Sociology · Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 21 · Question 1

0495

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Culture and demographic trends affect family life and family functions. Sociologists argue that some families do not socialise children effectively. Other sociologists are more positive about families and argue that there is now more gender equality in family life. 1

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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘family functions’? One mark for a partial definition e.g. family roles. Two marks for a clear definition e.g. the essential tasks performed by the family i.e. primary socialisation.
1(b)[4]
Describe two demographic trends affecting the family. Possible answers:
birth rate – in modern industrial societies (MISs) the birth rate is falling leading to smaller family sizes;
fertility rate – women are having fewer children than in the past therefore children have fewer/no siblings;
beanpole family – smaller family size means more families with only a few people in each generation are becoming typical;
DINK families – the rise of childless families through choice e.g. career focused;
new baby boom – immigration to MISs has led some to believe there is a baby boom, particularly amongst those from Eastern European origin;
births outside marriage – these are increasing through decline of marriage and increase of cohabitation and single parent families;
death rate – this has fallen leading to an ageing population in many MISs which can lead to the burden of care falling on family members;
child mortality rate – has fallen dramatically as healthcare improves therefore less pressure on families to have lots of 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 family life can vary cross-culturally. Possible answers:
family type – nuclear families are common in many Western cultures whereas extended families dominate in South Asian cultures;
family size – this differs cross-culturally, for example Western families are quite small, Chinese family size is legislated by state rule (currently 3) and Asian families may have more children;
family structure – Western families are typically beanpole in structure whereas Asian families may extend vertically and/or horizontally;
same-sex families – these have now become normalised in a number of countries, particularly in the West, whereas in many religious cultures these are not seen to be acceptable or are illegal;
gender roles – cultural norms often determine family gender roles such as in many traditional cultures e.g. traveller culture, females are still expected to take responsibility for childcare and domestic work whereas in many more modern cultures roles are becoming more symmetrical;
communes/shared living arrangements – families who live in communes have a very different experience of living in a family (shared parenting/non-familial living arrangements etc.) than those living in a more traditional family structure;
divorce – in some traditional/religious cultures divorce is illegal and therefore family life may be impacted by negative factors such as unhappiness, distress etc. In secular cultures divorce is allowed and can thus affect family life differently;
children – in Western cultures there is often a focus on child-centredness within the family whereas in other cultures children may take more adult roles such as workers, soldiers, spouses etc.;
elders – in many Asian and tribal cultures older people are revered and seen as figures of wisdom whereas in Western culture the elderly may suffer from elder abuse or leave the family to live in a care home meaning family life varies by culture;
marriage – a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman is the only form of legal marriage in most western cultures, whereas polygamy is accepted in many African and Middle Eastern cultures leading to a very different family life;
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 some families do not socialise their children effectively. Possible answers:
parental neglect/mistreatment – e.g. feral children – these children are unsocialised because their parents neglect or mistreat them e.g. Genie, Oxana;
dual-worker families – functionalists claim that the socialisation family function has been lost because both parents are working meaning there is too little time to devote to socialising children adequately;
loss of expressive role – functionalists claim that as many women no longer perform the expressive role their ability to adequately socialise children has been lost to other agencies;
underclass and single parent families – Murray and the New Right claim that the underclass do not socialise their children adequately because of the lack of a father figure, leading to them becoming lazy, reckless, criminal and immoral;
divorce – some sociologists claim that rising divorce rates are leading to confused and angry children who are missing the nuclear family as a source of support and adequate socialisation;
feminism – feminists claim that the family is patriarchal and therefore does not socialise children adequately but instead encourages gender inequality and gender-based roles and norms;
Marxism – Marxists claim that the family acts as a tool of oppression for the ruling class therefore it does not adequately socialise children to rebel against the ‘status quo’ that maintains their unequal position in society;
Leach’s dysfunctional nuclear family – it is too insular and too suffocating and therefore does not allow for adequate socialisation of children but, instead, to conflict and stress;
dark side of the family – factors such as domestic violence, child abuse and neglect all mean that children are not adequately socialised by their family;
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 has gender equality in the family been achieved? Possible answers: FOR
family diversity – same sex relationships and lone parents are examples of family types that allow for gender equality – men and women are able to negotiate their roles, share decision making and reduce power inequalities;
changing norms and values - as society changes so does the family. Men are now increasingly involved with childcare and housework (new man) and families are hence more symmetrical than previously (Willmott and Young, joint conjugal roles);
careers and work – as families are increasingly dual worker families so women have the same amount of power, financial capital and status as men and thus families achieve gender equality;
joint conjugal roles – roles in the family are increasingly shared between men and women and there is no longer the division typical of the past – this has allowed for gender equality in the family;
single parent families – as this type of family becomes more normal and accepted in many societies, gender equality is more likely as there is no power differential between partners when only one parent lives in the family home;
privatised nuclear family – this type of family has become increasingly the norm and has meant that husbands and wives spend more leisure time together and within the family, so improving symmetry and equality;
feminism – this ideology has become more widespread globally meaning that women are more aware of their rights and expect more from a relationship – this leads to increased gender equality within families;
divorce laws – it has become easier and cheaper to get divorced in many countries and thus gender equality is more likely as if one partner is not happy with the family/marriage relationship then they can instigate a divorce;
gender neutral socialisation – avoiding stereotypes and gendered expectations is becoming more common within families (e.g. in Scandinavia) and is thus increasing gender equality within the institution;
any other reasonable response. AGAINST
segregated conjugal roles – men and women typically take on different roles within the family that result in men having more power and status than women and so leading to gender inequality;
male benefits – the housewife role expects women to look after the needs of men through cooking, cleaning, supporting emotionally and putting the man’s needs before the woman’s e.g. the warm bath theory - this prevents gender equality;
gender role socialisation – Oakley – boys are socialised to be tough, aggressive, active and unemotional whilst girls are socialised into domesticity, being caring and gentle and passivity – this differential gender socialisation prevents gender equality;
inheritance – a son or male heir traditionally inherits the family’s wealth so that wealth and power stays with the males in the family and so prevents gender equality;
the anti-social family – Barrett and McIntosh – the media promotes the idea that only the nuclear family can be the ideal, this puts women under pressure when they fail to achieve these impossible family-based goals. Women are made to feel that they are to blame when the family fails and this unequal pressure and strain prevents gender equality;
unpaid housewife role – despite the long hours, demands and stress that this role (played typically by women) causes, it is unpaid – this makes women financially dependent upon men and so prevents gender equality;
dual burden/triple shift – even when women engage in paid employment they are still primarily responsible for the housework, childcare and emotional roles in the family as well and so cannot achieve gender equality;
dark side of the family – women are often the victims of various forms of domestic abuse, coercion and manipulation within the family – men typically are not and this power dynamic means that there is no gender equality;
decision making – many sociological studies e.g. Edgell/Pahl, show that it is still men that traditionally make the major decisions within the family and this therefore means gender equality has not been achieved e.g. family moves house for the husband’s job;
pivot generation – with ageing populations being seen across the globe there is often a dual need for care – of both children and ageing parents simultaneously – this burden typically still falls to the woman, therefore preventing gender equality;
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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