Sociology · Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 22 · Question 1
0495
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Marriage and family relationships are constantly changing in the postmodern world. There is a diverse range of families as well as many alternatives to the family. Marriage is still a popular choice 1 for many people but can differ depending on culture. For example, polyandry is a norm in some societies. However, whether everyone benefits from marriage and family life is a matter of debate.
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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘polyandry’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. married to more than one person. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. when a woman has more than one husband at the same time.
1(b)[4]
Describe two trends in marriage in modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
serial monogamy – remarriage rates are increasing in modern industrial societies leading to reconstituted families;first marriage – rates of first marriages have fallen significantly in modern industrial societies, e.g. fell by 50% in UK between 1970 and 2000;same-sex marriages – these are increasing as legislation changes in many modern industrial societies;marital breakdown – divorce rates in modern industrial societies have increased;age – in modern industrial societies the average age of marriage has increased, often linked to women focusing on their careers first;changing marital roles – there has been a movement towards more symmetry in marriage through the formation of joint conjugal roles;any other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).1(c)[6]
Explain how the family socialises children. Possible answers:
teaching norms and values – families teach their children the societal expectations such as respect, manners, behaviour;demonstration – family members show children how to do things e.g. sharing toys;imitation – children are encouraged to copy the behaviour of adults;instruction – children are socialised through instruction/verbal appellations that tell them what to do and what is expected;role modelling – children are likely to look up to adult family members and so do as they do;gender roles – socialisation in the family may lead children to see certain gender roles as ‘natural’ e.g. female housewives and carers;manipulation/canalisation – girls and boys are taught their expected gendered behaviour in the family through activities and toys e.g. girls go to ballet class, boys play with action figures etc;rewards/positive sanctions – families can use praise and rewards to encourage certain behaviours and attitudes in children;negative sanctions – families will reprimand and punish children if they do not do as they’re told, therefore socialising them into expected behaviours and understanding the consequences of their actions;primary socialisation – the family is the first agent of socialisation children meet, therefore is particularly influential in the formative years;any other reasonable response.this one 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 family life may benefit males. Possible answers:
gender role socialisation – processes such as canalisation and manipulation may mean that boys and girls in the family are socialised very differently, resulting in different life chances and jobs that benefit boys e.g. higher pay, status etc (Oakley);feminists – believe that the family is patriarchal in structure – segregated conjugal roles still exist in many families and this benefits males as they have more power in the family;dual/triple burden – feminists believe that even when they work in paid employment women perform the majority of the household tasks and so this unpaid labour at home benefits males;domestic division of labour – claims that family life may be symmetrical can be criticised as men typically perform the more fun and active roles whereas for women their tasks are often dull and repetitive, meaning family life benefits males;Marxist-feminists – believe that family life benefits men more than women because it is a main reason to explain why men are paid more than women at work – female earnings are considered to be supplementary to the males;Marxists – believe the nuclear family benefits capitalism as it inculcates the next generation of workers to believe capitalism is normal and fair – this requires men and women to perform different roles and because women are home-centred and men work-centred, this benefits males;Marxists – women perform the ‘warm bath’ function for males, soaking up their stresses and strains from the workplace and keeping them healthy, ready to work again and increase capitalist profits the next day so benefiting males;domestic violence – feminists believe family life is characterised by control and abuse for many women and children, typically perpetrated by men, therefore family life benefits males;education – some families may prioritise boys’ education over girls which then benefits males who are able to find better job opportunities and prospects;inheritance – in some families the culture of inheritance is that this passes through the family to the males – this benefits males in terms of finances and power;any 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 are extended families the best type of family to live in? Arguments for:
criticisms of the nuclear family as being too intense and privatised for its members means that the greater flexibility of the extended family is better for effective primary socialisation;with divorce and single parent families being increasingly common today extended families are often a vital source of support (emotional, financial, practical etc.);extended families offer extensive financial support to their members through loans and monetary gifts;extended families offer a lot of practical support to their members, such as looking after the grandchildren whilst parents are at work;extended families, particularly female members, are seen to offer valuable emotional support to their wider family members through listening, talking and offering advice;modified extended families allow smaller family units the privacy and autonomy they desire whilst still being a constant and effective source of contact and support often through the use of technology;for the pivot generation, extended families may be crucial in terms of grandparents looking after grandchildren and parents caring for their own elderly parents;in some cultures the extended family is both a norm and a sign of a successful family life e.g. South Asian communities;with a rising cost of living, extended families are often the best option in terms of sharing household and holiday costs;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:the extended family does not allow for the privacy and autonomy that individuals expect and want in a privatised contemporary society;with the need to be geographically mobile today in order to get employment, it is difficult to see how the extended family is the best fit for such a society;as social mobility becomes more normal due to increasing participation in non-compulsory education, the extended family ties are difficult to fit in with newly formed values and cultures;we now live in a global age, meaning that international travel and employment are increasingly normalised. This would be difficult to combine with an extended family structure;it is the nuclear family, rather than the extended family, that functionalists and the New Right claim is the best fit for modern society e.g. is more functional, allows for joint conjugal roles etc.;feminism – extended families may place a burden on female members e.g. the care role or restricting personal freedom;other families allow for greater female independence;
postmodernism – as societies become increasingly diverse, so do families and so there is no longer a ‘best’ type of family – this depends on the needs of the individuals and the society;any 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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