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Sociology · May / June 2021 · Paper 21 · Question 1

0495

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The question as text

Family life is constantly changing due to reasons such as the ageing population, secularisation and the diverse roles of men and women. Some people are choosing not to get married or live in a 1 family at all, preferring alternatives instead. For some individuals this may be due to the dark side of family life.

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  • 1(a)[2]

    What is meant by the term ‘secularisation’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. less religious. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. where religion has become less important in the lives of many people in society.

  • 1(b)[4]

    Describe two examples of the dark side of family life. Candidates will be expected to describe two examples of the dark side of family life. Possible answers:

    arguments and conflict ,– may lead to a stressful and tense family life, e.g. divorce;
    domestic violence – violence within the family, can be physical, emotional or in the form of control, e.g. Dobash and Dobash
    sexual abuse – women and children may be the victims of sexual abuse within the family;
    child abuse and neglect – when family life is dangerous and exploitative for children, e.g. living with a drug addicted parent;
    elder abuse – when the elderly members of the family suffer at the hands of other family members, e.g. physical violence, neglect;
    triple burden – feminists believe family life is negative for females due to the responsibilities and expectations placed upon her (paid work, housework and emotional care);
    inadequate socialisation may lead to a dysfunctional family life as correct norms and values are not learnt (New Right – Murray);
    other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).

  • 1(c)[6]

    Explain how females are gaining more power in the family. Candidates should discuss how females are gaining more power in the family. Possible answers:

    feminists encourage women to challenge patriarchal ideologies in families and thus to be more powerful, e.g. more equality;
    single parent families are increasing in numbers and these are typically headed by females, meaning they have the power in the family;
    the rise of symmetrical families (Willmott and Young) means that both women and men have an equal share in running the home (shared power);
    the rise of working women means that females are no longer reliant on their husband’s/partner’s wages thus increasing their power in the home in terms of decision making, etc;
    high earning women are challenging functionalist views of the natural female-expressive and male-instrumental gender roles and thus increasing their power and status;
    the increasing availability of contraception means that females can control the amount of children they have and when they have them thus giving them more power in the family;
    lesbian same-sex families remove any kind of patriarchal control and so increase female power in the family;
    changing legislation such as equal opportunities, sex discrimination, equal pay, free/subsidised childcare ,etc. means females are no longer seen to be subservient to males;
    girls are not as subjected to gender role socialisation as previously and thus are encouraged to obtain power in society;
    other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. Responses may be short and un/underdeveloped. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point, but there may be a tendency towards simplistic answers, engaging with sociological ideas without using sociological language. Band 2 [4–6 marks] Answers in this band will have clear and accurate explanation, showing good sociological knowledge and understanding. Sociological terms and concepts should be expected and explained. At the bottom of the band, the range of points covered may be narrow or lack detail. Higher in the band, answers will cover more than one point in a well-developed way or cover several points in less detail.

  • 1(d)[8]

    Explain why an ageing population is likely to affect family life. Candidates should discuss why an ageing population is affecting family life. Possible answers:

    grandparents are living longer and so are able to be an active part of family life for longer, e.g. providing emotional support for their children and grand-children;
    grandparents may financially support and assist their children;
    grandparents may perform vital childcare for free that otherwise parents could not afford;
    living longer may mean that elderly parents are a greater burden for adult children, particularly women, who may then suffer financially and emotionally;
    the state – as the state has to use resources to support elderly people, e.g. pensions, this leaves less available for children and others in families;
    due to increased geographical mobility in society, elderly people may not live near their family’s meaning they may suffer from loneliness and isolation;
    there may be a return to extended families in order to allow multiple generations of family members to live together and support one another;
    pivot/sandwich generation – an ageing population may mean the stresses of elderly care must sit alongside childcare for many families, particularly women;
    other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. A tendency to description is likely. Responses may be short and undeveloped and points stated without explanation. Sociological terms and concepts are unlikely to be used. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point. Band 2 [4–6 marks] Answers in this band will show basic sociological knowledge and understanding. Responses may be underdeveloped and lacking in range. At the bottom of the band, candidates are unlikely to use sociological terms and concepts accurately. Higher in the band, candidates may be beginning to use sociological terms and concepts with greater accuracy. However, some aspects of the answer may only be partially developed/explained. Band 3 [7–8 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding and will be well-developed and explained. Sociological terms and concepts will be used accurately overall. Answers will be well-focused on the question and there will be a range of points presented. At the top of the band explanations will be clear throughout.

  • 1(e)[15]

    To what extent is marriage threatened by alternatives to the family? Candidates should discuss the ways marriage may be threatened by alternatives to the family. Possible answers: FOR

    singlehood is a lifestyle of choice for many people today which does not include the idea of getting married, e.g. career women;
    singlehood can sometimes occur, e.g. divorced men who then live alone – this alternative to the family is now more commonplace and therefore may threaten marriage;
    communes are a lifestyle choice for many people who wish to live communally, perhaps based on religious or political beliefs. This style of living does not incorporate marriage;
    in many examples of communal living biological bonds between adults and children are considered to be irrelevant meaning there is no need for marriage;
    friends have become increasingly important to individuals and are thought by many to perform functions that were once done by the family meaning that we are seeing changing views about the need to get married and have a family;
    friends are increasingly making large commitments together, e.g. buying a house , that were once reserved for married couples – this may negate the need for marriage;
    in some traditional tribal societies, e.g. the Nayar, individuals do not live as families and thus there is no need for marriage;
    feminists have demonised marriage as a patriarchal institution which may put many women off having a traditional married life;
    the loss of family functions means that the state (alternative to the family) often plays a large role in family life today which may decrease the need for individuals to get married;
    in many countries and religions same sex marriages and families are not permitted, homosexuality may therefore threaten the institution of marriage;
    other reasonable response. AGAINST
    it may be secularisation that is threatening the institution of marriage, not alternatives to the family;
    changing norms, values and expectations may mean that people do not believe marriage is a useful partnership for them anymore;
    high divorce rates and high costs of marriage may be putting people off from getting married, not alternatives to the family;
    in many religions and cultures marriage is still highly valued and very popular, e.g. South Asian communities;
    marriage is evolving as societies change and this will ensure it remains an important institution, e.g. allowing homosexual people to marry in many countries today, allowing people to have civil rather than religious services
    serial monogamy – getting married and then divorced and then married again clearly shows that marriage as an institution is thought to be important;
    remarriage rates are high, indicating that the institution of marriage is not under threat;
    marriage is still promoted through the media as the most acceptable lifestyle, e.g. romanticism in Disney movies;
    alternatives to family life such as communes, singlehood and living with friends may just be a stage in a person’s life, not a lifelong decision, therefore it is unlikely to threaten marriage;
    other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–4 marks] Answers in this band may be vague and largely based on common sense showing limited knowledge of the debate. Use of sociological terms or concepts is very unlikely. Responses may be short, undeveloped and one- sided. Lower in the band (1–2 marks), expect one or two weak points. Higher in the band (3–4 marks) candidates may offer more than two points and provide a weak definition of key terms in the question. Band 2 [5–8 marks] In this band candidates will show some basic knowledge of the debate. Alternatively, they may offer an answer which is list-like in nature but there will be no real attempt to assess the issues raised by the question. There may be limited/some use of sociological terms or concepts. Responses may be underdeveloped and lack range. Answers may be simplistic and two- sided or only cover one side of the debate. Lower in the band, the response may be rather narrow in the points covered and there may be some development. Higher in the band, more points are likely to be covered with some development. Alternatively, a list-like answer with some development covering both sides of the argument may score up to 8 marks. A one-sided answer can not score higher than 8 marks. Band 3 [9–12 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding of the debate. Sociological terms and concepts will be used with greater accuracy and/or frequency. For the most part, answers will be well-developed, focused on the questions and there will be a range of points presented. There will be a two-sided response but it may lack range on one side. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a narrower range of developed points. At the top of the band, expect a wider range of developed points and clear focus on the question. Band 4 [13–15 marks] Answers in this band will show excellent knowledge and understanding of the debate. There will be a strong grasp of the arguments as well as accurate and frequent use of sociological terms and concepts. Answers will be well-developed, clearly focused on the question and discuss a wide range of points. Responses will be two-sided and have a range of points on each side. At the bottom of the band (13 marks), the answer may lack a specific conclusion. Higher in the band, there will be a clear attempt to offer an assessment of the ‘To what extent.?’ part of the question through a focused conclusion.
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