Unit 4: The Family

Words/Concepts Definitions Examples

A Household: A household is the term used to e.g., a family, group of students, a
describe the group of people living couple fostering children, a lodger
together in the same place. renting a room in a house.
A Family: A family is all the people who are
related to each other either through
blood, marriage or adoption.
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE FAMILY:
Functionalism: • Functionalists see the family as POSITIVE for society. They
believe that the nuclear family is a positive institution that is
beneficial to society - they look at the functions that the nuclear
family performs for the good of society as a whole.
• These functions include:
• Reproduction - the family has children which means the
human race keeps going
• Primary socialisation - the family teaches children norms
(acceptable behaviour) and values (right and wrong)
• Economic support – The family gives financial support; it
feeds and provides shelter for its members.
New Right • The New Right see the family as NEGATIVE for society if it is
not a nuclear family.
• They have similar views to Functionalists. They believe that the
nuclear family is very important to society. They say that children
from nuclear families:
• Do better at school
• Get better jobs
• Do not turn to crime
• The New Right believe that Single parents and same sex couples
are bad for society
Marxism • Marxists see the family as NEGATIVE for society. Marxists are
critical of the family and society.
• They believe society is based on a conflict between the classes –
working class and ruling class.
• The family helps to maintain class differences in society as the
rich can afford to give their children a better start in life than the
poor, e.g. pay for a better education, get them a good job either in
their own business or their friends businesses.
• Marxists believe the family socialises the working class to accept
that it is fair that the classes are unequal.
Feminism • Feminists see the family as NEGATIVE for society.
• Feminists believe the family is bad for women.
• Girls and boys learn their different gender roles within the family
through socialisation.
• Girls copy their mothers, doing housework, whilst boys copy
their fathers, doing DIY. They then learn that this is how male
and female roles should be.
• Feminists believe that the family is male dominated – the term for
this is patriarchal.
DIFFERENT FAMILY STRUCTURES:
There are many different family types that exist in Britain today.
The 2 main family types people are aware of are extended and nuclear families.
Nuclear Family: A nuclear family typically consists of a mother, father and dependent
children.
Extended Family An extended family consists of parents and children along with either:
o Grandparents – vertically extended (different generations)
o Aunts and uncles – horizontally extended
Modern Nuclear Family married or cohabiting couples with or without children
Reconstituted family a family created as a result of divorced couples remarrying who may have
children from their previous marriage.
The lone parent family the fastest growing family structure in Britain. Where one parent brings
up 1 or more children
Same sex families (lesbian or gay) account for a small proportion of all families but have
increased in number more recently as a result of The Civil Partnership
Act of 2005 which legally recognised same-sex relationships
CHANGES IN THE FAMILY

In the 1950s most families were traditional nuclear families, with a mother, father and their children. The
parents were married and usually the children would be their biological offspring. Nowadays there are
many different types of families – the modern nuclear family is closest to the traditional nuclear family,
but the adults may live together without being married (cohabit) and they might not have children.
In the past it made sense to talk about “The Family”, but now it is more accurate to talk about “Families”
because there is so much diversity.

Marxist: are critical of all family structures, because they are still used maintain class inequality. They
do say that there are class differences in these changes, with the middle class more likely to be traditional
nuclear families and more single parents in the working and under class (the unemployed).
Change In Family Reasons Opinions (Perspectives)
More people living Less people practice religion Feminists say this is a good thing, as
together without being nowadays (going to church, marriage is a patriarchal institution,
married. believing in God etc.) so do meaning it keeps men in power and
not see living together or oppresses (pushes down) women.
having children outside of • Gay rights groups also say this is a good
marriage as a sin. thing, as gay couples are only allowed to
• People can now opt for a marry in some religions, but in others
civil partnership rather than being homosexual is a sin. Living
traditional marriage. together or having a legal civil partnership
• More people get divorced increases gay equality.
and may decide not to • Most Functionalists are OK with the
remarry when they meet a traditional nuclear family, as it still serves
new partner. the function of socialising children and
• There are more same sex teaching them how to be useful members
couples, who until recently of society.
were not allowed to marry. • Some Functionalists and the New Right
• People are more likely to believe that the traditional nuclear family
live together as a trial before is the only family that can do the job
deciding to get married. properly, so would argue that parents
should be married and stay together for
life.
More single parent • The Divorce Act in the • Feminists fought for the change to
families 1960s made it easier for divorce law, as many women were in
people to get a divorce and abusive marriages and couldn’t get out of
usually one parent gets them. Therefore, they see divorce as a
custody of the children. positive thing. However, they also point
• There are more teenaged out that it is women who take on most of
pregnancies than in the past, the childcare and are left with the burden
where the mother and father of bringing up the baby on their own
are unlikely to be in a long- when relationships don’t work out, which
term relationship. means more women are living in poverty.
• The availability of in-vitro- • Functionalists do not think that a single
fertilisation (IVF) and sperm parent family can perform all the
banks mean women can important functions of the family (eg.
have children without gender role socialisation, financially
needing to have a sexual providing for children etc.), so are against
relationship with a man. this type of family.
• The New Right are completely against
this type of family and see it as
responsible for everything that is wrong
with society (crime, yob culture,
dependence on benefits etc.).
More Same Sex families There are still only a very • Functionalists say that the family and
small number of same sex other institutions of society need to evolve
families, but these are now in order to continue to be useful in society,
more socially acceptable. so would view same sex families as
This is because of campaigns positive providing that they continue to do
by gay rights groups and what they are supposed to.
changes in laws, such as • Feminists have mixed views on same sex
being allowed to teach about families, because there is still economic
same sex relationships in inequality between men and women,
schools and an equal age of which means that gay men are more likely
sexual consent. to have more money, better jobs and higher
• The introduction of civil status than lesbians. Therefore, same sex
partnership agreements, families should not be looked at as being
which are similar to marriage all the same.
contracts, but open to same • The New Right see same sex families as
and opposite sex couples. bad for society because they are socialising
• Gay couples are now children the wrong way.
allowed to adopt.
Smaller household size There are more single person Feminists view these changes positively,
households (a person living as women have greater choice over their
on their own) – this is due to: future and can use contraception to
• Women living longer than protect themselves from unwanted
men, so they are more likely pregnancies whilst still being sexually
to be a widow with grown up active. It is more acceptable for women to
children and grandchildren choose a career rather than a family than
who do not live with them. in the past.
• Younger women choosing a • The New Right believe that a woman’s
career over marriage and role in society is to be a wife and mother,
family. Families also have so would see these changes as having a
negative impact on society.
 fewer children than in the • Some Functionalists would see these
past: changes as positive, because the
• Some couples choose not to population is increasing in size.
start a family at all for Therefore, smaller families ensure society
financial or career reasons. does not become unstable. Other
• There is more infertility Functionalists would point out that the
than in the past (people can’t reason for the large population is because
have children of their own) of immigration and therefore argue that
but also more availability of we need larger British families and less
contraception. immigration.
• Less children die during
childbirth and childhood
because of better healthcare
and living standards, so
families do not need to have
large numbers of children
just in case some of them die.
More families from • In the 1950s the • Many Feminists see this change as
diverse cultural government encouraged positive, because women are moving away
backgrounds people to move to the UK to from countries where they have few or no
take up jobs that weren’t rights, sometimes where rape is used as a
being done. These families weapon in civil wars.
brought their culture with • The New Right are completely against
them, including different immigration, because it waters down
patterns of family life, often British culture and (they say) leads to
taking the form of the higher unemployment.
extended family. • Many Functionalists agree with the New
• Since the 1950s, more Right opinion, but some point to the useful
people have come to live in function served by immigration in the
the UK, for many reasons, 1950s.
including needing asylum
from war and violence,
joining family members
already living here and
because of changes to
European law, Pre-Brexit
that allows people to work
anywhere within the
European Union.

Children and Parents

Children’s Employment and Education
Society’s attitude towards children has changed considerably over the past two hundred years or so.
• in Victorian times (1800s) poor children worked in factories, mills and as chimney sweeps. These
jobs were dangerous and low-paid and children had no employment rights.
• People campaigned to protect children and in the early 1900s all children were entitled to an
education, although again poorer children were the ones most likely to miss out on this completely,
or left school between the age of 12 and 14 to get a job.
• Since the introduction of the Welfare State after the Second World War, all children by law must
attend to school to the age of 16, although children from traveller families are often unable to do this
because of moving around with their families.
• Some children are home-schooled for many reasons, including psychological or medical difficulties,
behavioural problems or because they have been permanently excluded.
• These changes in employment and education of children have affected family life in many ways.
Children are now financially dependent on their parents until at least the age of 16.
• Most children now stay at school or in college until the age of 18 and almost half go on to university.
• This means that parents are financially responsible for their children even when they reach adulthood
Parent’s Employment
It is common now for both parents to work full time, which means that other people are involved in
caring for children, including grandparents and registered childminders / nurseries. This means that
children’s primary socialisation is not just performed by their parents, but by many other people
Children’s Rights
• The Children Act in 1989, gave children legal rights, including a choice in who they live with after
a divorce
• schools are made responsible for reporting any suspicions of child abuse or neglect, children being
protected from violence, including being smacked by parents or teachers etc.
• Another law – the Police and Criminal Evidence Act – finally allowed children to give evidence in
court, which has ensured that abusing parents and carers can now be prosecuted.
• Nowadays it is normal for children to have MP3 players, computers, games consoles etc. This often
means that teenagers feel pressurised to get part time work so they can buy gadgets and clothes.
• Parents are also more protective than in the past because of ‘stranger danger’, so are more likely to
stop their children going out. This is especially true for girls.
Divorce
One in three marriages end in divorce, many of which will mean the break-up of a family with children.
This means that a lot of children find themselves living with one parent and only occasionally seeing the
other parent. They might also be part of a reconstituted family, with a mix of biological, half and step
brothers and sisters. Some parents get joint custody, so children spend half their time living with each
parent. Some children are taken into care (looked after children) because the divorce was due to domestic
violence or caused psychological problems for their parents. Grandparents may also take on the job of
looking after the children on a full-time basis.

Changing Family Roles:

In favour, that roles are more equal: Against, that roles are not equal:
• The family used to be patriarchal – male • Feminists argued that women now had a
dominated. Now we have more equality. double burden, rather than being equal.
• Wilmott and Young claimed that from the They agreed that women worked more and
1970’s the family become symmetrical liked this, however they suggested that
because of feminism and genderquake. women were still socialized to take control
• Other sociologists said a ‘new man’ had of domestic labour and therefore had two
emerged, who enjoyed sharing the jobs.
housework and childcare, and enjoyed • Also, Mum is still most involved in
emotional work. He could also be a childcare and emotional work. She works a
househusband. ‘triple shift’.
• Dad used to be authoritarian (in charge) • In a single parent family, a woman has to do
because he was the breadwinner, Mum used all of the jobs.
to be closest to kids because she was the • Men cherry pick the best jobs, e.g. playing
housewife. with the children or doing the gardening
• The family and society is now more child Women are still more likely to take part
centred So parents have become less time work as they are socialized to value the
authoritarian (in charge) and closer to their primary carer role so therefore men are still
children. Meanwhile, children have become earning more and have more power
more involved with peer groups and modern
technology

Changes in Fertility Pattern:

Changes: Reasons:
Families are now smaller in all classes, but • Contraception
Underclass and Working Class higher than • women’s liberation
Middle Class. The national fertility rate in 2004 • changing religious attitudes – decline in
was 1.77 children per woman; in 1965 it was religion
nearly 3.
Married women having kids later. • Want to develop career
• Want smaller families
More births outside marriage – to cohabiters but • Growth of cohabitation
also to single parents, including young single • Changes in norms and values among young.
parents Different attitudes towards sex.