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Sociology · May / June 2021 · Paper 22 · Question 1

0495

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The question as text

The institution of the family is very diverse. A decline in traditional conjugal roles and demographic factors, such as the decreasing birth rate, are evidence that the family is changing. Social factors 1 such as ethnicity, gender, social class and age also impact upon experiences of family life. This means that the roles individuals play in families are different and cannot be generalised.

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  • 1(a)[2]

    What is meant by the term ‘traditional conjugal roles’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. old-fashioned roles in the family. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. the segregated roles assumed to be normal in the nuclear family e.g. male breadwinner, female housewife.

  • 1(b)[4]

    Describe two ways families may not be symmetrical. Candidates will be expected to describe two ways families may not be symmetrical. Possible answers:

    feminism – the family is a patriarchal institution that benefits men;
    domestic division of labour – the main responsibility for childcare and housework falls typically to women;
    hours worked – even when men and women work the same hours in employment, women do more work at home than men;
    tasks completed – the tasks men and women perform in the family are different. Female tasks tend to be dull and repetitive whereas male tasks are more active and fun;
    dual/triple burden – expectations for family roles and responsibilities are still associated with females, regardless of whether they work outside the home or not;
    domestic violence – perpetrators are typically males and victims female;
    single parent families – these are typically headed by females who take responsibility for the raising of children even when the father is still involved with the children;
    age – adults typically have more power in the family than children;
    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 decreasing birth rates are affecting the family. Candidates are expected to discuss different ways decreasing birth rates are affecting the family. Possible answers:

    family life may be less child-centred because in many societies children are viewed as an economic burden;
    smaller family sizes may mean that more affection and time is showered upon the small number of children so making the family more child-centred;
    elderly/sick family members are now often looked after by the state rather than their family due to fewer children being born;
    women may be less family centred and more work centred due to the decreasing birth rate;
    having a smaller family makes it easier to be geographically mobile thereby allowing individuals to take advantage of more diverse job opportunities;
    more families may only have one child therefore leisure activities may be more media or adult centred rather than playing with siblings;
    DINK families may be becoming more popular as adults choose to spend their income on themselves and activities they want to do rather than on any children;
    decreasing birth rates may mean that friends become ever more important in re-constructing what is meant by ‘family’;
    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 men’s roles in families are changing. Candidates should explain why men’s roles in families are changing. Possible answers:

    legislation – laws are changing to give men and women equality in society and so this is also being seen in the family e.g. the increase of symmetrical roles;
    changing norms and values – segregated conjugal roles are now seen as a thing of the past meaning family roles have had to adapt;
    what we mean to be ‘male’ is changing (e.g. Connell) – many men today choose to be less work centred and more home centred, embodying ‘new man’ ideals/homosexuality is now accepted etc.;
    feminism – women are no longer content in being subordinate to men and thus are not prepared to have the home and family life as their sole source of identity, they are going to work;
    the rise of diverse family structures and relationships e.g. same sex families, means that male roles have had to change – in a gay male family, for example, men have to perform the household tasks and duties;
    education – girls are overtaking boys in terms of educational qualifications and achievement in most Western societies and this means that they want and expect to work – men need to support women in the home and with childcare if appropriate;
    male unemployment/crisis of masculinity – if men are not working then they may find themselves having to take on roles in the home (Mac an Ghaill – crisis of masculinity);
    the move away from the extended family to the privatised nuclear family means that there is less pressure on men to take a traditional instrumental role – the family’s roles can therefore be negotiated;
    functionalist ideas of natural expressive (female) and instrumental (male) roles in the family are challenged by the large number of women who are now the primary breadwinners in their family – this inevitably means male roles in the family need to change;
    changes to gender socialisation – by parents, peers, education, the media – means that males and females are learning different ways to be masculine and feminine and this will lead to men taking different roles in the family e.g. being more involved in childcare and housework;
    globalisation – as people see different ways of living through the internet and the worldwide web, more versions of family life with different male and female roles become normalised;
    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 does ethnicity impact upon experiences of family life? Candidates should discuss different ways that experiences of family life can be impacted upon by ethnicity. In evaluation, they may look at how other factors are more significant than ethnicity (e.g. social class, culture, age etc.) or argue that in many cases a family’s ethnicity is not relevant to family life. Possible answers: FOR

    Afro-Caribbean families are more likely to be headed by females and are often matrifocal in nature;
    South Asian families often have strong extended family ties and lower levels of divorce and single parenthood;
    Chinese families may be small in size due to the one-child policy (now three child policy);
    the increase of DINK families in China may mean that children are not seen to be essential to family life;
    families in some traditional societies may be polyandrous/polygamous and thus there may be multiple wives or husbands living in the family home;
    South Asian families on average are larger than other ethnicities which will affect family life – e.g. providing financial and emotional support;
    South Asian families are more likely to maintain traditional and segregated gender roles than other ethnicities and may still conduct arranged marriages;
    East European families have high rates of migration to the West which may have a big influence on family life as new norms and values need to be taken on-board;
    Eastern European children are said to feel more duty towards their parents than those in the West and are therefore more likely to look after elderly/sick parents themselves rather than rely on the state;
    traveller/gypsy families typically move around frequently meaning they often do not go to school regularly and spend more time at home with parents and wider family members;
    ethnicity can affect food, clothing, norms and religion, all of which are a big part of family life e.g. praying at particular times of the day, being veiled, eating halal meat, Jewish Shabbat family meals etc.;
    other reasonable response. AGAINST
    one social factor such as ethnicity is unlikely to explain differences in family life – it is more accurate to talk about the intersection of relevant factors such as ethnicity, age, gender and social class;
    to argue that ethnicity impacts upon family life is too deterministic and too generalised – every family and individual is different;
    postmodernists believe that family life today is characterised by diversity, therefore individuals can choose the kind of family life they want, regardless of ethnicity;
    as so many societies are multicultural today, inter-ethnic relationships and families are commonplace, therefore hybridity is likely to be seen meaning ethnicity is less influential;
    Marxists would argue that social class is a much more important social factor that impacts upon family life e.g. through both material and cultural factors;
    feminists would argue that gender is much more influential than ethnicity when it comes to family life e.g. gender role socialisation, segregated conjugal roles, triple shift etc.;
    within an ethnic group family life may be different because of the country in which the family lives e.g. Asian families living in Asia may practice arranged marriage and segregated conjugal roles whereas those in the UK may be more love based and egalitarian;
    the age of an individual may be the most important factor influencing family life in terms of expectations, norms and values e.g. attitudes to same sex marriage, views on gender roles etc.;
    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 cannot 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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