Sociology · Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 22 · Question 1
0495
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In modern industrial societies there have been many changes in family roles, family types and family functions. One example of change is the creation of the boomerang family. Marriage and 1 divorce rates have also changed. Sociologists debate whether these changes have been positive or negative for individuals and society.
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1(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘boomerang family’? One mark for partial definition e.g. children come home to live. Two marks for clear definition e.g. a family in which the adult children have left home but then come back.
1(b)[4]
Describe two ways family life can be negative for its members. Possible answers:
dark side of the family – domestic abuse, domestic violence e.g. Dobash and Dobash and the fear, intimidation, mental health concerns for the victims;children – child abuse, child neglect, child poverty and the associated negative implications for the victims e.g., trauma, depression etc.;feminism – males have more power in the family than females, allowing them to make the important decisions while women play the subordinate role e.g. Edgell/Pahl (finances/power);dual/triple burden – even though many females today are employed the burden of housework, childcare and emotional work still falls to them;Zaretsky/Ansley – Marxism – females are expected to soak up the stresses and feelings of exploitation from the workplace in their husbands as part of their role – this is negative for females;divorce and separation – stressful and emotionally turbulent time for all involved, children particularly may be negatively affected by the split;poverty – Marxism – many families survive with little money meaning paying bills and feeding the family is difficult and many family members have to go without;arranged marriage – non-love-based marriages may be negative experiences for the partners involved who may be tied to one another without any feelings of love;forced marriage – may involve exploitation, emotional stress and non- consensual relationships making this a negative experience;pivot/sandwich generation – women may feel the strain as with ageing populations they find themselves having to care for both children and elderly parents at the same time;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 family functions are changing. Possible answers:
socialisation – no longer provided solely by the family due to the role played by institutions such as school, the peer group and the media;social control – this is no longer seen as a family matter, both formal and other informal agencies are now involved e.g. school, police, media, peers etc.;the care of children moves to external agencies such as nurseries/nannies – with dual–worker families now becoming the norm in many countries;reproduction – children are now regularly born outside marriage (e.g. single parent families, cohabitation) and childlessness is no longer stigmatised in many societies;reproduction – advances in medical technology e.g. IVF, freezing eggs etc., has meant there is less of a need for the family to function as a place to legitimise male-female relationships;regulation of sexual behaviour – there is now greater liberation about sexual relationships, seen through increasing numbers of single parent families, blended families and teenage pregnancies;care of the elderly – this is no longer the responsibility of the family for many individuals, with care homes, social services and hospitals now often doing this function;economic function – providing for the family is no longer the sole role of the man, women are also breadwinners e.g. dual worker families, single parents;care for family members/warm bath function – this is no longer the sole job of the woman, it can now be carried out by other institutions and/or other family members;status – historically the family has provided status for children through the relationship web and connections whereas this has now moved away from the family and this function can be performed through peers, education and media;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 there has been a rise in divorce rates in many modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
celebrity role models – divorce is seen as ‘normal’ in the media with many celebrities getting divorced and talking about the advantages of this – some people look up to these celebrities and thus imitate their actions;secularisation – the decline of religion in many societies has meant that divorce is no longer considered to be sinful, therefore more people now get divorced;lack of stigma – changing norms, values and morals make divorce more acceptable – the New Right see this as a part of the general moral decline in society;ease of divorce – divorce is far easier to obtain today than it has been previously, e.g. the UK 1971 Divorce Reform Act that took away the need for the partner wanting the divorce to have to prove blame or fault;cost of divorce – divorce today is far cheaper than it was previously, making it accessible to everyone in society, not just the rich, e.g. online divorces;feminism – higher female expectations of marriage – women are now less willing to stay in an unfulfilling or abusive marriage and thus will get divorced if they are unhappy;social media/the internet – many sociologists blame the rise of divorce on the way social media and the internet make it so much easier for people to meet other people and to cheat on their partners;ageing population – many divorces are happening amongst older members of society and sociologists believe this is down to people living longer and thus having more time after their children have left home to enjoy life – they may outgrow their spouse;decline of communities – functionalists believe the fact that individuals now typically live in privatised, small families removes the pressure from extended family and the community for couples to remain together, hence divorce rates rise;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 have female roles in the family changed? Possible answers: FOR:
female employment – this has led to the growth of dual worker families in which there is more equity when it comes to power and status than before;symmetry – Willmott and Young – joint conjugal roles are increasing meaning that the domestic sphere is no longer the domain of just females;single parent families – this family type continues to grow due to factors such as secularisation – females in such families are often the main child- carers and thus there is increasing pressure on females to fulfil both the nurturer and provider roles;pivot generation – with ageing populations females today often find themselves having to care for both children and elderly relatives, alongside often holding down a job, this increased burden of care changes female roles;role reversal – gender norms and expectations are changing and this means that in many families roles are being swapped, with female breadwinners and male house-husbands, for example;boomerang families – with rising divorce rates and rises to the cost of living, so adult children are more frequently returning to their family home rather than living independently – for many females this means resuming a caring, domestic role;labour-saving devices – technology has changed the domestic experience for women, giving them more time and freeing them up from many ‘dull’ household chores thus also changing their domestic role;postmodernism – this theory suggests that female roles are no longer determined but are flexible and negotiated to meet the needs of the female and her specific circumstances/context;triple shift – feminists claim that the female role is now more pressured than ever before as women increasingly have to juggle paid work, domestic expectations and emotional needs of the family;singlehood – this trend is increasing as the stigma around it declines, meaning females are experiencing greater freedom from gender expectations and a more liberated role;childlessness – increasing numbers of females are choosing to remain childless meaning that the traditional female role of child-carer is no longer needed;any other reasonable response. AGAINST:feminism – the female role has always involved the domestic sphere and this burden has not changed over time;decision making – studies such as Pahl and Edgell demonstrate that females continue to have less power to make important decisions in the home than men, this role has not changed;gender role socialisation – Oakley – the female role will not change until gendered socialisation becomes a thing of the past;canalisation and manipulation are commonplace in families and thus the female role has not changed;
working women – despite having far greater representation in the workplace than previously, females are still the primary caregiver, nurturer and domestic worker (these roles remain the same);patriarchy – radical feminists claim that families serve the needs of men thus the female role is still, and always will be, subservient to males who continue to exploit them;dark side of family life – females are still far more likely than males to be the victim of domestic abuse, this negative female role has not changed;functionalism – expressive and instrumental roles – Parsons’ sex role theory claims that these gender roles are natural and the ‘best fit’ for individuals and society therefore the female role will not change;cultural diversity – in many traditional societies and cultures the role of women remains as it always has been – religious values often rationalise and justify this;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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