Famillies and households

• Achieved status

  A position in society which affects the way others view you that is earned at least partly through your own efforts e.g. a job.
• Adultist

  Viewing the world from an adult perspective, without considering children and their views.
• Age patriarchy

  Is the concept that adults control and oppress children due to their superiority based on age. This may lead to tension and angst.
• Ageing population

  A situation in which an increasing proportion of the population in a given country is middle aged or older.
• Ascribed status

  A position in society which affects the way others view you that is given by birth e.g. being male or female.
• Assimilation

  This is when migrants are encouraged to change their language, values and customs to adopt those of the host country.
• Beanpole family

  A family in which links between generations i.e. between grandparents, parents and grandchildren are strong but links with uncles, aunties and cousins are weak.
• Birth Rate

  The number of live births per thousand of the population per year.
• Black feminism

  A version of feminism that argues that racial and ethnic differences between women are important.
• Bourgeoisie

  The ruling class in capitalism who owns property such as capital, businesses and shares.
• Breadwinner

  The person in the household who does the most paid work.
• Canalisation

  The channelling of children into toys and behaviour deemed appropriate for their sex.
• Capital

  Assets, which can be used to produce more resources.
• Capitalist society/Capitalism

  A society in which people are employed for wages and businesses are set up with the aim of making profit.
• Cereal packet family

  The image of family often presented in marketing as a conventional heterosexual family with one or more children. With a breadwinner male role and a female housewife.
• Child- Centred

  A situation where the interests of the child are put before the interests of the adults.
• Chosen families

  Groups of people who are treated like and seen as family members when they are not related by blood or marriage. Friends can be chosen families.
• Civil Partnership

  A legal partnership of two people whether homosexual or heterosexual with similar rights and responsibilities.
• Class ( social class)

  Groups within society distinguished by their economic position and who are therefore unequal.
• Cohabitation

  Living together in an intimate relationship without being married.
• Collective conscience

  Where individuals share the same norms and values and think in the same way, with a shared morality.
• Confluent love

  Love that is dependent on partners benefitting from the relationship rather than on unconditional love
• Connectedness theory


  This theory suggests that a person's history and personal life influences choices in relationships and individuals may feel held back by their heritage and family obligations.
• Conjugal roles

  The roles of husband and wife within a marriage ( may also be applied to those cohabiting)
• Consensus

  Sharing the same norms and values and agreeing to adhere to them.
• Creative singlehood

  When a person chooses to be without a partner as it suits their lifestyle at that time.
• Cross culture


  Is when we compare two cultures looking at similarities and differences.
• Culture

  In social science culture is everything in society that is socially learnt rather than passed on through genetics or biology.
• Death rate


  The number of people dying per thousand of the population per year.
• Denziens

  Wealthy foreign nationals who bring money into the UK economy.
• Dependency culture

  When individuals become happy to claim benefits and live off the state rather than work.
• Dependency ratio

  The number of non-economically active age groups (babies/elderly) relative to the size of the population of working age.
• Deviance

  Behaviour that does not conform to the norms and values of society. Deviance is a social construction- created by social groups.
• Difference feminism

  Feminism which emphasises that the position of women in society varies and women cannot be seen as a single united group.
• Dinkers

  Dual income no kids.
• Division of labour

  The way in which jobs are divided up between two or more people e.g. who does which task in the household.
• Diversity

  Variety in social life.
• Divorce

  The legal ending of a marriage
• Divorce extended family

  A family that is related by divorce rather than marriage.
• Divorce rate

  The number of people divorced per thousand married people in a population per year.