Sociology · May / June 2023 · Paper 22 · Question 1
0495
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Family life has changed. Different types of family have emerged along with changes to family roles. For example, joint conjugal roles are now far more common. For some sociologists the family is 1 considered a positive and essential institution, whereas for others it is a place of inequality and negative experiences.
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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘joint conjugal role’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. sharing the housework. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. husband and wife share many tasks and activities so there is no clear separation of gender roles.
1(b)[4]
Describe two reasons why reconstituted families are becoming more common in modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
higher divorce rates – divorce is cheaper and easier than ever before meaning that, if there are problems in a marriage, divorce can be granted. The adults can then find new partners and so create reconstituted families;changing attitudes – serial monogamy is seen as normal in many societies today as we are encouraged to do what makes us happy and therefore reconstituted families also become more widespread;secularisation – the declining influence of religion means there is less pressure and expectation for people to stay together in unhappy relationships – new families are formed which are then reconstituted;media representations – blended families are now seen regularly and as ‘normal’ in the media which therefore removes any sense of shame or stigma from them;feminism – feminists encourage women to leave relationships that are not happy and satisfying meaning many will go on to form reconstituted families;family diversity – it is no longer the case that one family is seen as the norm in society and therefore many different types of family are forming, reconstituted being one;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 grandparents can contribute to family life. Possible answers:
socialisation – grandparents often teach norms and values or their culture to their grandchildren when they are taking care of them in place of parents;social control – grandparents are often involved in disciplining children when they misbehave;childcare – with dual worker families being the norm in many modern industrial societies, grandparents can be a vital source of childcare that enables both partners to have paid employment;financially – grandparents often contribute financially to family life – helping out in times of crisis as well as on a more regular basis e.g. paying school fees, buying a car etc.;accommodation – grandparents may come to live with their adult children or adult children may move back in with their parents – this means grandparents have a regular and important role to play in family life;emotionally/advice – mothers particularly rely upon their own mothers for support and advice therefore grandparents can listen and talk and support families;modified extended families – in the digital age grandparents can contribute to family life even when they live a long way away – social media and video phones allow for close and meaningful relationships to be maintained;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 urbanisation has changed family life. Possible answers:
geographical mobility – smaller families make moving for work far easier – family life is therefore now more geographically dispersed than previously;family size – the movement of people to the cities meant that family size had to decrease to make this new form of living and working viable for families living in smaller houses;family functions – urbanisation meant that the family was no longer responsible for performing all the essential functions, the state started to take over many of these e.g. paid childcare and care homes for the elderly;family type – smaller family sizes meant the decline of the extended family and the rise of the nuclear family – a better fit according to functionalists, for industrial and urban living;roles of children – children have become an economic cost rather than a benefit;they are no longer doing paid work and instead are in education often until early adulthood;
privatisation – as people moved away from extended family so they become more home–centred and privatised (according to functionalists) making family life more important and valued;gender roles – urban living was often expensive and so this meant that many women started to find paid employment which led the way towards greater equality in gender roles;housewife role – many researchers believe that the move to urbanisation created the housewife role for women who no longer had extended family to rely on – this, according to many feminists, led to patriarchal family structures and roles;freedom – a move away from extended family also meant a move away from family traditions and expectations within a more secular, urban context – this led to families having greater freedom to live how they wanted to;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 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 there a dark side of the family? Possible answers: Arguments for:
rising divorce rates – with divorce rates now so high in many modern industrial societies, there are clear signs that family life is a negative experience for many;this also leads to stressful and emotional times for the children involved in divorce;
reconstituted families – these are increasingly common, however, they can be difficult for adults and children to negotiate as blended families create new and often difficult relationships;pivot/sandwich generation – the ageing population has created a generation of women who find themselves trapped in their family duties to their dependent children and elderly relatives, creating a very stressful atmosphere and environment;domestic abuse/violence – feminist research has highlighted the extent of this within families (e.g. Dobash and Dobash) and how much of it remains invisible to the authorities;child abuse and neglect – there are many documented cases of children being brought up in appalling and exploitative conditions, often leading to families being split through the involvement of the law and/or social services;segregated conjugal roles – in many families, cultures and societies there is little equality in the family with gender roles and responsibilities being separate and distinct;dual burden/triple shift – many women have to combine family responsibilities with paid employment and thus family life is far from enjoyable for them;conflict and tension – Leach saw the nuclear family as a source of enormous stress and conflict for its members and indeed all families can be the source of arguments and distress;empty–nest families/empty shell marriage – research shows that there are many cases of unfulfilling and loveless relationships existing once the children have left home;New Right – some families, e.g. single parent families, are seen to inadequately socialise their children leading to dysfunctional and irresponsible individuals;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:functionalism – family life is where family functions are performed (nuclear family);the family is vital, an essential agent e.g. effective socialisation, nurture, social control;
grandparents – with active ageing there are a generation of active grandparents on hand to support and help with family life – financially, advice, childcare;symmetrical families – Willmott and Young – families are now places of equality where men and women play equal, joint roles;family diversity – many different types of family are now seen as normal and accepted in society;this means that individuals can live in the type of family that they think works best for them;
warm bath theory – the family is seen as a place of safety whereby the stresses and strains of the workplace can be ‘mopped up’ through love and care;feminism – family life has changed enormously for women and they now have more power and status within the unit e.g. decision making, paid employment, family size etc.;freedom and choice – postmodernists believe family life is now characterised by choice and therefore it can be created in a form that best suits individuals e.g. group marriages, contraception, DINK families, househusbands etc.;Marxism – the family reproduces capitalist values and so maintains the status quo in 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 question 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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