last 50 years and explain why the pattern had occurred.Over the last 50 years the divorce rate has been increasing rapidly. In 1961 there was 32,000 divorces but increased to 155,000 in 2005. In the early days, women and men would have to get married for either money or culture etc. But nowadays, as religion is in decline for the younger generation, they fall in love with their partner and get married. This is one of the reasons why the divorce rate has increased. Also women’s attitudes have changed as they have become more assertive, and will not stay unless the man does his fair share of work. Nowadays, women have the opportunity to get a job, not like in the past, so she does not need to stay with the man because she can support herself. Also secularisation makes it easier to get a divorce as society does not see divorce as a sin as they used to in the olden days. Nowadays the law had become less strict therefore it is a lot easier to get a divorce than in the past, in which you had to be violently attacked before being allowed a divorce.Describe one way in which the relations between parents and children have changed in the last 30 years or so and explain why this change has happened.The relationship between parent and child had changed massively in the last 30 years or so. The parents are now listening to the children and are asking for their views and ideas in family issues whereas in the old days, children were just like models, seen but not heard. This change has occurred because parents might have become less authoritarian. This means that the parents are not disciplining the child as severely as they would in the past. This could be because society has shown that once given a right to speak, children can bring positive outcomes. Also this change may have occurred because have more rights than in the past like going to school until 16. This gives the child more awareness about things which they tell to their parents. Describe the feminist approach to the family and explain why/how this approach is different from other sociological approaches. The feminist approach is often critical towards the family and its role in society. They see the family as a negative impact on the lives of women as it gives the woman less advantage than the man. This is because feminists argue that many differences are socially constructed. We understand that as a child is born they go through the primary socialisation process for instance, the way girls and boys are dressed and the toys they play with, etc. Feminists believe that young children learn how they must behave but also how they are meant to act and behave as their gender portrays them. Feminists would say that families are patriarchal as they are based on male power and the dominance over women. Other sociologists would argue otherwise. Like the functionalists, who believe the family, specifically the nuclear family, benefits society as they perform a number of different roles, like primary socialization, emotional and financial support etc. The family helps young children as they are born to understand society as it is and teaches them right from wrong. By ensuring the child understands how their behaviour must be, the family acts as an agency of social control. Functionalists would say that the family offers emotional support as it is a place in which the child may feel secure and safe. The family provides financial support by the means of food, shelter, clothing etc. Functionalists would argue that the family does not deprive women as it allows them to go out and get a job like the man too but come together with the man to provide support for the children too. Also the new right, another sociologist group, would agree with the functinalists, saying that the family, specifically the nuclear, works the est for society as well. It suggests that the family are more likely to develop well as they live in a stable, safe environment in which they feel comfortable, therefore having a good upbringing helps them carry on in their later adult life. The new right believe this because children who are brought up by both parents do better physically, mentally, emotionally and socially rather than in possibly a lone parent family. The new right approach, compared to the feminists, is different because the new right believe strongly that a nuclear family provides the best support and caters for the upbringing of children in the best way. Describe one possible consequence of a divorce for the husbands and explain how this may have an effect on them.One possibly consequence is that the husband may have to support his ex and his children too because they may not be able to financially support themselves. This would have a huge effect on the husband because he would have to work a lot to try and support himself as well as the family, trying to pay for their bills and his bills too. It would be especially hard as he would not be able to start a fresh life as he still has to help his children. It also has a huge effect because the man might undergo depression as he is struggling to cope with a divorce let alone supporting his ex wife. Describe one change in the family size in Britain and explain why this change has occurred. One change in the family size in Britain is that the family size has decreased rapidly over the last 30 years. In the past the family tree would be considered fat and short because of how many children people had and how short the life expectancy was. However nowadays the family tree is getting longer and thinner in shape.This change has occurred because many people, especially women, want a career with good money and might not want to settle down early or even settle down and have children. Also the life expectancy rate has increased therefore the family tree will be longer as old people are living longer. Also, this may also have occurred because people may not believe in religion as much as they used to therefore, more people are disagreeing with having children within the family. Describe one form of help in which a grandparent might provide for a family and explain how this may help the family members. One way in which the grandparent might provide for the family is looking after the children, say if both parents were at work, earning to support for them. The grandparent can afford to look after the children because they have lots of free time when they are retired as they have given up their day job.This helps the family because it allows the grandparents to bond well with the children and it creates a closer relationship too. And one of the biggest restrictions in a woman’s life is the childcare. So if the grandparent would look after the children, it would allow the woman to go out and work, expanding her career prospects and becoming more independent and also having a family at the same time. Also, grandparents provide cheap childcare so the parent/s can return to work without worrying about spending too much money on childcare. Describe one way in which the government might provide assistance to lone parent families and explain how this would assist lone parents.One way in which the government may be helping lone parent families is sure start centres as they provide the parent and the children to learn from the courses provided.Sure start centres assist lone parents by providing them with crèches. This allows the parent to go out to work while leaving the young children here where they can learn and play at the same time. Allowing the parent to go off to work, helps support the family for all their needs, like food, shelter, clothes, school supplies etc. Sure start centres also provide courses for the adult too. For example, there is a course in which the lone parents can talk to other lone parents and share experiences which may help them to bring up their children.Describe one way governments have attempted to help families in recent years and explain how successful this policy has been.The government has attempted to provide sure start centres for families who may be struggling financially or emotionally. Sure start centres have been set up around Britain to help as many families get their life back on track.The sure start policy has been very successful as it has allowed many parents, young or old, to understand the different ways in which to bring up children and how many different things can help. Sure start centres have also provided parents with free dental, doctor or physiotherapist support in which parents can take their children too. Sure start centres also help parents with financial problems, helping them find jobs to support the children in many different ways. The sure start centres have also massively supported children too by providing them with educational and fun things to do after school, before school and on the weekends. There are now currently more than 3,600 sure start centres set up around Britain helping families get their life back on track. Describe one social or economic need of the elderly and explain how the governments might try to meet that need. One of the needs for the elderly, mainly the old old people, not the young old, is health care. As the elderly people get older, they tend to get ill quicker because of their age and it is hard for them to cope with things like food. The government have met the need of the elderly by providing free NHS services for them, like dental care etc. This has helped the young old and the old old because it just gives them the care and need that they should have. The government has also helped support this need by providing ‘meals on wheels’ which is a service that delivers hot food to elderly people. This is very helpful to old people because as they get old it is hard for them to do little things like opening cans or packets. ................
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