Sociology · May / June 2023 · Paper 21 · Question 1
0495
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The question as text
Family life is different for everyone. This can be because of the various types of family, different relationships within families or the changing expectations of family roles. Marriage is also different 1 across the world and for some people is no longer considered essential. Many sociologists therefore believe that the cereal packet family no longer exists.
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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘cereal packet family’? One mark for a partial definition, e.g. the perfect family;
Two marks for a clear definition, e.g. the stereotypical nuclear family with traditional gender roles often seen in the media.
1(b)[4]
Describe two different types of marriage. Possible answers:
monogamy − a marriage between two partners, traditionally a man and a woman;serial monogamy − increasing divorce rates and secularisation in many Western countries has led to this becoming more common − having several marriage partners over a lifetime but only one at a time;group marriages − two or more husbands and two or more wives − these are rare;arranged marriage − marriage partners are chosen by older family members or a matchmaker may be involved;practised in many South Asian families;
forced marriage − a male or female is forced to marry somebody despite not giving their consent;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 contemporary families are child–centred. Possible answers:
laws and regulations − laws now exist to protect the rights of children and to give them greater freedom e.g. physical reprimands are now not permissible in many societies e.g. smacking in families banned;UN Convention − Rights of the Child − most countries have signed this document which says that children must have the right to say what they think about decisions being taken which directly affect them, e.g. divorce cases;time − parents now spend more time with children, seen as a period of innocence and protection e.g. home education, craft making, hobbies and activities etc.;decline in birth rate − as parents now have fewer children on average this intensifies the parent−child relationship and encourages a more child−centred approach;specialised market − many products are now marketed directly to the child market and these items are seen in families across the world, e.g. toys, games, fashion, etc.;money − pester power − advertisers now recognise the power of children as consumers and encourage them to ‘pester’ parents for the consumer goods they want – parents spend more money on children than ever before;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. 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 marriage is no longer considered essential in modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
feminism − women are realising the disadvantages of marriage as a source of patriarchy and so are choosing alternatives instead e.g. cohabitation/singlehood;career women − more women are focusing their attentions on their careers rather than family life and thus decide not to marry − perhaps cohabiting or choosing singlehood instead (Sue Sharpe);secularisation − as societies become less religious so the pressure to marry is lessened as ‘living in sin’ loses its stigma − cohabitation has become a viable option for many couples;changing attitudes to marriage − postmodern views of diversity and acceptance of single parent families, voluntary childlessness etc.;decline of communities − with geographical mobility now a norm, the privatised nuclear family has replaced the community role and thus there are less informal controls on people to conform to traditional norms and values;changing legislation − having equality in other areas of social life e.g. employment (Equality Act, for example) allows women to choose not to get married as they can be financially and socially independent;cost of marriage − getting married is a costly process and as couples typically get married later in life marriage is often financed by the couples themselves − the prohibitive costs may put many couples off marrying;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 maybe 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 in 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 family roles changing? Possible answers: Arguments for:
joint conjugal roles − men and women now share the instrumental and expressive roles (symmetrical families) largely due to many families today being dual−worker;grandparents − with an ageing population grandparents are increasingly helping out with childcare/housework in the family;rise of divorce − as divorce rates rise and the marriage rates decline so lone parent and reconstituted families form − they need to be more flexible in the roles family members take than the more traditional nuclear structure;paternal roles − men are now expected to be involved with their children meaning they are displaying a more ‘new man’ masculinity and are playing an active part in the expressive/emotional side of family life;role reversal − traditional notions of male and female family roles are changing and in many modern families women are the main breadwinner whilst men take on the role of househusband;children’s roles − societies have become more child−centred and this has given children a more powerful, active role in the family where they expect to be listened to and have their voices heard;globalisation − as different families are represented and seen in the media across the globe, this allows for discussion of family roles, often resulting in changes to family life e.g. Western representations may affect family roles in non−Western countries;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:conjugal roles − functionalists believe having two distinct and separate roles (expressive and instrumental) is the natural role and this is not changing;conjugal roles − warm bath theory − as men are still predominantly the main breadwinner it makes sense for the wife to focus on making the home environment loving and warm so the man can forget his workplace stresses − roles are not changing;segregated conjugal roles − in many cultures and societies, particularly traditional ones, these remain the norm, especially in more religious communities;part−time female workers − women still dominate part−time work, particularly if they have a family as this allows them to combine work and home commitments therefore this can often result in women also performing most of the domestic role − this has not changed;dual burden − many sociologists believe that as more women go out to work this has not changed their family roles but instead has made them more stressful as women now have to fulfil the roles of paid employee as well as homemaker − the family role has not changed;dark side of family life − women are still far more likely than men to be the victims of domestic abuse in the family with men as the perpetrators, this has not changed;pivot generation − the ageing population has formed another caring role for women − many find themselves having to take care of both dependent children and elderly relatives creating a triple shift − this caring role has not changed;children’s roles − children remain under the authority of adults and are socially controlled through a system of rewards and sanctions to ensure they conform;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 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.?’
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