GCSE Sociology

GCSE Sociology Families Module Overview

• The concept of family is integral to sociology as it relates to socialization and how people are raised.

• Family types can vary and how they are viewed by sociologists can differ.

• Family diversity refers to the different types of families found in a society, including reconstituted and blended families.

• The nuclear family, consisting of a married male and female with children, is often viewed as the dominant family type, but family diversity challenges this.

• The new right and functionalists view the nuclear family as the best way to raise children, while feminists criticize it for constraining women to housework.

• Alternatives to traditional family structures include shared housing, communal farms, and residential homes.

• Immigration has influenced family diversity in the UK, with different cultures having different expectations of family structures.

• Functionalism views the nuclear family as the norm and emphasizes its role in primary socialization and stabilizing adult personalities.

• Marxism and feminism offer alternative perspectives on the functions of the family, including the exploitation of women's labor in the home.

• Criticisms of the nuclear family include the double or triple shift for women, where they work at home and outside of the home, and the challenges faced by single-parent families.

• Changes in society, such as increased life expectancy and declining religion, have impacted family structures.

• The media, laws, and social values reflect and shape attitudes towards different family types and diversity.Discussing Relationships and Families in Sociology

• Before industrialization, families were either landowners or worked on land for others and children would work from a young age.

• Industrialization led to larger families due to disease and life expectancy, and children were expected to contribute.

• Contemporary families raise questions about who provides and the role of parents, including the idea of symmetrical families and the influence of elites.

• Technology, the internet, and screens have changed the family unit compared to the 1950s, and families no longer eat together as much.

• Marriage is declining, and the introduction of gay marriage and immigration has redefined its importance.

• Divorce rates have increased since the 1960s due to changing social attitudes and laws, and the reasons for divorce vary among functionalist, feminist, and Marxist perspectives.

• Divorce leads to changes in family type, parenting, and socialization, affecting children's lives and socialization differently.

• Conjugal roles refer to the relationship between men and women in the household, and feminists argue that they exploit women.

• The symmetrical family is a functionalist idea that was studied in the 1970s, showing a change in society's makeup, but how effective is that change today?

• Stratified diffusion refers to the influence of the upper class on changing norms and values, which may affect other people in society.

• Power relationships in the family can be economic, about domestic labor, culture, and gender, and can differ based on class, ethnicity, religion, and background.

• Feminists argue that conjugal roles exploit women, and housework is undervalued by society, while men's roles in parenting and housework are often overlooked.Key Points for Understanding Conjugal Roles in Families

• There is tension in families regarding the value of housework and the strain it puts on relationships and control.

• Feminists reject segregated roles and criticize conjugal roles for not changing much for most women.

• Oakley and Delphine Leonard are main feminist theorists to reference in an exam on conjugal roles.

• Parsons, Murdock, and Durkheim are also important to consider when analyzing conjugal roles.

• Conjugal roles are a main area of contrast and comparison in the study of families.

• Common sense and real-life examples are effective in discussing conjugal roles.

• Functionalism and feminism are key perspectives to apply when analyzing conjugal roles.

• Conjugal roles tell us a lot about how families work and why people choose to live in them.

• Families are a popular topic for study and comparison to personal experiences.

• It is important to allocate time effectively when answering exam questions on conjugal roles.

• The module on families is a good starting point for an exam.

• Questions can be directed to the instructor via comments, email, or in-class discussions.