...Family diversity is the idea that there are a range of different family types, rather than a single dominant one like the nuclear family. It is associated with the post-modernists idea that in today’s society increasing choice about relationships is creating greater family diversity. The modernist view sees society as having a fairly fixed, predictable structure. The modernists see the nuclear family as being the best as it performs certain essential functions. Talcott Parsons saw that the nuclear family as uniquely suited to meet the needs of modern society for a geographical and socially mobile work force. Also Parsons saw that the family performed two ‘irreducible functions’- the primary socialisation of the young and the stabilisation of adult personalities. These functions contribute to the overall stability and effectiveness of society. The New Right has an anti-feminist and conservative view on the family; they are firmly opposed to diversity within family life. The New Right sociologists hold the view that there is only one normal family type; this is the traditional patriarchal nuclear family consisting of a married couple and their dependent children. The New Right sees this family type as being natural based upon the fundamental biological differences between men and women. These sociologists would argue that family diversity is the cause of many social problems, such as education failure and high crime rates. The New Right believes that lone-parent families...
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...Assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. (24 marks) In today's society, there are various alternatives from the typical family type. The top examples of these are lone-parent, cohabitation and reconstituted. But there are also some others such as same sex couples, single parent and multi-cultural families. There has been a decrease in the number of nuclear families in the UK and an increase in various other families such as single parent families. But the raise in single parent households has to do with the increase in divorce across the UK which means that more people are left having to support their children on their own unless they become a reconstituted family. Functionalists are classed as modernists when it comes to their opinions on family diversity in post-modern UK. But they also see modern society as clear-cut, fixed and predictable. They think that the best and strongest family type is the nuclear family. The main functionalist who is focused on is Parsons. He came up with the functional fit, which is where pre-industrial society and the extended family changed into industrial society and the nuclear family. He also believes that the nuclear family meets all of society’s needs the best unlike any of the other diverse family types which society has to offer. Functionalists see all other family types as inadequate, abnormal or deviant. This shows that they don’t think that any other family type other than the nuclear...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today (24 marks) On Most Advertisements, the nuclear family is represented as the ideal family . The Nuclear family is a family which entails of a Mother a Father and two children which is portrayed in various different ways to be the most suitable family structure. The idea of the Nuclear Family being the ideal family was studied and expressed in 1967 by Edmund Leach. However the question in which must be taken into consideration is that is the nuclear family still considered a norm in the society of today despite the fact that family diversity is on the rise. From the perspective of Rapoport and Fogarty, they believe that nuclear families are not the norm anymore for the reason that family diversity has increased and will most likely continue to increase. There were five particular categories of family diversity which were recognised in Britain. One form is organisational diversity which is when division of labour is established within the family and the contrasts in the way differences in the ways family roles are organised. Diversity can be perceived in many ways for instance Cultural diversity which is the religious and ethnic effects. Social class diversity- there are differences between working and middle classes in terms of adult relationships, the socialisation of children etc. Life course diversity, as different stages in the life cycle will...
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...Sociological Explanations of the Nature and Extent of Family Diversity Today In our modern society, there are different types of families including, but not limited to, the nuclear family, single parent family and divorce-extended family. This has caused sociologists to argue about whether this is a bad thing for society. Functionalists and the New Right argue that without pre-set roles in families, for example the male breadwinner and female homemaker, society would fall apart. These groups argue that the family that best serves society is the nuclear family consisting of a father, mother and dependent children. Opposed to this, feminists and postmodernists argue that the shift from the traditional family to the family today is a good thing because it provides individuals more choice and allows them to pursue their own wants and needs. For example, Weeks (2000) argues that a family does not have to be comprised of biological connections and instead is ‘socially constructed’ by the people involved. And Stacey (1998) agrees with this by arguing that families such as divorce extended families provide the people involved with the freedom to choose the family arrangement that best suits their needs. Sociologists have attempted to explain increasing family diversity. For example, Rhona and Robert Rapoport (1982) argue that there are five reasons for family diversity in today’s society. These include the following: * Organisational diversity. This refers to how a family...
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...different ways. Parsons describes the division of labour in the traditional nuclear family in terms of an expressive role and an instrumental role. However, this traditional arrangement may have changed as families have changed, and many feminists use the term ‘dual burden’ to describe the woman’s role in the family today. Item 2B Government policies and laws include tax and benefit policies as well as legislation such as relating to divorce and marriage. Sociologists have different views on the impact of these policies and laws on families. For example, feminists argue that social policies assume that the ideal family is a patriarchal nuclear family, and that government policies and laws therefore favour this sort of family. On the other hand, the New Right argue that the benefit system undermines traditional nuclear families by actively encouraging lone parents. 0 6 Explain what is meant by the ‘dual burden’ (Item 2A). (2 marks) 0 7 Explain the difference between the expressive role and the instrumental role (Item 2A). (4 marks) 0 8 Suggest three ways in which the differences between children and adults are becoming less clear in society today. (6 marks) 0 9 Examine the reasons for, and the effects of, changes in family size over the past 100 years or so. (24 marks) 1 0 Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess sociological views of the impact of government policies and laws on family life. Item 2A Over the past 40 years or so, there has been a decline in the...
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...SCLY1 (Old Specification) Past Exam Questions Although June 2016 will be a new specification and exam structure much of the material you have learnt in families and households applies to the new exam. Below are examples of questions taken from the old exam papers that you should practice writing plans for as they are still relevant. However there are a few key differences: * The question you will answer will be worth 20 marks not 24 marks. * You will have 30 minutes to write a 20 mark answer. * The essays will consist 4 paragraphs and a conclusion containing new information. How to use this document: * Use the extract from the mark scheme and examiners’ advice to create essay plans of the questions. * You may not have heard of all of the concepts in the mark scheme but there should be at least some that are familiar to you. * The examiner’s advice usually outlines bad, moderate and good answers to the question so pick out the ways in which you can achieve top band and incorporate this into your plan. June 2015 Examine the impact of government policies and laws on family life. [24 marks] From the mark scheme: Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of labour Policies/laws on abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions; benefits; taxes;...
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...'neo-conventional family' (2 marks) Chester describes the neo-conventional family as a dual-earner family, in which both souses go to work. It is similar to Young and Willmott's idea of the symmetrical family. b) Explain the difference between 'expressive' and 'instrumental' roles. (4 marks) Expressive - 'homemaker', usually the female's role as it is more caring and nurturing and stating that they should stay at home and be a housewife and not go to work. Instrumental – 'breadwinner', usually the male's role as it is more physical and states that men should go to work and earn money for their family in order to provide for them. c) Identify three of the types of family diversity described by the Rapoports. (6 marks)Organisational – difference in how roles within the family are organised and shared between husbands' and wives'. (e.g. joint or segregated conjugal roles)Cultural - differences in family structures between different cultures, religions and ethnic groups. (e.g. female headed households in African-Caribbean). Generational – different generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflect the historical periods in which they have lived. (e.g. morality of cohabitation or divorce) Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. Family diversity refers to any family type that is not nuclear, such as single parent families and gay couples. Family diversity is becoming...
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...SCLY 3: Beliefs in Society Revision Guide 2009-10 Name: Remember: You have to revise everything, because essay questions will focus on more than one area of the specification. The specification: The relationship between religious beliefs and social change and stability * Functionalism: conservative force, inhibition of change, collective conscience, Durkheim and totemism, anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs...
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...|Current Grade |Target Grade |Lates |Attendance | |September | | | | | |November | | | | | |January | | | | | |March | | | | | |May | | | | | | |Families |Education | |UMS | | | |Grade | | | | |Handed in on |Mark |Grade |What is the target for my next piece of work? |Above/ On/ Under Target | |Assessment/Homework |time? | | | |Grade...
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...SCLY 3: Beliefs in Society Revision Guide 2009-10 Name: Remember: You have to revise everything, because essay questions will focus on more than one area of the specification. The specification: The relationship between religious beliefs and social change and stability * Functionalism: conservative force, inhibition of change, collective conscience, Durkheim and totemism, anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual ...
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...Assess the view that secularisation has been a feature only in modern European societies-33 marks The idea of secularisation implies that there has been disenchantment in social life, that sacred ideas are no longer of any relevance to people and practical matters are emptied of any spiritual significance. Secularisation according to Wilson is the process whereby ‘religious thinking, practice and institutions social significance,’ that people are more interested in leisurely pursuits and that society and religion has become more pluralistic as a result of globalisation. Exclusivists think that secularisation is definitely happening whilst inclusivists argue that it is not happening, rather that society is experiencing resacralisation, that there are other religions such as NRMS and New Age Spirituality which are equally valid. Woodhead and Heelas suggest that there are two versions of secularisation. Firstly the disappearance thesis states that modernity is bringing about the death of religion. This thesis tends to use Church statistics as evidence. Crockett found that in 1851 40% Church attendance and in 2007 2% attended. In 2002 2/3 attended a religious service such as weddings no more than once a year. However there are problems concerning the use of Church statistics, regarding their reliability and validity. Statistics tell us very little about the social meaning of religion as Davie suggests many people can believe without belonging. Bellah also notes that religion is...
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... Families and Households This Answers book provides some possible answers that might be given for the questions asked in the workbook. They are not exhaustive and other answers may well be acceptable, but they are intended as a guide to give teachers and students feedback. The responses for the longer essay-style questions are intended to give some idea about how the exam questions might be answered. Again, these are not the only ways to answer such questions but they can be treated as one way of approaching questions of these types. Topic 1 Functionalist and New Right views of the family How have functionalist and New Right thinkers explained family life and the relationship between families and social change? 1 The organic analogy refers to the extended comparison made by functionalists between the human or other living body and society, with the organs of the body equivalent to institutions and structures in society. 2 Primary socialisation refers to the first and most important stage of the socialisation process by which young children absorb the norms and values of their culture, mainly from their parents. Note: make sure your answer explains both ‘primary’ and ‘socialisation’. 3 One way in which the nuclear family is more suited than other types of family to modern industrial society is that it allows for geographical mobility; it is easier to move a nuclear family to a new area for, say, a new job than to move an extended family. A second...
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...Glossary of Sociological Terms |11-Plus Exam |Examination introduced with the 1944 Education Act, sat by all pupils in the state sector| | |at the age of 11. If they passed they went to the selective Grammar School, or if they | | |failed to the Secondary Modern School. This exam still exists in some counties such as | | |Kent and also in Northern Ireland. | |12-Plus Exam |Exam made available only to a minority of 'high-flyers' in Secondary Modern schools, | | |offering a late chance to go to Grammar School at the age of 12. | |'30-30-40 society' |A term associated with Will Hutton to describe an increasingly insecure and polarised | | |society. The bottom 30 per cent is socially excluded by poverty from the rest of society.| | |The next 30 per cent live in fear and insecurity of falling into poverty. Only the top 40| | |per cent feel secure and confident. ...
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...University of California, Berkeley 510-642-7066 mjaustin@berkeley.edu August 2006 1 Table of Contents Introduction – Michael J. Austin, Guest Editor Part I Multiple Social Science Perspectives of Poverty Theories of Poverty: Findings from Textbooks on Human Behavior and the Social Environment Amanda J. Lehning, Catherine M. Vu, & Indira Pintak Economic Theories of Poverty Sun Young Jung & Richard Smith Sociological Theories of Poverty in Urban America Jennifer Price Wolf Psychological Theories of Poverty Kelly Turner & Amanda Lehning An Anthropological View of Poverty Kristine Frerer & Catherine Vu Political Science Perspectives on Poverty Amanda Lehning Theories of Global Poverty in the Developed and Developing World Jennifer Morazes & Indira Pintak Part II Theory Integration and Practitioner Perspectives Social Capital and Neighborhood Poverty: Toward an Ecologically-Grounded Model of Neighborhood Effects Kathy Lemon Osterling Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Poverty Sherrill Clark The Explosive Nature of the Culture of Poverty: A Teaching Case Based on An Agency-based Training Program Catherine Vu & Michael J. Austin 2 Understanding Poverty From Multiple Social Science Perspectives Introduction This BASSC learning resource has its origins in both historical and contemporary attempts to address the complex social problem of poverty in the U.S. It grew out of a doctoral seminar and therefore most of the authors...
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...CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION (CAPE) CARIBBEAN STUDIES For Self-Study and Distance Learning This material has been developed for The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) With assistance from The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Copyright © 2004 CXC/COL Prepared by Dr Jennifer Mohammed Mr. Samuel Lochan Dr. Henderson Carter Dr. David Browne CARIBBEAN STUDIES TABLE OF CONTENTS Study Guide 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Titles Society, Culture and the Individual Geography, Society and Culture History, Society and Culture Cultural Diversity in Caribbean Society and Culture Impact of Societal Institutions on Caribbean People Caribbean - Global Interaction Concepts and Indicators of Development Contribution of Sports to Development in the Caribbean Regional Integration and Development Factors Promoting or Hindering Development Intellectual Traditions The Mass Media Social Justice Investigating Issues in the Caribbean Pages 1 – 21 22 – 51 52 – 87 88 – 116 117 – 146 147 – 170 171 – 187 188 – 195 196 – 207 208 –222 223 – 247 248 – 255 256 – 262 263 – 303 INTRODUCTION Purpose The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), has developed Self-Study Guides for a number of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects. The main purpose of the Guides is to provide both in-school and out-of-school...
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