Sociology · May / June 2024 · Paper 22 · Question 1
0495
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Marriage and family life vary globally. Some sociologists argue the family is essential in contemporary societies. Other sociologists debate whether family life is equal for its members. Families are changing and many are now child-centred. Monogamy exists in some societies. 1
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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term monogamy? One mark for partial definition e.g. not cheating on a partner. Two marks for clear definition e.g. being married/in a relationship with one person at a time.
1(b)[4]
Describe two examples of child-centredness. Possible answers:
legislation e.g. UN Rights of the Child - gives power to children e.g. in divorce cases;corporal punishment – now banned in schools in most countries;parental smacking – this is viewed as unacceptable/illegal in many societies;period of innocence – childhood is seen in many societies as a time when children should not have to work or experience other aspects of adult life;extension of education – extending compulsory schooling maintains the status of ‘child’ for longer as education is considered very important;children as consumers – industries reinforce the special status of ‘childhood’ through the production of specialised goods for them e.g. TV channels/shows, toys, clothes etc.;spending on children – this has increased enormously with phenomenon like ‘pester power’ encouraging adults to purchase goods for children to consume;leisure time – family time and activities often centre around the needs and wants of the child rather than the adult;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 family life is globally diverse. Possible answers:
type of family – different countries/cultures have different types of family, all of which can be linked to differences in family life e.g. living in an extended family is very different to living in a step-family;ethnicity – ethnic groups are sometimes associated with particular kinds of family life e.g. Afro-Caribbean families may be matrifocal, South Asian families may be extended and larger etc.;marriages – these can be different globally, leading to differences in family life e.g. South Asian families may encourage arranged marriages, some Islamic and tribal cultures allow polygamy etc.;gender roles – these may be segregated in some more traditional societies whereas in other societies e.g. in the UK, they are more likely to be joint showing the diversity of family life;norms and values – different families across the globe will socialise their children into different norms and values, depending upon their culture and/or religion e.g. high birth rates in many Eastern European countries, a declining birth rate in China;social class/money – this can affect family life e.g. family experiences, trips out, cultural capital, values, expectations, material items, space at home etc. and this obviously differs globally;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 sociologists argue the family is an essential institution. Possible answers:
functionalism – in order for societies to function and work, certain essential tasks or functions must be performed therefore the family is the bedrock of every society – Parsons and irreducible functions;reproduction – societies must produce new generations of children in order to survive and marriage and the family are closely associated with having children;socialisation – children need to learn their society’s norms and values and this happens through primary socialisation in the family;social control – children’s behaviour is controlled in families through a series of rewards and sanctions that result in social conformity;care of children – children need to be fed, clothed, nurtured and sheltered and in the family, people are given responsibilities and roles to ensure that this happens;status – families give children their status by involving children in a web of interpersonal and group relationships;regulation of sexual behaviour – most societies insist that children are born to people in a socially approved sexual relationship i.e. to create a family;gender roles – family roles are split so that the female performs the expressive role and the male the instrumental – this is what they are best at and so helps the family function successfully (Parsons);New Right – Murray argues that the nuclear family is essential in preventing reckless and deviant behaviour in society;Marxism/Marxist feminism – the family is essential as it creates and maintains the backbone necessary for an effective capitalist workforce;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 family life equal for its members? Possible answers: Arguments for:
Willmott and Young – the symmetrical family – conjugal roles are now different but equal for men and women in the family;stratified diffusion – Willmott and Young found that behaviour in the higher classes was soon imitated by the lower classes thus creating more equality in families as symmetry in the family spread;privatised nuclear family – functionalists have said that family life is now privatised, meaning that immediate members function and work together to create a happy family life;Dermott – intimate fathers – research shows that men today want to play an active role in the family, spending quality time with their children (new men);role reversal – more flexible norms and values mean that it is now perfectly acceptable for females to be breadwinners and males to be stay at home parents, meaning equality has been created;joint conjugal roles – these typify family life today whereby most families are dual worker – domestic and childcare work is now therefore shared;feminism – improved status of women in society – women have higher aspirations and expect to have a career thus their expectations of family life have similarly changed and equality is therefore the norm;same-sex families – newer family forms emerging has meant that family roles can be re-configured to create a new normal – power dynamics in same-sex families are said to be more equal;labour saving devices – these have reduced the time and effort involved in housework thus encouraging family members other than women to take part and so helping create equality;decline of the extended family – this meant less pressure on individuals to fulfil traditional conjugal roles, thus allowing for greater equality in the home as newer family roles are embraced;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:feminism – family remains a patriarchal institution in a patriarchal world that exploits females in order to benefit males through the domestic division of labour = not equal;dual burden – working women now have the ‘dual burden’ of having to hold down a paid job as well as run the home – men do not have both responsibilities so it is not equal;triple shift – recent feminist research reveals that women now have to perform three roles in the family – domestic, emotional and working – compared to just the working role for men. This is not equal;myth of symmetry – many researchers have questioned whether conjugal roles really are symmetrical – they are often more equal than before but this does not mean they are fully equal e.g. men were found to do more of the ‘fun’ family roles whereas those tasks performed by women were monotonous and dull;primary socialisation – Ann Oakley – girls and boys are socialised into different gender roles via processes such as manipulation and canalisation (passive female, active male) therefore equality in adult roles is unlikely;domestic violence – e.g. Dobash and Dobash – research indicates that much abuse takes place within families whereby violence and coercion are used to control family members – this is not equality;cultural diversity – whether equality is seen in family life depends upon the cultural context e.g. traditional societies, religious influences etc;functionalism – sex role theory – Parsons – males are naturally best suited to the instrumental role whereas females are best suited to the expressive role, thus equality in conjugal roles is not desirable;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 commonsense 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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