Social Studies

• Family


  A basic unit within most human societies, a group of people who share certain connections and attachments
• Family


  • Traditionally understood to mean people are related 'by blood' or through a particular form of relationship, such as marriage
  • Members usually share the same residence
• Basic functions of the family


  • Unit of procreation
  • Unit for the socialisation of individuals
  • Economic unit for satisfying basic needs
  • Social unit for satisfying emotional and psychological needs
• Procreation


  When humans produce offspring, allows a society to continue by producing new members to replace those who die or migrate
• Socialisation


  Developing an attitude in children and young people that encourages them to make a useful contribution in society
• What children learn in the family

  • Accepted behaviours in society, values, attitudes and aspects of culture
  • How inappropriate behaviour receives sanctions
  • Their roles and responsibilities
  • Basic skills
• Family as an economic unit


  Different family members take on different roles and responsibilities, share out the workload and pool resources to meet basic needs
• Family as a social unit


  Provides environment where emotional and psychological needs are met, gives sense of identity and belonging
• When families struggle, governments and other agencies can support them with financial or other assistance
• Examples of government/agency support for families


  • Welfare payments
  • Day nurseries
  • Feeding programmes
  • Counselling programmes
  • Foster homes
  • Care services
• Schools also have a part to play in preparing children for their roles as members of society
• Nuclear family


  Father, mother and their children sharing a dwelling
• Extended family


  Extends beyond the nuclear family, includes individuals from more than two generations and a wider range of kinship relations
• Sibling family


  Both parents absent, older sibling takes care of younger siblings and manages the household
• Single-parent family


  Only one parent present, usually the mother
• Changes in society produce changes in family types and structures
• Emerging family patterns


  • Families with adopted children
  • Families with children belonging to only one partner
  • Families with children born to a surrogate mother
• Legal marriage


  A lawfully recognised union between a man and a woman, traditionally seen as the ideal environment for sexual relations
• Monogamy


  A form of marriage in which a person has only one wife or husband at one time
• Polygamy


  A person has more than one wife or husband at the same time, polygyny is a man with more than one wife, polyandry is a woman with more than one husband
• Bigamy


  Marrying another person while a previous marriage still exists
• Visiting relationship


  Man and woman are not married and do not share the same residence but do have sexual relations
• Consensual/common law union


  Man and woman are not legally married but do share a common residence and have sexual relations
• Family tree


  A chart that shows the names and relationships of different generations of the same family
• Patriarchal


  A society where men have a dominant role in social organisation and are seen as the head of the house
• Matriarchal


  A society where the roles and responsibilities fall to women
• Patrifocal


  Family patterns where the father has responsibility for the family
• Matrifocal


  Family patterns where the mother has responsibility for the family
• Role


  The functions a person should fulfil in a position
• Responsibilities


  The actions that need to be carried out to fulfil a role
• Status

  The position a person occupies which determines their roles and responsibilities
• Role conflict


  When one role interferes with the performance of another
• Traditional male family roles

  • Disciplinarian
  • Breadwinner
  • Decision maker
• Traditional female family roles


  • Caregiver
  • Socialising agent
  • Economic provider
  • Homemaker
  • Counsellor
• Children have traditionally had roles and responsibilities within the household
• The performance of a role involves interaction and relationships with others
• Family members have different personalities, opinions, aspirations, ideas and values which can create conflict and relationship breakdown
• There has been a change in the status of women in society, with women no longer seen as less important or subordinate to men
• Women have challenged their traditional gender roles and demand greater involvement in decision-making
• Women now have rights to equal educational and employment opportunities and equal pay for equal work