Family and Household

• What are the main sociologists to know for the topic of Couples?

  • Parsons (Division of labour)
  • Bott (Conjugal roles)
  • Young and Wilmott (Bethnal Green study)
  • Oakley (Feminist)
  • Gershuny (Greater equality)
  • Dunne (Lesbian couples and gender scripts)
  • Pahl and Vogler (Family income control)
  • Dobash and Dobash (Domestic violence)
• What is a patriarchal family?

  A patriarchal family is male dominated, where the father makes the decisions.
• What are the roles defined by Parsons in the domestic division of labour?

  • Instrumental role: The man as the breadwinner.
  • Expressive role: The wife as the caretaker of the home and children.
• According to Parsons, what is the basis for the division of labour between husbands and wives?

  It is based on biological differences.
• What are the two types of roles within marriage according to Bott?

  1. Joint conjugal role: Couples share tasks.
  2. Segregated conjugal role: Couples have separate roles.
• What did Young and Wilmott find in their study of working-class families in Bethnal Green?

  They found that many families had segregated conjugal roles and family life was improving.
• What did Part II of Young and Wilmott's study reveal about younger families?

  It revealed that younger families had a more symmetrical family structure.
• What factors contributed to the shift from segregated to joint conjugal roles?

  • Changes in women's position
  • Women going out to work
  • Legal, cultural, and political changes
• What is geographical mobility?

  Geographical mobility refers to moving around the country or from country to country.
• How does new technology affect the domestic division of labour?

  New technology saves time and allows men to participate more in housework.
• What is the impact of a higher standard of living on family structure?

  A higher standard of living allows for dual-income families and more financial stability.
• What is the feminist view on the march of progress in family symmetry?

  • Rejects the idea that families are becoming more symmetrical.
  • Argues that inequalities still persist in domestic roles.
• What does Oakley argue about the symmetrical family?

  She argues that Young & Wilmott exaggerate the extent of the symmetrical family.
• What did Gershuny find regarding housework and employment?

  He found that the amount of housework done by wives decreases as their employment status increases.
• What are the improvements in the burden of housework according to the document?

  1. Commercialisation of housework
  2. More women working
• What is the dual burden faced by women?

  The dual burden refers to women managing both paid work and unpaid housework.
• What is the triple shift that women experience?

  The triple shift includes housework, paid work, and emotional work.
• What are gender scripts according to Dunne?

  • Norms and expectations of husbands and wives.
  • Traditional division of labour is ingrained in these scripts.
• What do sociologists argue about resources and decision-making in families?

  1. Men gain more from women's domestic work.
  2. Women's financial support is often unreliable.
  3. Women make financial decisions only for small amounts.
• What are the two types of family income control identified by Pahl and Vogler?

  Pooling and allowance.
• What is the trend regarding pooling in family income control?

  Pooling is increasing and is more common among couples where both work full-time.
• Who typically makes important decisions in families according to the document?

  Important decisions are often made by the husband or jointly with the husband having the final say.
• What characterizes the "New Man" in the context of family roles?

  • A man who helps with housework.
  • Adapts to modern family dynamics.
• What proportion of violent crime does domestic violence account for?

  Domestic violence accounts for almost one-sixth of violent crime.
• What patterns are associated with domestic violence?

  1. Most victims are women.
  2. 99% of female victims are assaulted by men.
  3. Domestic violence is difficult to escape.
• What triggers incidents of domestic violence according to Dobash and Dobash?

  Incidents are often triggered when a husband feels his authority is being challenged.
• Why might police be reluctant to record incidents of domestic violence?

  They may believe that what goes on in families is private.
• What are the challenges women face in leaving violent relationships?

  • Financial issues
  • Family issues
  • Shame and low self-esteem
  • Emotional attachment to the abuser
• What do radical feminists argue about the family and marriage?

  • They see it as a key institution in patriarchal society.
  • They argue that violence against women is an inevitable feature of patriarchy.
• What are the problems with studying domestic violence?

  • Difficulty obtaining valid information.
  • Reliance on official police statistics.
  • Potential biases in responses.
• What is the focus of the past paper questions listed in the document?

  They focus on various aspects of family sociology.
• What are the main sociologists to know for the topic of Childhood?

  • Benedict (Cross cultural differences)
  • Aries (Historical differences)
  • Shorter (Historical differences)
  • Gittins (Age patriarchy)
  • Postman (The future)
  • Palmer (Toxic Childhood)
• How is childhood defined according to the document?

  Childhood is defined and created by society and varies across cultures and time.
• What are the characteristics of childhood in simpler societies according to Benedict?

  Children have more responsibility and less value is placed on obedience to adult authority.
• What are the features of childhood in Western society?

  • Seen as a special, innocent time.
  • Physically immature and not competent.
  • Requires a lengthy period of nurturing.
  • Distinct life stage separate from adults.
• What did Aries argue about childhood in Medieval Europe?

  He argued that the idea of childhood didn’t exist and children were seen as mini-adults.
• How did Shorter describe parental attitudes towards children in the past?

  He noted that high child death rates led to indifference and neglect towards infants.
• What changes contributed to the modern notion of childhood?

  1. Specialization of schools for children.
  2. Church's view of children as fragile.
  3. Distinction in clothing between children and adults.
• What is the March of Progress View regarding childhood?

  • Family and society have become child-centred.
  • Children are better cared for in terms of needs.
  • Higher living standards and smaller families.
• What is the Conflict View on childhood?

  • Over-generalizes the March of Progress view.
  • Ignores inequalities among children and between children and adults.