Sociology families key terms

• Breadwinner

  The person in the family who earns the money, usually the male
• Cereal packet family


  The 'ideal' nuclear family shown in the media and advertising
• Cohabitation


  When two partners live together in a relationship without being married
• Commune


  Self-contained and self-supporting communities where childcare, property etc. are shared
• Conjugal roles


  The domestic roles of married partners- who does what in the home
• Domestic division of labour


  The division of tasks such as housework and childcare in the family
• Double shift


  When women are in full time employment and be responsible for household tasks
• Expressive role


  Traditionally a woman's role in the family according to Parsons, where they look after the emotional needs of the family
• Extended family


  A family which contains members beyond the nuclear
• Family diversity


  There are a range of families in society today e.g. lone-parent, reconstituted, same-sex
• Household


  One or more people who live at the same address but may not related e.g. university students
• Instrumental role


  Traditionally the male's role within the family to be the breadwinner and provide financially for the family
• Lone-parent family


  A family of one parent and their dependent children Usually headed by the mother
• Neo-conventional family


  A typical nuclear family but where both parents go to work
• Nuclear family


  A family of one man and one woman with their dependent children
• Patriarchy


  Male power and dominance over women
• Reconstituted family


  A family of one man and one woman with children from previous relationships
• Secularisation


  A decline in religious belief and activity
• Stratified diffusion


  How the roles adopted by those at the top of the social hierarchy (richer families) filters down to the rest of society
• Symmetrical family


  Families which are equal on both sides where partners have joint roles
• Decrease in nuclear families because 


  Secularisation

  increase in divorce

  changing position of women
• Increase in reconstituted families because 


  Increase in divorce

  changing attitudes

  greater individualism
• increase in lone parent families because 


  Increase in divorce

  changing position of women

  changing attitudes
• Increase in same sex families because 


  Changing laws

  changing attitudes
• Increase in beanpole families because 


  Increase in life expectancy

  decrease in birth rate
• Increase in Neo - conventional families because 


  Changes in law ( equal pay )

  changing attitudes

  changing postition of women
• Increase in cohabitating couples because 


  Changing attitudes

  changing postition of women

  increase in divorce
• Alternatives to families

  Living alone - increasing among younger and older individuals

  living in a commune - e.g shared property
• is marriage still important?

  Yes =

  • remmariages increasing
  • same sex marriage increasing
  • married persons tax allowance introduced
  • some still aspire to marry

  no =

  • firts time marriages decreasing
  • cohabitation is more acceptable
  • divorce increasing
  • some choose civil relationship
• Families over time

  Pre - industrial : extended families, worked productive unit, families performed most functions

  industrial : nuclear families, male took on breadwinner role, government took over functions from families

  contemparary : family diversity, diversity of roles, smaller families
• Gender roles

  .

  • Willmott and young : families are more symmetrical with shared contributions and equal roles.
  • reasons for symmetrical families : changing attitudes, commercialisation of housework.
  • stratified diffusion : roles filter from middle to working class ( will become less equal )
• Are gender roles more equal?

  Yes =

  • symmetrical families - joint conjugal roles
  • the new man women take part in decision making

  no =

  • double / triple shift
  • the new man is a myth - women still responsible
  • men still make most important decisions
  • 1 / 4 women are victims of domestic abuse
• Parents and children

  .

  • Relationships in the past : parents had authority, strict discipline, children seen not heard
  • relationships today : parents show less discipline, children have more freedom, more child centred
  • reasons for changes : having less kids, emphasis on childrens rights
  • toxic childhood : children poisoned by junk culture of media and food, lead to poor behaviour
• Extended families

  • Important in pre-industrial era
  • May be less important today due to seeing less of each other (living far away), may only see for special occasions
  • May still be important today due to Grandparents helping with childcare, better technology to keep in contact, still common in some cultures
• Changing patterns Of divorce

  Trends in divorce :

  • 42% of marriages end in divorce
  • rate has increased compared to 30 years ago
  • rate has declined slightly

  reasons for increases :

  • changes in law
  • changing attitudes
  • changing position of women

  sociological views of divorce :

  • functionalist - can lead to fewer dysfunctional families
  • Marxist - more common in working class families due to stress from capitalism
  • feminist - can be positive, allow women to escape patriarchal relationships
• First time marriages are decreasing 


  Reasons : changing attitudes, position of women, increasing cost of marriage

  impacts : less married nuclear families, more cohabitating couples
• Remarriages increasing 


  Reasons : increased in divorce, change to divorce laws

  impacts : more reconstituted families
• Age of first time marriage increasing 


  reasons : changing position of women, increasing cost, attitudes

  impacts : more couples cohabitate before marriage
• rapaport (functionalist

  Families are changing, there is increasing diversity

  Five different aspects of family diversity: organisational

  (eg internal divisions of domestic labour), cultural (beliefs

  and values), class (eg how the family’s position in the

  social class system affects the availability of resources),

  life course (stage in the family life cycle) and cohort

  (historical period).
• Parsons (functionalist)

  Family has two basic functions which are common to all

  families in all societies: primary socialisation of children

  and the stabilisation of adult personalities e.g to give and

  receive emotional support