REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

NORTHERN NEGROS STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
OLD SAGAY, SAGAY CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
(034)722-4169/www.nonescost.edu.com

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
(Bachelor of Technology and
Livelihood Education)
COURSE MODULE IN

HOME ECONOMICS
LITERACY
1st Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022

Course Facilitator: Anabelle E. Villaceran

FB/Messenger: Anabelle E. Villaceran
Email: [email protected]
Phone No: 09072703943

2
MODULE

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 MODULE
1

LESSON

1 Family, Its Meaning From

Different Perspectives
6 Hours
“If you want to change the
world, go home and love
your family.”
Mother Theresa

This lesson deals with the study of family life in a changing world specifically on family
life and society. It deals with the subjects about the definition of a family in sociological and
genealogical perspectives specifically households as the basis of defining a family perspectives,
the dimensions of every individual in a family, the role of individual and family in societies as a
consuming unit.

It contains learning outcomes, motivation, presentation and the information on the

lesson, and self-evaluation. After reading the information go over with the questions on the
assessment section and answer those on your provided test notebook. Keep and note every
activity you have made and place inside the brown envelop because after the prelim term there
will somebody to collect for your ratings and grade.

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 After reading this lesson, you should be able to:

1. explain comprehensively the meaning of family of the following perspectives:

a. households; ( 30 points)
b. family perspectives by:
(1). Functionalists
(2). New Rights
(3). Marxist
(4). Feminist
(5) Post- modern

2. share your insights in Sociologists perspective that a “family is the building

blocks of society”;(10 points)

3. picture -out family as considered the primary consuming unit in a society.(10

points)

Defining the Family Group

The first thing we need to do is define ‘a family’ given that, in order to relate the family to
social structure and social policy, it would be useful to know what it involves.

To get you started, in small groups, think about and discuss among the group what a
family means to you. Make a note of the kinds of things you believe it involves. Once you have
done this, as a class, compare your notes and identify the common features (if any) of a family.

Please read Executive Order No. 209: The Family Code of the Philippines and
Presidential Decree No. 603: The Child and Youth Welfare Code of the Philippines which are
attached to this module as supporting documents for you to understand the legit meaning of a
family in a Filipino way. Individually, write your discussions legibly using calligraphic style of
writing if possible in your required notebook.

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 Digging Deeper into the Meaning of Family Group

At a guess, I’d say your definition of a family will probably involve two basic ideas,
considered in terms of family.

 Characteristics

You will have identified certain features of a family (such as different generations sharing
a common residence) that make it different to other social groups.

 Relationships

This involves the idea families share particular social relationships (for example, that
someone is a mother or grandfather to a child) that clearly mark them out as a distinctive group
in society.

As I am sure you have discovered, however, defining a family is not quite as easy as
you might have first thought, for a couple of reasons.

 Is there such an institution as ‘the family’ in any society? In other words, is there
only one family type or is it possible to talk about many different types?

 If there are a variety of types, are they really different or are they simply variations
on a basic theme? For example, if our definition of a family involved the idea of
‘two adults and their children’, is a family consisting of ‘one adult and their
children’ a different form of family?

Although they may not seem too important at the moment, how we answer these
questions is going to be central to our initial exploration of family life.

If we look at some sociological definitions of families, we can begin with a classic one
provided by George Murdock (Social Structure, 1949):

The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic

cooperation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of
whom maintain a socially-approved sexual relationship, and one or more children,
own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.

As an initial definition, it is useful for a couple of reasons:

Firstly, it is both a starting point (we have to begin somewhere) and, speaking personally,
a definition most of us would recognize as being ‘a family’.
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 Secondly, whether we go with it or not, it is useful for highlighting a couple of general
points about families. It tells us, for example:

 Social relationships are a key concept to consider (families are not necessarily linked to
the concept of marriage, for example).

 Functions: Family groups seem to exist to fulfil a number of purposes, the main ones
being reproduction and the raising/socialization of children. There are, however, a few
debatable areas to consider.

 Adults and children: This definition suggests families do not have to be monogamous (for
example, one man married to one women), they can also be polygamous – where one
man is married to a number of women (polygamy) or one woman married to a number of
men (polyandry).

The following are activities that you are going to answer under this presentation.
Write your answers in the required notebooks using blue ink pen.

However, it also suggests a family involves children – which raises the question, how do
we classify a childless couple? Are they a family (and if not, what are they)? Write your
answers in your required notebook using blue ink ball pen.

 Sexuality: Does this definition allow for the possibility of homosexual families?

 Common residence: Do family members have to live together to consider themselves a

family?

Discussion point: classic or outdated?

 Is Murdock’s definition too restrictive in the way it defines the family?

 Can you identify any groups that might constitute a ‘family’ without conforming to
his definition?
 Murdock’s definition was originally produced in the USA in the 1940s. Do you think
the world has changed and, if so, what implications does this have for the way we
can define a family?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If Murdock’s definition raises more questions than it answers, perhaps we need to

investigate a slightly different way of defining the family group – and one way involves
introducing the concept of kinship. This involves relationships based on biology (so-called blood
relationships – such as between a mother and her child – where there’s a genetic link between
the two) or affinity (relationships created through custom – such as two adults living together –
or relationships created by law, marriage being an obvious example here).

Weiss (‘Family support and education programs’, 1988) uses this concept to define the
family group as, ‘A small kinship structured group with the key function of socialization of
the newborn’. Giddens (Sociology, 1993) suggests family groups can be defined as, ‘A group
of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume
responsibility of caring for the children.’

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 However we decide to define a family, it is clear we need to distinguish this group from a
concept used with increasing frequency, namely a household. This, at its most basic, involves
a single person or group living together in the same location (such as friends sharing
accommodation). In this respect, we can note most families are households, but not all
households are families.

Family: Meaning From Different Perspectives

A. Meaning of Family in Household Perspective

In this point we are discussing a family through the households’ perspectives. Read each
paragraph and internalize the true meaning of family for you. As young adult, by reading this
point of view, you are given the true scenario of what is happening on the lives of the families in
a universal perspectives, but culturally, you can share your own feelings and opinion the way
your family lives harmoniously in the activity section.

So far we have seen that defining a family is not unproblematic (that is, there are
arguments over how best to define it), which should alert us to a key characteristic of family life
in our society, namely its diversity (considered in terms of both different family structures and
relationships).

We will develop these ideas in a moment, but for now we can note we have identified a
distinction between two types of definition:

Exclusive Definitions of Family in Household Perspective

Exclusive definitions (such as that produced by Murdock) where the focus is on the
specific characteristics of a family that make it different to other social groups (such as a
household or a school class). This type has the advantage of being clear about what is – and is
not – a family group but, as we have seen, it is perhaps difficult to produce a definition that
applies to all possible types of family.

Inclusive Definitions of Family in Household Perspective

Inclusive definitions (such as those of Weiss or Giddens) where the focus is on defining
a family group in terms of the general relationships (such as kinship or affinity) that make it
different from other social groups.

One advantage to this definition is that it covers a variety of different family forms, but if
the definition is drawn too broadly it may include family-type groups (such as households) that
are significantly different to families in terms of their relationships.

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 Each type of definition has, therefore, certain advantages and disadvantages for the
sociological researcher and, whichever definition you choose to use, it is ultimately just that – a
choice reflecting your personal ideas, interests and preoccupations; there is, in effect, no correct
way of defining a family group. Thus, rather than see families as a particular type of social group
it might be better to think about them in terms of what John Goldthorpe (Family Life in Western
Societies, 1987) calls ‘a network of related kin’; in other words, as a social process based on
relationships involving a particular set of:

 labels – such as mother, father, son and daughter

 values – such as the belief parents should raise their own children

 norms – such as living together (through marriage or cohabitation)

 function – such as primary socialization.

By adopting this view we start to capture the potential richness of family relationships
and, by extension, reflect the diversity of family experiences in our society. However we
eventually decide to define ‘the family’ (something, as suggested above, that is actually quite
difficult to do) it is probably safe to say that family groups are important to us – the majority of
us, after all, spend at least some of our lives surrounded in various ways by ‘family’ of some
description. This being the case, therefore, it would be useful to examine how different
sociologists have explained the social significance of these groups.
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Growing it yourself: families or households?

Using the following table as a template (and working individually, in small groups
or as a class). What advantages and disadvantages can you identify to the use of
concepts like families and households?

Families Households
Advantages of Disadvantages of Advantages of Disadvantages of
this concept this concept this concept this concept
Identifies Difficult to define Includes all groups A household can
kinship as who live together be different to a
significant family
Further advantages and disadvantages?

B. Definition of Family in Family Perspectives:

Family groups, considered mainly in term of what they exist to do, are generally
considered by sociologists to be important institutions in any society. However, as you might
expect, there are disagreements over how we interpret the role of the family group and, in this
section we can introduce some different perspectives on the relationships of families to social
structure.

1. Functionalist perspectives

Started from the observation the family group has existed – in one form or another – in
all known societies (in other words, the family is considered to be a ‘cultural universal’ because
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it has existed in all known cultures in one form or another). For this reason, families are seen as
crucial to the functioning of any social system (you will recall, no doubt, functionalists consider
the family to be one of the four major functional sub-systems in any society).

To put this another way, the family group is considered functional – and therefore
essential – for any social system because it has a couple of vital purposes, namely:

• Socialization:

Families are the main institution for the initial socialization of children and any
institution charged with this responsibility plays a significant part in the reproduction of cultural
norms and values.

• Social order:

The family acts as a stabilizing force in society. Great stress is placed by

functionalists on things like emotional and sexual stability, economic co-operation and so forth.

2. New Right perspectives

Although closely related to functionalism, involve more directly political (rather than
sociological) ideas about the significance of families. For New Right theorists, whether we
define them in terms of personalities (politicians such as Margaret Thatcher in the UK, Ronald
Reagan and George W. Bush in the USA) or practices (issues such as anti-abortion, anti-
immigration, anti-Europe and liberal economic policies), the family group is the cornerstone
of any society.

The New Right particularly like to promote the idea of ‘traditional family relationships’ –
families should consist of two, heterosexual, adults, preferably married (to each other) with
clearly defined gender roles and relationships (which normally means men as family
breadwinners and women as domestic workers).

3. Marxist perspectives

On family life reflect their conflict view of society, where they relate what the family group
does (socialization, for example) to how it benefits powerful groups, whether this be on a group
level – how a ruling class benefits from various ‘free family services’, such as raising children
to be future employees – or a personal level, such as how men dominate and exploit
women.

For Marxists, it is not what the family does that’s important, but why it does it. One
argument here is the family helps to maintain and reproduce inequalities by presenting
them as ‘normal’ and ‘natural’ within the socialization process.

4. Feminist perspectives

This is traditionally, focused on the role of the family group in the exploitation of women.
In this respect, attention has mainly been given to identifying how traditional gender roles
within the family have been enforced and reinforced, mainly for the benefit of men. The
family group, therefore, has tended to be seen as oppressive of women, trapping them in
a fairly narrow range of roles and responsibilities (domestic labour and child care, for
example) that defines female roles in terms of the kind of service functions just noted.

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 In modern families, the notion of women’s dual role or double shift (women as both paid
workers and unpaid housewives) has been emphasized as has, more-recently, the idea of
women performing, according to Duncombe and Marsden (‘Love and intimacy: The Gender
Division of Emotion and “Emotion Work”’, 1993) a triple shift – the third element being the idea
of emotional labour (that is, investing time and effort in the psychological well-being of family
members).

5. Postmodern perspectives

Rejecting the kinds of views we have just noted (since they all, in their different ways, are
seen as putting forward narrow (or prescriptive) views about what families are and how they
should be). The key ideas of this perspective in relation to family life and relationships are
diversity and choice, two concepts that reflect postmodern ideas about behaviour and
lifestyles.

From this viewpoint, sociological perspectives such as functionalism, Marxism or

feminism are hopelessly outdated in their view of societies and individuals. A family – in short
– is whatever people want it to be (whether it involves adults of the opposite sex, the same
sex, own children, adopted children or whatever). From this perspective, therefore, the
relationship between families and the social structure is a largely meaningless question for two
reasons. Firstly, they reject the idea of social structures – which makes trying to identify and
isolate any relationship between family groups and something that doesn’t exist (social
structures) a fairly pointless exercise. Secondly, they reject the idea we can talk, in any useful
way, about ‘the family’; all we have, in effect, is a variety of people living out their lives and
lifestyles in ways they believe are acceptable and appropriate to how they want to live.

In thinking about families and their relationships to social structure we have two distinct
viewpoints to consider; on the one hand, we have:

 Traditional sociological perspectives (such as functionalism) that emphasize

how the structure of society impacts (for good or bad) on family forms and
relationships. On the other, we have:

 Postmodern perspectives that suggest the question of any relationship (of

whatever type) between families and social structures is not worth posing (let alone
trying to answer).

Whatever your position in relation to the above, we need to dig a little deeper into the
different perspectives we have just outlined, if for no better reason than this is an AS textbook
designed to provide a range of views for you to personally evaluate, accept or reject. In this
respect, therefore, functionalist sociology has tended to look at the family as the initial,
essential, bedrock of social integration in any given society. This involves the idea that ways
have to be found to make people feel they belong to the society into which they were born – to
believe they have something in common with the people around them. Ronald Fletcher (The
Family and Marriage in Britain, 1973), in this respect, has identified the core functions of the
family as being:

a. procreation and child-rearing (the ‘having sex and its consequences’

bit – which includes, of course, the initial, general, socialization
process);
b. regulation of sexual behavior (between adults, for example, by
defining the limits of sexual freedom) ;
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 c. provision of a home (in the widest sense of the word). In addition,
Fletcher argues families perform certain non-essential functions, many
of which provide linkages with the wider social structure. These include:
d. consumption of goods and services ;
e. basic education;
f. health care (both physical and psychological) ;
g. recreation.

For Talcott Parsons, on the other hand, the modern family has become increasingly
specialized. He argues that it performs only two essential functions:
• Primary socialization: Families are ‘factories whose product is the development of
human personalities.’
• Stabilization of adult personalities, which involves adult family members
providing things like physical and emotional support for each other.

Marxist perspectives have been generally more critical of the role of the family group,
seeing it in terms of: A safety valve for (male) frustrations: The majority of men are relatively
powerless in the workplace and this condition is disguised by allowing males to be powerful
figures within the family group. This serves as a safety value for the build-up of tension and
frustration at work and directs frustration away from criticism of employers, workplace conditions
and so forth. In this respect, we could also note the family is a fairly violent institution in our
society: The Home Office, for example, through its Crime Reduction Service (‘Domestic
Violence’, 2004) documents the range, risk and consistency of family-related violence in terms
of the fact that: ‘Every year, around 150 people are killed by a current or former partner. One in
four women and one in six men will suffer from domestic violence at some point in their lives.

• Channeling and legitimizing the exploitation of women. Within the family, for
example, many women are still generally expected to do the majority of domestic labour
tasks (a situation that mirrors, the exploitative work relationships experienced by many men).
This situation is, to some extent, considered right and proper or, at least, legitimate by many
men and women because it is seen as being part of the female role in (patriarchal) society.

• Free services: The basic idea here is that the majority of children raised within a family
group will grow-up to be future workers who will, according to this perspective, be taking their
place amongst those exploited by capitalist owners. The costs of replacing ‘dead labour’ (a
concept that includes both those who literally die and those who become too old or sick to work
anymore) are, in the main taken on by the family group in a couple of ways.
 Economic costs involved in raising children to adulthood fall on the family
group. Employers make little or no contribution to these general family costs.
 Psychological costs are also involved since the family group is an
important socializing agency. If children are to be future workers they need to
be socialized in ways that orientate them towards seeing their future in such
terms.

Complementing the idea of free services, we can note how Marxists relate such ideas to
that of the family group as a:

• Stabilizing force in capitalist society. This idea reflects the argument that the
responsibilities people take on when they create family groups locks them into capitalist
economic relationships.
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 In other words, family members have to work to provide both the basic necessities of life
– food, clothing and shelter – and the range of consumer goods that goes with modern lifestyles
(Personal computers, DVDs, the family car and so forth). The requirement to take responsibility
for family members (both adults and children) also acts as an emotionally stabilizing force in
society. Finally, in this respect, we can note the idea of the family group as:

 Consumers of products: Marxists note how the family group has,

historically, moved from being active producers of goods and services to
passive consumers of these things – someone, after all, has to buy the
things that make profits for a ruling class and the family, with all its
expenses and expectations represent an increasingly important source of
consumption.

Feminist perspectives on family life tend to stress things like:

 Service roles: Women, by and large, take on the role of ‘unpaid servants’ to their
partner and children. This is sometimes done willingly – because they see it as
part of the female role – and sometimes unwillingly because their partner will not,
or is unable, to take it on. This type of role – especially when it’s part of a female
double shift involving both paid and unpaid work – contributes, according to
feminists, to:

 Exploitation: In this respect, feminists point to the idea women in our

society increasingly suffer from dual forms of exploitation:
• patriarchal exploitation as domestic labourers within the home
• capitalist exploitation as employees in the workplace.

 Reserve army of labour: Mary Macintosh (‘The State Oppression of

Women’) argues that women are called into the workforce at various times
when there is a shortage of male labour and forced back into the family
when there is a surplus. Women are a marginalized workforce, forced into
low pay, low status, employment on the basis of sexual discrimination.

 Oppression: Feminists also point to the idea that women’s lives within the
family are oppressive when considered in a couple of ways. Firstly, in
terms of the ‘housewife role’ effectively forced on women. Even though
many women seem to perform this role willingly it could be argued this
willingness to identify domestic labour with femininity is a result of both
socialization and patriarchal ideologies. Secondly, in terms of violence
within the family. Dodd et al (‘Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004’),
for example, note ‘16% of all violent incidents were incidents of domestic
violence’. They also report just over two- thirds (67 per cent) of the victims
of domestic violence were women.

Postmodern perspectives, on the other hand, tend to view family groups in

individualistic terms – as arenas in which people play out their personal narratives, as it were. In
this sense, we can identify two basic forms of individualistic experience:

• Choice, in the individual sense of the word, whereby people are increasingly able to
make decisions about their behaviour – from the basic choice of whether or not to form a family
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group to the variety of extended choices now available in terms of how people express their
‘lived experiences’ in family relationships. Think, for example, about the multitude of different
family forms and relationships in our society – from childless couples, through step-families, to
gay couples with children and beyond. This notion of choice links into the idea of:

• Pluralism as the defining feature of postmodern societies. In other words, such

societies are increasingly characterized by a plurality of family forms and groups which coexist –
sometimes happily and sometimes uneasily. Within this context of family pluralism, therefore,
Postmodernists argue it’s pointless to make judgements about family forms (in the way we’ve
seen other sociological perspectives make such judgements about the form and function of
family groups). From this perspective therefore, each family unit is, in its own way unique and
involves people working out their personal choices and lifestyles in the best ways they can.

As Judith Stacey (‘Fellow Families?’, 2002) puts it when discussing same-sex

relationships, ‘Under the postmodern family condition, every family is an alternative family.’
Because of this uniqueness, as we have seen in the previous section, one of the problems we
encounter when discussing families is the difficulty involved in trying to precisely define this
group; exclusive definitions appear much too narrow and restrictive, in the sense they generally
fail to account for all types of family structures, whereas inclusive definitions may be so widely
drawn in terms of what they include as a family as to be somewhat less than useful for students
of AS Sociology (and their teachers, come to that). In this respect, David Elkind (‘Waaah, Why
Kids Have a Lot to Cry About’, 1992) has suggested the transition from modern to postmodern
society has produced what he terms the permeable family which, he notes, ‘encompasses many
different family forms:
a. traditional or nuclear;
b. two-parent working;
c. single-parent;
d. blended;
e. adopted child;
f. test-tube;
g. surrogate mother;
h. and co-parent families.

Each of these is valuable and a potentially successful family form. In this respect he
argues: ‘The Modern Family spoke to our need to belong at the expense, particularly for
women, of the need to become. The Permeable Family, in contrast, celebrates the need to
become at the expense of the need to belong.’

While Elkind doesn’t necessarily see this latter state – the idea individual needs and
desires override our sense of responsibility to others (and, in some respects, the ‘denial of self’
in favour of one’s children and their needs) – as generally desirable, Dyske Suematsu
(‘Postmodern Family’, 2004) is not so sure: ‘A family is essentially a unit of support. There
were days when human beings could not survive without it. Those days are over.

Think of this:

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 Is the family dead? Do you agree or disagree with the argument Suematsu
puts forward that, in some respects, families have outlived their usefulness?
What arguments could you put forward to either support or reject this idea? Write
your discussion in your required notebook using blue ink pen.

Whatever your personal perspective on family life, whether you see yourself as a family
traditionalist, looking forward to produce 1.6 M children – the current average family size in the
UK – in a loving, heterosexual, relationship or as a postmodern free-spirit ready-and-willing to
indulge whatever sexual craving takes your fancy,(with whoever takes your fancy), in a loose-
knit family-style relationship, it remains true that governments – the makers of social policy –
tend to have quite specific views about what constitutes a family.

The technical term for this idea is an ideology (a set of related beliefs about something)
and, in the next section, we can examine some ways social and economic ideologies and
policies impact on family structures and relationships.

Sociological views on today’s families generally fall into the functional, conflict, and social
interactionist approaches introduced earlier in this book. Let’s review these views, which some
are summarized in the table . Finish the unfilled major assumptions and write your own views on
the different theoretical perspectives. Each unfilled assumptions and your own views will be
scored 5 points, criteria for scoring is on the last page of this module.

A. Table 1: Insights

Theoretical Major Your Own Views

Perspectives Assumptions
Functionalism The family performs
several essential
functions for society. It
socializes children, it
provides emotional and
practical support for its
members, it helps
regulate sexual activity
and sexual reproduction,
and it provides its
members with a social
identity. In addition,
sudden or far-reaching
changes in the family’s
structure or processes
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 threaten its stability and
weaken society.
Conflict The family contributes to
social inequality by
reinforcing economic
inequality and by
reinforcing patriarchy. The
family can also be a
source of conflict,
including physical
violence and emotional
cruelty, for its own
members.
Symbolic The interaction of family
interactionism members and intimate
couples involves shared
understandings of their
situations. Wives and
husbands have different
styles of communication,
and social class affects
the expectations that
spouses have of their
marriages and of each
other. Romantic love is
the common basis for
American marriages and
dating relationships, but it
is much less common in
several other
contemporary nations.
Marxist perspectives

Feminist perspectives

Postmodern
perspectives
21stCentury
perspectives

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 Answer the questions below based on the insights given and your own perspectives.

1. explain comprehensively the meaning of family of the following

perspectives:
a. households; ( 30 points)
b. family perspectives by:
(1). Functionalists
(2). New Rights
(3). Marxist
(4). Feminist
(5) Post- modern

2. share your insights in Sociologists perspective that a “family is the

building blocks of society”;(10 points)
3. picture -out family as considered the primary consuming unit in a society.
(10 points)

RUBRICS

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 Above Standard Below standard
5 points 3 and below points

Initial Posting Initial Posting

This excellent posting reflected that the student read and This posting does not reflect that the student did or
MODULE
understood the assigned material, referring specifically to understood the reading.
2
assigned reading or related research.
This posting could have been made without the student
The posting has a clear purpose: to inform, persuade, or doing any reading or
LESSON
raise an interesting question. It may also provoke
conversation or offer an opposing view of the devil's
research at all.

advocate. The posting has no apparent purpose other than meeting

the assignment requirement. It does not move the

Family Structure and Social

2
When appropriate, the posting refers to outside sources conversation forward or offer a reasoned
in supporting its arguments. opposing opinion.

Policy
The post meets the word requirement of 150 to 350
words and there are no are no proofing or spelling errors.
The posting fails to make appropriate reference to
outside materials in supporting any arguments.
There are one or more proofing errors.
Post is made early in the assignment period, giving Post is made at the last minute or late.

6 Hours
fellow group members plenty of time to reply.
Replies Replies

Replies are substantive and reflect that the student read Replies lack substance and do not reflect any reading or
and thought about the assigned reading and additional thought about the reading or additional sources.
sources posted by the person they are
replying to.
“If you want to change the
The reply moves the conversation forward or makes a
The reply does not move the conversation forward or
answer a question presented.

posting. world, go home and love

reply to a question asked in response to their own Postings are made late on the day the assignment is due
so that it is difficult for others to respond.

your family.”
Replies are made over several days rather than all
crammed into the due dates.

This lesson deals with the study of family life in a changing world specifically on family
and definition, meaning and examples of social policy. It deals with the subjects on household
structure and their relationship to industrialization and urbanization.

It contains learning outcomes, motivation, presentation and the information on the

lesson, and self-evaluation. After reading the information go over with the questions on the
assessment section and answer those on your provided test notebook. Keep and note every
activity you have made and place inside the brown envelop because after the prelim term there
will somebody to collect for your ratings and grade.

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 At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Identify the characteristics and meaning of family and households in

industrialization and urbanization period.
2. Cite changes that occur during industrialization and urbanization period.
3. Describe a social policy to the following perspectives:
a. Historical
b. Future
4. Share views on the economic and social policies that impacted family life cycle.
5. Cite changes in family that occurred during industrialization and urbanization to
the following aspects:
a. structure;
b. social policy
6. Cite 5 examples of social policy in the Philippines which shape the Filipino
families lives.
7. Share your opinion on divorce, if implemented in the Philippines.

As we have just noted, the focus of this section is an examination of changes in family
and household structure and their relationship to agricultural time, industrialization and
urbanization. To understand the nature and extent of such changes we need to do two main
things, first, we have to outline what we mean by:
 family and household structure
 Agricultural
 industrialization ;
 urbanization;

Secondly, we need to examine how family and household structures have changed
historically in our society and how such changes can be related to processes of:
 Agricultural ,
 Industrialization; and
 urbanization.

A genogram originally developed by McGoldrick and Gerson (Genograms in Family

Assessment, 1985) is a way of describing family relationships and their structure. It is similar to
a family tree, but a little more sophisticated in terms of the information it contains. Draw a
genogram for your family (using the examples of McGoldrick and Gerson’s notation over leaf).
Start by identifying your immediate family and work outwards from there. Males are indicated by
squares, females by circles. Marriage/cohabitation is shown by an unbroken line. The person
drawing the genogram is indicated by a double box. Put the birth date of each family member at
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the top left. Links between living family members can be indicated as a broken line. Indicate the
relationship (uncle, for example) beneath the line. Marriage dates are recorded above the link
line. A separation is recorded by a slash (with date) along the line. Divorce is recorded as
above, except two lines are used. Remarriage (or ex-marriage) is indicated to one side with a
smaller shape. (See example below)

Before going to the next, comment first on the genogram above.

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 Before going to the teaching points, let us review the different structures which is,

The Evolution of Families - Past to Future

By Dance Champ
(file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/The%20Evolution%20of%20Families%20-%20Past%20to%20Future%20timeline
%20_%20Timetoast.html)

JAN 1, 1000
The Hunter-Gatherer Family
Hunter-Gatherer families were the first form of
societal families formed. Hunter-Gatherer families
were established by informal marriages in which
family members were dependant on one another for
food and survival. Females and children collected
herbs, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and any other
necessities that could be found through means of
gathering. Men were required to spend their time
hunting and bring meat home to their families.

JAN 1, 1300
The Agricultural Family
Agricultural families began to form when hunter-
gatherers found fertile land and many animals in one
area. Food was grown on the farm, and animals
were domesticated thus elimintaing the need for
hunting and gathering. Couples began to have more
children in order to create a work force and
succesfully sustain the farmland. Arranged
marriages and polygamy became popular due to the
fact that the result was more children to work on the
farm.

JAN 1, 1300
The Agricultural Family Continued
Most children stayed at home after marraige in order to continue helping on the family farm.
Eventually, this lead to very large extended families living together.

JAN 1, 1500
The Pre-Industrial Family
Many people moved from farms to villages and
towns and setup home businesses. Economy was
struggling during this time. Marriage became an
economic necessity, due to the fact that it was
near impossible for single women to get jobs in the
workforce. Most couples now were monogamous
and had fewer children because they were no
longer needed for labour, housing was much
smaller, and the economy was very poor.

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However, children were still a necesity because less than 50% reached adulthood

JAN 1, 1800
The Urban Industrial Family
Many men started working outside the home now due to
the production of factories in cities and towns. Wage
based labour force was established. Men went out to work
in the workforce, while women stayed at home to take
care of the home and children. Women were financially
dependant on their husband's salaries. Children were no
longer required to work and had to attend school until the
minimum age of 16 (established in 1871).

JAN 1, 1800
The Urban Industrial Family Continued
When young people married, they moved away from their
families because they were now able to sustain themselves. The family we are most familiar
with today, began to take shape during this era.

JAN 1, 2000
The Contemporary Canadian Family
During the early 1960's women began to work
outside the home alongside men. This lead to
many new family types such as the dual income
family, and the DINK family. The birth rate of
children began to steadily decline to an average
of 1.5 children per Canadian household. Women
were granted more rights such as maternity
leave which allows the mother to temporarily
leave the workforce in order to raise her
children.

JAN 1, 2110
The Family of the Future
Famly of the future will live in much
larger cities than we do today, and
therefore in much closer proximity with
eachother. Major cities will be carefully
constructed in order to succesfully
sustain extremely large populations.
Due to great advancements in
technology, most humans will work
from home unless employed by the
government or military. Families will no
longer have the right of reproducing.

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JAN 1, 2110
The Family of the Future Continued
Children will be created by the government through scientific processes such as cloning and
artificial reproduction, thus allowing for the government to control the population. Average birth
rate will decline because less humans will be needed for jobs, since they will be replaced by
technology. Created children will be evenly dispursed to families in order to be raised. Dominant
family form will be "NOBO" where children are not related by blood.

JAN 1, 2110
The Family of the Future Continued 2
Familiy's goal will be to raise their child to be a progressive and effective member of society.
Women and men will be 100% equal in the eyes of the society. Women and men will spend
equal time away from and at work except when they are raising a child. In such a case, they will
spend equal time at home. When a child is given to a family, both parents will recieve time off
work in order to help with child rearing.

Before going to thteaching points, comments first on the evolution of family, past to future.

Family Structure and Social Policy

A. Family/household structure

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 Is based on the idea we can identify differences in the way people relate to each other;
in other words (going back to the work we did on the concept of structure in Chapter 1) family
and household structures are differentiated (or different) from each other on the basis of the
different lifestyles, values and norms surrounding people’s relationships.

The following examples of different family and household structures make this a little
more understandable:
 Nuclear families consist of two generations of family members (parents and
children) living in the same household. Contacts with wider kin (aunts and cousins,
for example) are usually infrequent and more likely to involve ‘impersonal
contacts’ such as the telephone or email. For this reason, this family structure is
sometimes called an isolated nuclear (reflecting its isolation from wider kin and it’s
‘economic isolation’ from the rest of society) or conjugal family – a self-contained
unit where family members are expected to support each other socially,
economically and psychologically.

 Extended families, as the name suggests, involve additional family members.

This structure comes in three basic flavours:

 Vertically extended consists of three or more generations

(grandparents, parents and children) living in the same household
(or very close to each other). Matrifocal families are a variation on
this type of family structure in that they involve (or are focused on)
women (a female grandparent, female parent and children).
Conversely, patrifocal families (quite rare in our society) are focused
on men.

 Horizontally extended involves relations such as aunts, uncles,

cousins, etc. (relations of the same generation as the parents).
These ‘extensions’ to the basic family group branch out within
generations – a wife’s sister and her partner, for example, living with
the family group. Polygamous families (where one man lives with
many women or vice versa) sometimes take this form – the parents
may, for example, be drawn from the same generation.

 Modified-extended refers, according to Michael Gordon (The

Nuclear Family in Crisis: The Search for an Alternative, 1972) to the
idea that wider family members keep in regular touch with each
other. This may be both physically (in the sense of visiting or
exchanging help and services) and emotionally (contacts by
telephone, email and the like). Related to this idea is a distinction
drawn by Peter Wilmott (‘Urban Kinship Past and Present’, 1988)
when he talks about local extended families, involving ‘two or three
nuclear families in separate households’ living close together and
providing mutual help and assistance; dispersed extended families,
involving less frequent personal contacts; and attenuated extended
families involving, for example, ‘young couples before they have
children’, gradually separating from their original families.

 Single-parent families involve a single adult plus their dependent

children. Although this is more likely to be a female parent, a
significant proportion involve a male parent. This type of family is
sometimes called a broken nuclear family, because it often – but not
always – arises from the break-up of a two-parent family.

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  Reconstituted (or ‘step’) families (usually nuclear in form) result
from the break-up of one family (through things like death or divorce)
and its reconstitution as a unique family by remarriage or
cohabitation. It may, therefore, involve children from a previous
family as well as the new family.

A reconstituted (step) family

 Homosexual families: Usually nuclear in form, this type of family

involves adults of the same sex plus children (own or adopted).
Homosexual couples cannot currently legally marry in the UK (a
Labour Government Bill to recognise ‘Civil Partnerships’ – giving
each partner legal rights similar to married heterosexual couples –
was rejected by the House of Lords in June 2004). Gay couples can,
however, legally cohabit.

B. Household structures in our society, involve the following:

 Single households consist (as you might have guessed) of

an adult living alone. Traditionally, death and relationship
breakdown have been the main reasons for this type of
household, although there is increasing evidence people are
choosing to live this way (in 2003, for example, 13% of all
households consisted of a single person).

 Couple households consist of two people living without

children. In 2003, 25% of all households were of this type,
making it the second most common household type after
couples with dependent children (38% of all households).

 Shared households are not particularly common and involve,

for whatever reason, a group of people living together. This
may be a temporary arrangement (such as students sharing a
flat) or a permanent arrangement whereby families/individuals
live together as a commune.

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 We can complete the first part of this section by briefly outlining what we mean by the
concepts of:

C. What is industrialization and urbanization?

 Industrialization – a process whereby machines are extensively applied to the

production of goods in society (mechanization). One result of this process is the
development of factories and the ability to mass produce consumer goods
(clothes, cars, mobile phones). Related to this process is the concept of:

 Urbanization, which involves the idea of population movement away from rural
(village) living to larger communities based in towns and cities. This is sometimes
called social migration from the countryside (rural areas) to towns – urban areas
which developed as industrialization and factory production developed.

What is a social policy?

By: Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby FBA, Sept. 2019

Social policy is a field of study rather than discipline. It focuses on human needs and on
what governments and other bodies can do to meet such needs. It developed as an academic
practice in western countries after the Second World War, alongside the rise of welfare state.
The core areas of study were initially health, services, personal social services, and social care,
housing and homelessness, cash benefits and pensions, education and the government
policies, regulations and financing that support and shape them.

As the welfare state developed, social policy scholars identified the gaps in welfare
provisions and the assumptions about priorities and about how people live that directed
provisions.
Scholars pointed out the reliance of welfare state on a particular form of family, with
implications to gender roles and opportunities for women and men, and on particular patterns of
employment and working life. They paid increasing attention to gender, race and ethnicity,
poverty, wealth and inequality, child care, right and inequalities in the workplace, ageing policy,
mental health issues, how people think about the deserving and undeserving poor and more
broadly, political attitudes as they influenced welfare. They noted the ways in which some
policies reinforce privilege and inequality and pointed to the implications of tax breaks, private
schooling and subsidies for owner occupation and private transport. A new field of comparative,
cross-national and global social policy emerged, examining the differences in human welfare
and in provision to advance it in societies across the globe.

D. Family and Social Policy

We can begin this section by defining social policy which, according to Susan and Peter
Calvert (Sociology Today, 1992) refers to: the main principles under which the government of
the day directs economic resources to meet specific social needs.’

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 We can add some flesh to the bare bones of this definition by noting Susannah Morris’s
observations (Social Policy: From the Victorians to the Present Day, 2004) that social policy
involves the government identifying and regulating:

• social problems – such as an increase in the level of crime

• social needs – such as those of the unemployed
• social conditions – such as the provision of health care through something like a
National Health Service.

Social Policies

Some of the areas we’re going to look at later (such as divorce) may also provide
examples of policies.

As should be apparent, from the work you’ve just done, social and economic policy is a
potentially vast area to cover (even if we restrict ourselves to considering only those polices
directly affecting families), since it involves both a:

1. Historical perspective

Identifying, for example, polices from both the distant past – such as the various Factory
and Child Labour Acts of the nineteenth century – and the recent past – such as the Child
Support Agency, created in 1993 to ensure parents living apart met ‘their financial
responsibilities to their children’.

2. Future perspective:

Thinking about polices now being proposed – such as limits on the smacking of children –
and polices whose impact cannot be adequately judged, as yet.
Rather than trawl through this vast sea of policy, therefore, this section focuses on two
main areas, namely:
 identifying a selection of government policies that impact on family life
 reviewing a sample of recent social and economic policies to give you a flavour
for this area (and your further research if so desired).

Before we look at these ideas, don’t forget family life is also covered by general social
policies relating to the criminal law; although we tend to talk about things like domestic violence
as if they were somehow a special legal category, it is actually a form of criminal assault. Areas
such as child abuse and bigamy are also covered by crime policies.

Social and Economic Policy that Impacted Family Life

Rather than simply list a selection of recent social and economic policies that have
impacted on family life, a more interesting way to think about this information might be to use a
biographical approach. This involves creating an imaginary individual and showing some of the
ways social policies impact on their life – from birth to retirement.

You should also remember what follows is just an illustration – it is designed to give you
a general overview of how social policy impacts on family life. Having duly noted this provision,
we can begin our biological approach with:

 Conception. Until recently, contraceptive devices were available ‘free’ (paid for
out of general taxation) from the National Health Service (NHS); however IVF
(fertility treatments) are now available for those unable to conceive ‘naturally’.

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  Abortion. is also available for a period of 24 weeks (under the Abortion Act, 1967)
after conception. Whether or not you are conceived will depend upon a range of
family circumstances governed by government policy (child care facilities,
employment prospects for your parents and so forth).

 Pregnancy. Working women are entitled to maternity leave, statutory maternity

pay and, once they have given birth, they have a right to resume their former job.
From 2003, fathers also have the right to a period of paternity leave (up to two
weeks), during which they can claim statutory paternity pay from their employer
(currently £100 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings if this is less than
£100).

 Birth/ infancy. The NHS provides free medical services, the level and range of
which depends on government funding policies and decisions made by Regional
Health Authorities. In general, the lower the social class of your parents, the
greater the chance of you not surviving childbirth (child mortality) or the first few
years of life (infant mortality), as the following table illustrates.

If, for whatever reason, your parents can’t care for you, the government (through local
councils) makes provision for fostering/adoption.

 Pre-school. Nursery facilities are not provided by the government (although tax
credits are available for nursery places), which restricts the ability of one parent to
work and affects family living standards. If your mother works, you are most likely
to be looked after by a grandparent (one-third of children under 15 in 2002). If you
are abused or neglected, you may be taken into local authority care – something
that happened to 40,000 children in 2002.

 Education. Between the ages of 5 and 16 you must, by law, receive formal
tuition, either through attending a state (free)/private school or by a private tutor
(who can be your parents). The education you receive may depend on your
parents’ income (if they can afford to send you to a private school) or where they
live (children who attend schools in inner city areas achieve fewer GCSE and A-
level exam passes than those who attend schools in suburban areas). Such
things may affect your future employment prospects and may affect the decision
about whether or not you remain within the family home.

 You may be eligible for free school meals and there is the possibility you
could be suspended or excluded from school.

 A range of health/welfare services and benefits are provided by the state,

but these no longer include things like free prescriptions or dental and eye
care.
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(Note: this is USA and Philippine policy though the same but its implementation is somewhat
different because USA are developed countries and Philippine is developing).

 Early adulthood (16–18): Once you reach the minimum school-leaving age, a
range of government policies come into effect. You can legally marry (as long as
your parents agree) and you can have sexual intercourse (as long as your partner
– of whatever sex – is at least 16). If you get a job, you have to be paid the legal
minimum wage for your age. Your earnings, however, will be subject to Income
Tax and National Insurance deductions.

 Adulthood (18+): Adult family members are affected in numerous ways by social
and economic policies.

 You can get married (subject to various restrictions – incest, bigamy,

age of prospective partner and so forth), cohabit (live with someone)
and divorce.

 If you start your own family, your housing options may be limited. In
the past 20 years the government has discouraged the building of
low-rent (subsidized) housing and local authority (‘council’) housing
has been progressively sold to private owners and housing
associations.

 Your ability to afford a mortgage is affected by your employment

prospects, which relate to things like your level of education and
where you live (the South East has lower rates of unemployment
than the north of England, Scotland and Wales).

 In 2002, the average house price was £128,000 (although regional

differences apply; living in London, for example, is more expensive –
a detached house, on average, will set you back £385,000 in 2004).
These factors may result in children continuing to live within the
family home (see above).

 Mortgage tax relief was abolished in 2002.

 Between the ages of 18 and 24, if you claim the Job Seeker’s
Allowance continuously for six months you will have to enter the New
Deal scheme; if you can’t find a job through this scheme you will be
required to do one of the following: subsidized employment; work
experience with a voluntary organization/environmental task force or
full-time education. If you refuse to do one of these options your Job
Seeker’s Allowance will be stopped.

 The government provides a range of (means tested – they depend

on your level of income) social security benefits for adults and
families. These include working families’ tax credit/income support;
council tax benefit; incapacity or disability benefits and housing
benefit. In addition, child benefit is paid to all families with eligible
children, regardless of income.

 Old age/retirement. State pensions currently start at 65 for men and 60 for
women (although this may change by 2010 with the retirement age for all set at
65). Pension payments depend on the National Insurance contributions you have

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 – or have not – paid throughout your working life (many women in our society, for
example, have not paid enough contributions to qualify for a full state pension).

 Pensioners who rely solely on a state pension are one of the most
likely groups to experience poverty (roughly 20% of all pensioners
are classed as poor). Means-tested income support is available for
pensioners who, at 52%, are the largest recipient group of social
security expenditure (the next largest group – 26% – are the sick
and disabled).

 As a pensioner, you may receive some free services (the bus pass!),
but you have to pay VAT (at 17.5%) on heating costs (although the
government does make provision for ‘bad weather payments’).
Hypothermia (death through lack of heat) is one of the greatest
causes of premature death in our society. Medical services are still
free, but the elderly are often considered a low priority in terms of
health provision. You may have to wait months or years for non-
essential surgery.

 Services such as home helps, district nurse/health visitor, day centre

care, social workers and meals-on-wheels are also provided for
those aged 65 and over.

 If you reach a stage where you are unable to adequately care for
yourself, you will be faced with the choice of entering a private
nursing home (which will be expensive and largely unsubsidized –
which may affect any inheritance for your children) or, more likely,
you will be forced to rely on your children for care and
accommodation (‘care in the community’). If you have no children or
no means of support you will receive some form of state care.

In this section we have looked at a range of social policies affecting family life and
experiences in our society which, as indicated earlier, involves a sense of historical
development and continuity. Continuing this general theme, therefore, we can turn next to an
examination of changes to family and household structures and their relationship to processes
of industrialization and urbanization.

As noted, the focus of this section is an examination of changes in family and household
structure and their relationship to industrialization and urbanization. To understand the nature
and extent of such changes we need to do two main things:
firstly, we have to outline what we mean by:
 family and household structure
 industrialization ;
 urbanization.

Secondly, we need to examine how family and household structures have changed
historically in our society and how such changes can be related to processes of:
 Industrialization; and
 urbanization.

E. Changes in Family , Structures and Policy

1. Pre-modern and Modern Family

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 Having familiarized ourselves with some basic concepts about family and household
structures, industrialization and urbanization, we need to explore the relationship between these
ideas.

To do this, we need to frame debates about possible changes in this relationship within a
sociological context, one that involves thinking about the relationship between social change
and social behaviour in a historical context – and to explore possible historical changes within
both society and family structures, we need to do two things: firstly, establish a framework for
our analysis of social change and secondly examine historical changes in society and how they
link to economic changes over time. Since we want to look at the effects of industrialization, we
can organize the framework in terms of the characteristics of three ‘historical types’ of society,
namely:

 pre-industrial (or pre-modern)

 industrial (or modern) and
 post-industrial (or postmodern).

The table below identifies a range of significant social and economic features of each of
these basic types. When referring to this table, keep the following in mind:

 Types of society. These are not ‘hard-and-fast’ categories – pre-modern society

didn’t end abruptly, to be replaced by modern society. The table simply helps you
identify some possible differences between different types of society.

 Post-modernity. There are arguments within sociology about whether we now

live in a postmodern/post-industrial society. I have included it as a type here
mainly because it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking ‘industrialization’ is
something that happened a long time ago. Whatever we want to call present day
society (postmodern or late modern, for example) the important thing is to relate
family and household change to both an understanding of the past and the
present.

 Mass production refers to the idea that machines were used to produce goods
to a standard design, cheaply enough to make them available to large numbers of
people.

 Service production refers to the idea that providing services to people (either
physically – as in McDonald’s – or through things like banking, insurance and
knowledge-based systems) is the dominant form of economic activity in
postmodern society.

 Feudal refers to a political system involving a major social distinction between the
Nobility (large landowners) and the Peasantry (largely landless)

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 Pre-modern Modern Post modern

Time Pre-18th century 18th-late 20th Late-20th

century century to
present
Features of Pre-industrial Industrial Post-industrial
economic Agriculture Mass production Service
production Tools Mechanization production
Automation
Scale Local National Global
Political Feudal Capitalist Late capitalist
system

Table 2 Selected characteristics of types of society in Britain

 Capitalist refers to a political system

based on a class distinction between
owners (employers) and workers
(employees).

In the table that have suggested

significant historical changes in our
society based on the idea of economic
changes to the way goods are made
and services provided. There is, in this
respect, little doubt Britain today is a
very different place to Britain 500 years
ago and it would not be difficult to
establish changes in, for example,
personal relationships (family or
otherwise) between these two periods.
However, the crucial question we need
to explore next is the extent to which
the social changes created by
industrialization and urbanization
produced changes in family and
household structures.

In terms of the question just posed, there are two basic positions we need to examine.
The first argument suggests industrialization and urbanization were important factors in the
promotion of family and household change.

These processes, as they developed over a couple of hundred years between the late
seventeenth and late nineteenth centuries, radically changed the nature of work and economic
production as Britain gradually moved from an agrarian (agricultural) to an industrial (factory-
based) society.
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 This change in the nature and organization of work – from the land-based, rural,
agricultural, family-centred, organization of pre-industrial society to the capital-intensive, urban,
industrial, factory centred, organization of industrial society – produced, from this viewpoint,
radical family and household changes.

The basic argument here is that family structures changed from the predominantly
extended family organization of pre-industrial society to the predominantly nuclear family
organization of industrial society. The main reason for this was that industrialization saw the
development of factories and, in turn, the rapid growth of large urban centres (towns and cities)
to support and supply labour for factory-based production.

To accommodate such changes, the old extended families of pre-industrial society

(ideally suited to the demands of a family-based, subsistence form of farming) were broken
down into nuclear families that fitted the economic requirements of:

 geographic mobility – the need for families to move to towns and factories

 Labour flexibility – the need to move to where jobs were located. Industrialization,
therefore, was seen as the motor for family change – people were forced to change the
way they lived to accommodate new forms of economic production.

If we trace this idea into the late twentieth/early twenty-first century, a similar pattern
emerges, but this time the emphasis is on family fragmentation and diversity. The nuclear family
structures created by industrialization and urbanization are disrupted by the needs of global
economic systems and work processes, processes of de-industrialization (a decline in the
economic importance of manufacturing) and of de-urbanization (a move away from towns and
cities to the countryside).

The second, alternative, argument also involves thinking, initially, about industrialization
and urbanization. The argument here is that these occurred in Britain (the first country to
industrialize) because pre-industrial family structures were mainly nuclear and thus ideally
positioned to take advantage of new economic opportunities requiring family mobility and
flexibility; in other words, pre-industrial family structures – with few unbreakable physical or
emotional ties with extended kin – are seen as the motor for subsequent industrial development.

In addition, the relatively large number of extended households in pre-industrial times

(which included, for example, servants who had few, if any, emotional or economic ties with
their employers) also represented flexible structures that could adapt relatively easily to the
changed economic world. This idea of flexibility translates relatively easily to post-modern
society, which, so this argument goes, requires highly flexible family and household structures
if new economic opportunities are to be grasped and exploited. Our society, it is suggested, has
already evolved fragmentary family and household structures (through industrialization and
changes to legal relationships – the easy availability of divorce, the growth of single-parent
families and single-person households etc.) that are well-suited to taking on board globalized
forms of work (living and working in different countries, working at home using computer
technology and so forth).

Having identified two opposing sides to the debate, therefore, we need to examine the
historical evidence to help us decide which, if any, of these two arguments best describes the
relationship between changes in family and household structures, industrialization and
urbanization.
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 The Postmodern Perspective on the Family

Postmodernists argue that recent social changes such as increasing social

fragmentation and diversity have made family more a matter of personal choice and as a result
families have become more unstable and more diverse.

Before reading this post you might like to review the topic of postmodernity more
generally.

Postmodernity, Social Change and the Family

Postmodernists argue that we no longer live in the modern world with predictable orderly
structures, such as the nuclear family. Instead society has entered a new, chaotic postmodern
stage.

In postmodern society, family structures are incredibly varied and individuals have much
more freedom of choice in aspects of their lives which would have been relatively constrained in
the past i.e. lifestyles, personal relationships ad family arrangements.

Two social changes associated with postmodernity are of particular interest when
considering effects on the family:

Diversity and fragmentation – Society is increasingly fragmented, with a broad diversity

of subcultures rather than one shared culture. People create their identity from a wide range of
choices, such as youth subcultures, sexual preferences and social movements such as
environmentalism.

Rapid social change – New technology such as the internet, email and electronic
communication have transformed our lives by dissolving barriers of time and space,
transforming patterns of work and leisure and accelerated pace of change making life less
predictable.

As a result of these social changes, family life has become very diverse and there is no
longer one dominant family type (such as the nuclear family). This means that it is no longer
possible to make generalizations about society in the same way that modernist theorists such
as Parsons or Marx did in the past.

The rest of this post now considers two specific post-modern thinkers about the family –
Judith Stacey and Tamara Hareven.

Stacey (1998) “The Divorce-Extended Family”

Judith Stacey argues that women have more freedom than ever before to shape their family
arrangement to meet their needs and free themselves from patriarchal oppression. Through
case studies conducted in Silicon Valley, California she found that women rather than men are
the driving force behind changes in the family.

She discovered that many women rejected the traditional housewife role and had chosen
extremely varied life paths (some choosing to return to education, becoming career women,
divorcing and remarrying). Stacey identified a new type of family “the divorce-extended family” –
members are connected by divorce rather than marriage, for example ex in laws, or former
husband’s new partners.

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 Hareven (1978) “Life Course Analysis”
Tamara Hareven advocates the approach of life course analysis, that is that sociologists
should be concerned with focus on individual family members and the choices that they make
throughout life regarding family arrangements. This approach recognizes that there is flexibility
and variation in people’s lives, for example the choices and decisions they make and when they
make them. For example, when they decide to raise children, choosing sexuality or moving into
sheltered accommodation in old age.

Criticisms of Postmodern Views on the Family

Late-Modernists such as Anthony Giddens suggest that even though people have more
freedom, there is a still a structure which shapes people’s decisions.

Contemporary Feminists disagree with Postmodernism, pointing out that in most cases
traditional gender roles which disadvantage women remain the norm.

Having looked at the two arguments about the relationship between family and household
structures, industrialization and urbanization: 1. Create a list (based on the following table) of
what you think are the three most important strengths and weaknesses of each argument. ( 20
points)

Activity 1

Industrialization Urbanization
Strength Weaknesses Strength Weaknesses
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2
3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5

Activity 2: Draw your own genogram. (20 Points)

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 Please answer comprehensively the questions below. (25 points will be given to each
question, rubric for scoring is on the next page.)

1. Identify the characteristics and meaning of family and households in

industrialization and urbanization period.

2. Cite changes that occur during industrialization and urbanization period.

3. Describe a social policy to the following perspectives:

a. Historical
b. Future

4. Share views on the economic and social policies that impacted family life cycle.

5. Cite changes in family that occurred during industrialization and urbanization to

the following aspects:
c. structure;
d. social policy

6. Cite 5 examples of social policy in the Philippines which shape the Filipino
families lives.

7. Share your opinion on divorce, if implemented in the Philippines.

RUBRICS

Score Knowledge Understanding Writing skills/ Analysis Peer-Responsiveness

Application
Comprehensive, Outstanding Excellent Grasps inner Demonstrates an
25 in-depth and ability to grasp mechanics, relationship of exceptional ability
wide ranging concepts and sentence concepts, to analyze and
Relate theory to structure, and Excellent use of a synthesize student
practice. organization wide range of work, asks
supporting meaningful
materials extending
questions
15 Up to date and High level of Significant Demonstrates the Demonstrates
relevant ability to mechanics, ability to analyze good ability to
conceptualize structure and and synthesize, analyze other
essential ideas organization independent student work, and
and relate theory analysis, ask meaningful
to practice good use of a extending
range of questions
supportive
material
9 Relevant but not Some ability to Some Informed Some ability to
comprehensive conceptualize grammatical commentary with meaningfully
essential ideas lapses, uses some evidence of comment on
and relate theory emotional genuine analysis; other student
to practice response in lieu of some supportive work and ask
relevant points materials used bridging questions
5 Limited superficial Limited ability to Poor grammar, Some Lack of ability to
knowledge/response draw out weak observations, comment on
concepts and communication some supportive other students
relate theory to evidence used work and ask
practice meaningful
questions
3 Little Minimal Lack of clarity, Lacks evidence of Demonstrates poor
relevance/some awareness that poor presentation critical analysis, ability to comment on
accuracy external concepts of thinking poor use of other student work,
exist supportive asks no meaningful
evidence questions

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 MODULE
2

LESSON

Family/Household as a
3 Primary Consuming Unit in
Society

6
Hours

This lesson deals with a Family or Household as the Primary Consuming Unit in
Society. There are different topics included here.

It contains learning outcomes, motivation, presentation and the information on the lesson,
and self-evaluation. After reading the information go over with the questions on the assessment
section and answer those on your provided test notebook. Keep and note every activity you
have made and place inside the brown envelop because after the prelim term there will
somebody to collect for your ratings and grade.

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 At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Share your opinion on family as the primary consuming unit in society.

2. State you point of view on the participation of children in marketing decision

making.

3. Explain your reasons on the different factors that determine the family or
household consuming decision making.

4. Discuss your side on the status in society as one that determine individual or
family consuming style.

Family and Household Definitions Review

The term family is complicated to define because of its composition or structure. A family
may be defined as a group of two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption living
together in a household. This term is used to designate a variety of distinct social groups.

Persons constituting a family may be described as members of the most basic social
group who live together and interact to meet their personal and mutual needs. Families are like
organizations formed to accomplish particular functions more effectively and efficiently than
individuals can do independently.

Mr. Charls Horton Cooley, in his book ‘Social Organization,’ describes the family as one
type of primary group characterized by face-to-face association and cooperation, which is
fundamental in forming the social nature and ideas of the individual.

The relationships among family members are characterized by mutual feelings,

commitment, intimacy, affection, respect, and obligation. The relationship among family
members is very fluid, unlike other groups. The family may also be termed as a social
organization that defines its members’ roles and behaviors.

Families, you know, are formed to perform certain functions better for the members
constituting the family. Sociologists classify family functions on three dimensions.

The dimensions are (1) cohesion, (2) adaptability, and (3) communication.

The first one, cohesion, is the emotional bonding that family members have toward each
other. It measures the intimacy, degree of mutual feelings, and the sense of separateness of
members from each other.

The second dimension, adaptability, is a marital or family system’s ability to change the
power structure, role relationships, and relationship rules in response to situational and
developmental stress. It measures the family’s degree of facing the challenges of changing the
needs of family members.
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 Communication ability, on the other hand, enables the family to share with each other’s
needs. It also plays a role in cohesion and adaptability.

Poor communication ability of family members affects sharing, cohesion, and

adaptability, within the family. If the cohesion level is high in a family, there will be high
identification with the family, and such a family does most things together and probably chooses
the same items and brands.

The terms ‘family’ and ‘household’ are often used synonymously in consumer behavior
study. Though they carry almost the same meaning, there is a basic difference between these
two terms.

The term household implies a broader concept. It relates to a dwelling rather than a
relationship. It consists of a single person, a family, or any group of unrelated persons who
occupy a housing unit.

For example, an unmarried homeowner and a university student sharing an apartment or

cohabiting couples may be households. Households may also be termed as ‘an individual or
group of people who share a common dwelling.’ It includes the related family members and all
the unrelated persons who occupy a housing unit.

It differs from the family in that household describes all persons, both related and
unrelated, who occupy a housing unit. Thus single individuals living alone, same-sex couples,
unmarried couples living together, and larger groups living under the same roof are examples of
households.

From the above description, it is clear that there could be three types of households: the
family households, the non-family households, and the single-person household. A family
household consists of two or more persons living together who are related by marriage or birth.

A married couple, with or without children in the home, is the most common family
household. Other family households include a single parent with one or more children or a
variation of family members living together, such as two brothers who share a residence.

Nonfamily household, on the other hand, consists of two or more unrelated persons
sharing living quarters. Members may be roommates or maybe nonmarried couples of the
opposite or the same sex. An individual who lives alone in a separate residence is classified as
a single-person household.

Types of Family

Individuals are members of several kinds of families. They could be members

simultaneously of an extended family and a nuclear family. This can create confusion for
marketers in understanding family decision-making unless they are not clearly distinguished. In
the following few paragraphs, we shall discuss different types of families:

Family of Orientation or Consanguine Family

This is one of the basic forms of family. It is the family primarily based upon blood
relations into which we are born. This is known as a family of orientation because an individual
is oriented on basic values, beliefs, and attitudes by this family, which significantly shape his
behavior.

Thus, the family into which one is born is known as the consanguine family or family of
orientation. This family cares for and socializes us as children and gives us our initial class
status.
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The Conjugal Family or Family of Procreation
The family that is established by marriage is known as the conjugal family or family of
procreation. It is established by choosing a mate and rearing children. Thus, it consists of the
husband and a wife. They may have a blood relation or not. This is the simplest type of family in
the number of members.

It is found in every society around the world. With the establishment of the
conjugal family or family of procreation, one’s lifestyle changes significantly, as a new
consumption unit is created as soon as such a family is established.

To understand better on how family decide on their daily consumption- as a

primary consuming unit in society, let us first review on the family and household
structure which were previously discussed.

The Nuclear Family

This is the basic form of family. It is found in almost all societies. Two parents and their
children constitute the nuclear family. Thus, it is made up of the conjugal family and their
children.

This is also the immediate group of father, mother, and child/children living together. G.
R. Leslie defines it as ‘the family consists of two adults of the opposite sex, living in a socially
approved sex relationship with their own or adopted children. This family is virtually universal in
every society and plays an important role in individual consumer behavior.

Thus, this type of family is culturally desirable and the most common type of family found
worldwide. There are several variations of the nuclear family. There could be a single-parent
family caused by the death of one spouse or separation or divorce.

The Extended Family

The extended family includes relatives other than parents and their children, spans all
generations of living members, and derives from the nuclear family. This type of family may
include grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, step-relatives, and in-
laws.

Thus, it is the nuclear family and additional relations. It also involves the inclusion of one
or both sets of grandparents. Berkman and Gilson describe the extended family as consisting of
the nuclear family and their relatives. Other writers are found to be conservative in defining the
extended family.

According to some of them, a nuclear family and at least one grandparent live within the
household.

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 The extended family was once the normal mode of living of the people of South Asia.

But, over the last 25 years, it is found to be declining. The reasons are numerous. Some
of them could be increased urbanization, geographic mobility, women’s involvement in
professions at greater numbers, increased living costs, and raising children.

The big cities nowadays experience nuclear families in greater numbers. Marketing
activities thus carried in urban areas are, thus, increasingly aimed at the members of the
nuclear families.

Family Consumption Decision

The family, of course, is an especially important primary group. Accordingly, let us

examine how buying decisions are made within the family and factors that influence product and
brand choice.

Families are like different groups in many ways. We know that groups face problems,
and they make decisions to solve problems. Like other organizations, families also face
problems. In this case, purchase-related problems and work out solutions to those problems by
purchasing specific products and services.

As marketers frequently wish to influence families’ decisions, it is essential to understand

how consumption decisions are made within the family. Marketers should understand that each
member plays some role in family decision making.

They should also understand that one member may play an active role during a particular
purchase decision, where others passive, and vice versa.

The importance of the roles of the members may not be equal in every purchase
decision. The role and influence of family members in consumer decision making vary
depending on the product and family characteristics. The family unit’s actual influences depend
very much on the type of product or service being purchased.

In certain purchasing decisions, we may find the husband exerting more influence over
the wife. In other cases, the wife is found to exert more control over the purchase decisions.
You may also find situations where husband and wife are arriving at purchase decisions jointly.

Yet again, there are situations where children come onto the surface and play roles in the
purchase decisions. We know that families are small-scale social units with structures
developed by their members according to prevailing cultural norms.

Thus, the society and culture of which the family is a part determine family members’
roles in the purchasing decisions. Such influences basically come from the culture, subculture,
social class, and other reference groups.

The purchasing behavior of a family also changes as it progresses through its life cycle.

Besides, family members’ personalities vary, determining who will play a role in
family purchase decision making. In the following few sections, we shall discuss how
cultural and social influences, reference groups, stages of the family life cycle, and
family members’ personality traits influence their decision-making.

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 Family/Household as a Primary Consuming Unit in Society

Now formally we will take the discussion of Howard Bigelow on the Primary Consuming
Unit in Society- The Family.

A. The Consumption Unit in Society: The Family

B. Family and Consumer Behavior

(https://www.iedunote.com/family-and-consumer-behavior#:~:text=A%20family%20is%20an%20important
%20social%20unit%20for,individually%20consumed%2C%20are%20usually%20influenced%20by%20the
%20family.)

In fact, all products are aimed at some family member or other. Therefore, understanding
what a family is, the difference between a family and a household, and family types are
essential for a marketer. Why marketers pay attention to the family concept in understanding
consumer behavior? They pay special attention to the family as a reference group because it is
there that people are socialized and endowed with their initial social status.

Consumer behavior analysts often address the family as a consumption unit because
families make group purchasing decisions and shape their consumption behavior. Families are
involved in consumer decisions that involve more than one person. Families make purchase
decisions believing that it will maximize the welfare of their members. Although some members
might have special allocations or more power over how the pooled resources are used, families
pool their financial resources.

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 A family is an important social unit for at least two consumer-related reasons. You
know that many foods, shelter, recreational, and other products and services are
consumed jointly by the family members.

Moreover, the purchase and use of many products and services, which we think of as
individually consumed, are usually influenced by the family. Thus, consumers’ attitudes toward
spending and saving and even the brands and products purchased have been influenced by the
families they grew up in.

Family structure specifies the power, responsibilities, activities, and role expectations of
each member.

Family structures are also changing gradually, making family purchase decision patterns
different than before. Marketers must be sensitive to these changes and the way they influence
family purchase decisions and consumption activities. You can thus, argue that the family
should be the main focus for studying consumer behavior.

Therefore, marketers need to understand the nature of the family’s influence on its
members and how they make purchase decisions. This knowledge will definitely help them
better in developing marketing programs and in formulating strategies to implement those.

C. The Use Family Concepts in Marketing

Marketers need to consider family aspects, as most of the products are aimed at families.
Not all will use a particular product in the family, but some products are used jointly by the
family members.

From the previous discussion of this unit, you came to learn that, in certain purchases,
husbands play the only role; in others, wives play the only role. Again, in some other cases,
children make purchase decisions independently. You have also noticed that certain purchase
decisions are taken jointly by husbands and wives.

There are also occasions, though husbands and wives take joint purchase decisions.
Husbands play more important roles than wives. Yet again, some joint purchase decisions are
areas where wives play more dominant roles than husbands.

Marketers should know specifically which of the above situations prevail in the case of
his product. The answer to this question may be known from the answers to five relevant
questions. The questions are summed up below:

Who initiates the purchase decision process?

Purchase decisions, as you know, are not instant. They are rather complicated
processes involving several stages. The first of these is the initiation of the purchase decision
process. Who will initiate the decision process depends on the type of product or service in
question.

Generally, one likely to get the most benefit out of the purchase initiates the purchase
decision process. For example, in kitchen appliances, the wife is likely to initiate the purchase
decision process, as she will get the most benefit out of this purchase.

Who dominates the decision process?

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 Purchase decisions, in most of the cases, are taken after the evaluation of purchase-
related information.

The involvement of family members in the evaluation process depends on the type of
product considered and its difficulty. In complex purchase situations, more of the family
members take part in the evaluation process.

If the product is used exclusively by only one member of the family, he is likely to play a
role in the evaluative process, as seen in the shaving cream purchasing decision.

Who makes the price decision?

It basically depends on the role structure of the family and the price of the product. In
costly items, husbands usually take price decisions as the money comes out of their pockets.

In families where wives are dominant, price decisions are mainly taken by them. This role
is also determined by the social class and subcultural differences that we have discussed
before.

Who makes the final purchasing decision?

This again depends on the product’s nature and its importance as well as uses. If the
product is likely to be used by everyone in the family, such as a car, husbands, wives, and
children arrive at the final purchase decision.

Who makes the overt act of purchasing?

Though this is not very important as the final decision is made, the marketer should know
the answer to this question for the last attempt to convince the purchaser. This depends on the
type of product/service considered. For example, if the item is a life insurance policy, the
husband is most likely to make the actual purchasing.

It is imperative for appropriate marketing decisions that the marketer knows the answers
to the above-mentioned questions. The answers to these questions depend basically on the
buyer’s social, cultural, and individual perspectives.

Family and Household Defined

The term family is complicated to define because of its composition or structure. A family
may be defined as a group of two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption living
together in a household. This term is used to designate a variety of distinct social groups.

Persons constituting a family may be described as members of the most basic social
group who live together and interact to meet their personal and mutual needs. Families are like
organizations formed to accomplish particular functions more effectively and efficiently than
individuals can do independently.

Mr. Charls Horton Cooley, in his book ‘Social Organization,’ describes the family as one
type of primary group characterized by face-to-face association and cooperation, which is
fundamental in forming the social nature and ideas of the individual.

The relationships among family members are characterized by mutual feelings,

commitment, intimacy, affection, respect, and obligation. The relationship among family
members is very fluid, unlike other groups. The family may also be termed as a social
organization that defines its members’ roles and behaviors.

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 D. Influence of Culture on Family’s Purchasing Decision Making

Culture, you know, is everything in our surroundings that are made by human beings.
Cultural influences have broad effects on family buying behavior because they permeate our
daily lives.

Our culture determines what we buy and use and how we buy them. Some of our
culture’s important values are retaining traditions, organized religion, conventional marriage,
and having children. These values are gradually eroding, particularly in urban areas.

For example, some 25 years back even, most urban families in our culture ate at least
two meals and breakfasted a day together. Mothers were found to devote four to six hours a
day preparing those meals.

Today, about 50% of the urban women are employed out of the home, and average
family incomes have risen considerably.

These changes have led to changes in the roles of husbands and wives in family
decision making. As more women find employment outside the home, they can give their
children less time and educate them on certain values and norms. These have also brought
significant changes in family purchase decisions and consumption patterns.

Since the same cultural traits do not prevail in all cultures, husbands and wives’ roles
also differ from culture to culture. In our culture, wives usually play passive roles in family
purchase decisions, particularly in rural areas.

Their husbands, particularly in taking family purchase decisions, consider them

subordinates. In urban areas, the picture is relatively different. Their husbands at a greater
number here consider wives’ opinions.

E. Culture also determines the roles of husbands and wives within the family.

A role is a set of actions and activities that a person in a particular position is supposed
to perform, based on both the individual and the surrounding persons. In our culture, husbands
usually play goal-directed roles, where wives play emotional and expressive roles.

Husbands are found to influence decisions on products related to family needs, where
wives are concerned with the aesthetic aspects of products.

Though family roles have changed a good deal over the years, traditionally, a married
male parent has held two positions: husband and father. The purchasing behavior and activities
that make up a man’s role as the expectations determine a father, his wife, and his children
have regarding a father’s behavior.

As people occupy numerous positions, they also have many roles. The male in our
society, for example, not only performs the roles of a husband and father but also may perform
the roles of an office executive, political activist, an office-bearer of a local sports club, and
student in an evening university class.

Thus, several sets of expectations are placed on each person’s behavior. His roles not
only influence his general behavior but also buying behavior. The demands of a person’s many
roles may be confusing and inconsistent. Assume that the father in a family is thinking of buying
a car.

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 His wife may want him to buy it next year. His older son is hoping for a brand new car.
His daughter wants a 1500 cc car. His fellow activists of the same political party are casually
suggesting that he increases his contribution to the party.

Several classmates at the university are urging him to buy a specific brand. A colleague
indicates that he should buy a different brand. Thus, his behavior is a function of the input and
opinions of many, including family members.

Family roles relate directly to purchase behavior. The husband in the family is likely to be
involved heavily in purchasing products like cars, VCD players, and cigarettes. The wife makes
buying decisions related to many household items such as microwave oven, sewing machine,
toaster, decorative items, etc.

The actual influence depends on who uses the product. One using a particular product
will try to dominate the purchase decision process of that product. Husband and wife participate
jointly in the purchase of a variety of products, especially durable products.

When two or more family members participate in a purchase, their roles may dictate that
each is responsible for performing certain tasks: initiating the idea, gathering information,
deciding on whether to buy the product or selecting the specific brand.

The particular jobs performed depend on the types of products being considered. The
role patterns discussed above are changing gradually as more and more women enter careers
and earn and spend money for their families.

This results in husbands’ involvement in some of the household work, traditionally the
wives’ domain. This also changes the role patterns of husbands and wives in family-related
purchases.

Husbands are now found to influence in household purchases, traditionally the wives
domain. As women become economically self-sufficient, they can make more purchasing
decisions. Moreover, if the husband is liberal with his wife, that wife will influence family-related
purchases, an urban phenomenon.

F. Influence of Subculture on Family Decision Making

By this time, you are well aware that culture influences family purchase decisions. In unit
5, you realized that subcultures exist, i.e., culture again may be divided into different subgroups
known as subcultures. Subcultural differences have a significant impact on family purchase
decisions.

Due to sub-cultural differences, roles of husbands and wives also vary within the family.
Moreover, relative to other subcultures, individuals in a certain subculture may have stronger
preferences for certain types of clothing, housing, furniture, or foods.

One of the subcultures, religious subculture, may shape family consumption and
determine husbands’ and wives ‘ roles significantly in the family unit.

For example, families belonging to the Muslim subculture here in Bangladesh do not buy
and consume certain products and services such as alcoholic beverages, pork, etc.

Families having strong bondage to the said religion will be conservative in buying and
consuming material goods. Again, in the Hindu religious subculture here in Bangladesh, it is
known that husbands dominate more in the family purchase decisions.

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 Regional subculture also influences family purchase decisions. The products families will
buy and consume, and the roles husbands and wives will play in family purchase decisions are
affected greatly by the regional subculture. The climatic condition of a particular region may
dictate the pattern of housing and clothing consumption of families.

For example, Chittagong Hill-Tracts people live in different houses and wear different
clothing types, unlike other countries. Fashion consciousness is also affected by regional
subcultures. People of certain regions are found to be more conscious about fashions than
people of other regions.

Roles that husbands and wives play in family purchase decisions are as well
affected by the regional subculture. In Bangladesh, it is known that, in northern districts,
women enjoy dominating family purchase decisions.

On the other hand, in the southern districts, wives enjoy their husbands’ dominance in
family-related purchases. In urban areas, middle-class families are found to take family
purchase decisions jointly by husbands and wives. In rural areas, husbands are found to
dominate family purchases.

G. Influence of Social Class on Family Decision Making

Within all societies, people rank others into higher and lower social classes of status.
This placement results in social classes. To a great degree, individuals within social classes
develop and take on common patterns of behavior. They may have similar attitudes, values,
language patterns, and possessions.

Social class, thus, influences family decision making to a great extent. Family lifestyle is
dictated by the class to which it belongs, and consequently, the products and services and the
brands and stores they select.

Upper-class families usually buy many high ticket items than middle and lower-class
families. Moreover, they also prefer to buy unique products and services.

For example, the upper classes’ families prefer to buy apartments in Gulshan,
Dhanmondi, and Banani of Dhaka city. These are the posh areas of the city, which signifies
upper-class status. The media use of families is also related to social class. Lower and lower-
middle-class families are usually the heavier TV viewers, where upper-middle and upper-class
families are the heavier magazines.

The leisure activities undertaken by families are also affected by their social classes. It is
found that in lower-class families, husbands and wives enjoy their leisure times independently.
The same picture is also seen in the upper-class families here in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, in middle-class families, husbands and wives enjoy their leisure jointly
along with the children.

Lower and middle-class families spend most of their leisure time indoors, such as visiting
friends and relatives. On the contrary, upper-class families spend their leisure in outdoor and
social activities and traveling abroad.

The class to which the family belongs also influences the role of playing in family-related
purchase decisions. In Bangladesh, in most cases, husbands dominate family purchase
decisions in lower-class families.

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 In middle-class families, husbands and wives are found to reach collective decisions
regarding family-related purchases. Upper-class families here in Bangladesh reveal a different
picture.

The wives usually take most of the family-related purchase decisions in the upper
classes. Husbands are the least concerned about how much is being spent on household
purchases. They are also not concerned about where the money is being spent, I mean on what
items.

H. Influence of Other Reference Groups on Family Decision Making

In addition to cultural, sub-cultural, and social class influences, decision-making in

families is also affected by other groups, known as “significant others’. They include parents,
friends, associates, and peers of both husbands and wives.

We learn certain purchase-related behaviors and roles from our parents when we live
with them. Later, in our conjugal lives, we are likely to display those behaviors and exercise
those roles that we have learned from our respective parents.

For example, if a husband learns from his parents that family purchase decisions should
be taken collectively by husband and wife, this particular husband is likely to practice this
pattern in his conjugal family.

If a wife, for example, learns from her parents’ family that wife plays a dominant role in
family-related purchases, she is likely to practice that pattern in her conjugal family.

In addition to parents’ influences, families are also influenced by their intimate friends
and associates. They give families purchase-related stimuli.

Families always try to keep pace with their friends and associates. As a result, they are
likely to assume the same lifestyles as their close friends and acquaintances by buying similar
products and services and selecting the same brands and stores.

Other reference groups, particularly in major purchases, such as furniture, television,

apartments, and so on, and in selecting clothing styles and entertainment activities, influence
families.

Colleagues also play a major role in particular family-related purchases. Because of

working in a particular organization, the husband of a particular family may need to wear a
particular dress, drive a particular automobile brand, or even live in a particular area.

I. Concept of Family Life Cycle as Consumers

Marketers are using the concept of the family life cycle over the last 60 years. In
analyzing and predicting families’ consumer behavior, they have recognized the various stages
in the family life cycle and each of these stages’ characteristics. It combines age, marital status,
presence or absence of children, and the ages of children.

The family life cycle describes the orderly progression of stages through which
households tend to pass during their lives. You should note that not all people, of course, go
through each of these nine stages, particularly here in Bangladesh.
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 Yet, the life cycle model does reflect a basic pattern of movement, which was developed
by Wells Gubar in 1966.

The basic assumption underlying the family life cycle approach is that most households
pass through an orderly progression of stages, each with its own features, financial position,
and purchasing patterns. “Family life cycle is the classification of family and non-family
households based on the assumption that these entities, like individuals, move through a series
of relatively distinct and well-defined stages with time.”

The nine stages comprising the family life cycle are (1) Bachelor stage; (2) Newly
married couples; (3) Full nest#1; (4) Full nest#2; (5) Full nest#3; (6) Empty nest#1; (7) Empty
nest#2; (8) Solitary survivor in the workforce; and, (9) Solitary survivor retired.

Now you will be given the basic idea on each of these stages in the following section:

Bachelor Stage

It consists of young single people not living at home. They have got a few financial
burdens. They have usually fashioned opinion leaders. People of this stage are recreation-
oriented.

Newly Married Couples

They are young individuals of the opposite sex, married recently, and having no children.
They are usually better off financially than they will be short. The highest purchase rate and
highest average purchase of durables are the two other characteristics of this stage of the
family life cycle.

It starts when the newly married couple has their first child born. The stage continues up
to the youngest child becomes six years of age. Their liquid assets are found below. They are
also found to be dissatisfied with their financial position and the amount of money saved.

This stage starts when the youngest child becomes six-year or over. A family’s financial
position is found to be better at this stage. This is because of the career progress of the
husband.

Moreover, the wife is found to start finding employment and earns money contributing to
the total family income. Families of this stage are found to be influenced less by advertising.

This stage comprises of the older married couple with dependant children. The family’s
financial position remains better. More wives of this stage are found to work and earn money.

Some children are also found to get a job, becoming self-dependent, thus relieving the
family financial burden. Advertising can hardly influence people of this stage in the family life
cycle,

It consists of older married couples having no burden on children as they leave their
parents. Children usually head into the labor force, becoming economically self-reliant and living
separately.

Families are found to be most satisfied with their financial positions. They can save a
significant amount of their incomes at this stage. They enjoy making gifts and contributing to
charities and social causes. They are usually not interested in new products at this stage.
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 It consists of an older married couple, no children living at home, and the family head is
retired. Because the family head retires, family income drops at this stage. But, as the wife
continues to work, family income is usually not dissatisfactory at this stage.

Solitary Survivor in Work Force

This stage usually consists of a wife. She still works and has a good income because she
can solely spend her entire income.

Solitary Survivor Retired

This is the last stage of the family life cycle. It usually consists of a wife who retires from
the active work, and as a result, the family’s financial position drastically falls.

Moreover, emotional difficulties start at this stage. Family requires a special need for
attention, affection, and security.

J. Consumption Patterns Over Different Stages of the Family Life Cycle

Buying behavior and consumption vary according to the stage in the family life cycle. The
family life cycle approach’s rationale is that buying relates more to the family development stage
than to any single demographic factor within the life cycle composite. Quite a few studies have
found relationships between life cycle stages and buying differences.

The purchasing behavior of a family changes as it progresses through its life cycle.
Consumer’s arrival at each stage of the life cycle initiates the need for new classes of products.

When single persons move into a separate apartment, they need to buy basic household
equipment. When these persons marry, there is a need for more furnishings, and the arrival of
children triggers a host of baby-related purchases.

Thus, each stage of the family life cycle opens new vistas of needs that can be met by
marketing people who watch for these opportunities. You will be given ideas on purchases
during different family life cycle stages in the following few paragraphs.

During the bachelor-stage, earnings are usually low as the individual starts his career.
Due to limited financial burden, the family can spend more on personal care items, clothing,
recreation, and travel. Families also buy basic kitchen equipment, basic furniture, and so on
during this stage.

As the Newly Married Couple is financially better off, they buy many items, particularly
durables. They buy refrigerators, televisions, stereos, sensible and durable furniture, and
vacations.

They are also found to buy appliances, cars, and a lot of clothing at this stage. They may
also start investing in building a reserve for the future. The marketers of such goods, including
financial services, and apartments, may successfully target this group.

When the first child is born, the Full Nest#1 stage begins, and the child’s presence alters
family consumption patterns overnight. Here, home purchasing reaches a peak. A lot of money
is being spent on child-related purchases. Families are found to be interested in new products
at this stage.

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 They are also attracted to advertised products at this stage. Families buy products like
baby food, toys, baby furnishing, washers, TV, chest rubs and cough medicine, vitamins, etc. A
significant amount of family income is also spent on paying medical bills.

Child-Oriented Purchases Continue.

But, as the family’s financial position improves, the family remains oriented toward new
purchases. In this stage, the family buys more of the food items, children’s clothing, bicycles,
junior sports equipment, larger-sized items such as bigger TVs and refrigerators, musical
instruments, etc. The family also starts saving for their children’s education.

Stage, the family’s financial position further improves.

They spend a lot of money on children’s education as their studies begin. Advertising can
influence less at this stage as the family becomes more experienced in purchasing. There is a
high average purchase of durables at this stage.

New, more tasteful furniture, automobiles, non-necessary appliances, magazines, dental

services, and luxury items are bought heavily at this stage.

Homeownership reaches the peak.

Families become interested in travel, recreation, and self-education at this stage.

Families make a lot of gifts and contributions at this stage.

Families are not interested in new products but rather buy vacations and luxuries and
spend money on home improvements. Families also spend a portion of their incomes on
protective investments to make their retired lives comfortable.

The family’s income falls, and they spend much of their time at home. They buy
medical appliances, spend money on medical care, buy products that aid health, sleep, and
digestion.

In the Solitary Survivor (in the labor force) Stage, more money is spent on vacations,
recreation, and health-oriented products. Out of these expenditures, the major portion is spent
on health care and Medicare purposes.

During the last stage, the family’s financial position deteriorates significantly as the
regular income-generating activities cease. Most of the family income is being spent on paying
medical bills and buying medicines.

Many of the individuals belonging to this stage are now moving to older adults’ homes as
they need special care, attention, affection, and security.

Findings such as these are useful in devising marketing strategies, including promotional
messages. Marketers find that the stage in the family life cycle often predicts consumer
behavior better than age does. One couple may postpone having children until their middle
thirties; another may begin their family in their middle twenties.

Thus, even though the couples are 10 years apart in age, they are at the same stage of
the family life cycle and exhibit similar buying behavior. Marketers should be aware of important
nuances, however.

Even though the two couples purchase the same kinds of products, the older couple may
be better able to afford more expensive items. In conclusion, we can say that the family life
cycle concept is a handy tool for marketers.
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 Marketing managers for numerous products can use this concept to identify market
segments and explain their behavior. This can help them devising appropriate marketing
strategies, thus combating competitors successfully.

K. How Personality Traits of Family Members Affect Their Behavior?

Personality is the composite of a person’s patterned, enduring, and interacting

characteristics. In general, how these traits are organized determines how a person responds to
stimuli. Certain traits dominate others, and therefore we commonly label people as aggressive
and compliant, obnoxious, or charismatic, friendly, or aloof.

A great deal of research into the effects of dominant personality traits on consumer
behavior was carried out during the 1950s. Marketers hoped to achieve substantial insights into
why people bought certain products and not others.

Two family-related personality characteristics affecting purchase decision making are:

birth order differences, and conformity orientation.

Birth Order Differences of Family Members Affecting Consumer Behavior

An individual’s birth order is responsible for the development of certain traits in his personality.
These traits have obvious influences on his roles in the family, and ultimately family
consumption decisions. Those who are born first usually are found to lack self-confidence.

As parents and other family members show more concern for the firstborns, they
gradually become dependent on others and cannot decide independently. Thus, they can easily
be convinced by others, which is a good lesson for marketers.

On the other hand, those born in the middle usually receive less attention from family
members. As a result, they are found to develop self-confidence by doing things independently.
This ultimately has a direct bearing on their roles in family decision making and consumption
behaviors.

On the other hand, the younger ones are more sentimental and emotional and expect
their anxieties to be released by others. They also are found to lack confidence, are susceptible
to interpersonal influence.

Conformity Orientation Influencing Roles of Family Members in Purchase Decisions and

Family Consumption Patterns
Not all people conform equally to the norms and others’ opinions. Some conform fully, while
others do not.

The conformity orientation an individual has determines his role in family purchase
decisions and his consumption patterns. Individuals who are low in selfesteem usually conform
quickly to avoid conflicts.

Such persons, as a result, cannot play any decisive role in family purchase decisions.
Significant others also influence Their selection of different products and brands.

Persons of authoritarian type (who have a strong parental need, are submissive, or
traditional) usually conform more readily than others. This type of person usually may be
convinced by their reference groups or advertising appeals very easily, which the marketers
should note.

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 L. Children’s Influence on Family Purchase Decisions and Consumption

Except for a few exceptions, every family consists of children. The presence of children
dramatically alters family consumption patterns. Consumption behavior of children is influenced
by many parties, including parents and friends. Understanding this will help a marketer develop
the right product for children and reach them effectively.

Most of the studies conducted so far on family purchase behavior actually focused on
husband-wife decision making. In most cases, researchers ignored children’s influence and
roles on family purchase decisions and consumption decisions.

But the reality says that children exert substantial control and influence on family-related
purchase decisions. It should be noted that consumer behavior studies on children’s roles
mainly took into account the direct influences. Researchers overlooked the influence of indirect
influences children make on family purchase decisions.

Children usually start influencing family purchase decisions as soon as they learn the
basic communication skills of interacting with others. As they become older, they start
influencing family purchase decisions more than before.

Their influences are not restricted to one or particular areas of purchase. Rather
influences are seen in quite a several areas. As families become smaller, children continue to
play an important role in certain family buying decisions.

Teenagers are likely to become involved in purchasing home computers, stereo systems,
furniture, durables, and even automobiles. Marketers realize that, although parents eventually
make actual buying decisions, their children can exert an important influence. The extent of
children’s decision making influence varies from product to product and from family to family.

The influence depends not only on the age of children but also on the values of their
parents. “A research study of children’s influence on family decision processes for twenty-five
products found that for child-centered (e.g., vacations, restaurant choices, outside
entertainment) children were perceived to be influential by most households. Children
participate much more in problem recognition than in later decision stages, and older children
are more influential than younger children.”

M. Different studies found that children affect family consumption in many ways.

First, children in any family are considered very expensive dependents. During the first
few years of infancy, they cannot verbalize their needs. Parents must anticipate those and make
provisions for their satisfaction.

Moreover, their parents’ long-run needs must also be anticipated and made to meet in
due time.

Second, when they become older, they start thinking of them as essential family
members. They prefer certain products and brands that parents should buy.

If it happens otherwise, children may even show use inertia. Therefore, parents should
actively consider their children’s preferences while buying major items.

Third, when children grow older, they like to make independent purchase decisions in
certain items such as undergarments, shoes, dress materials, etc.
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 Most families are found to give freedom to their children in these purchases. Thus,
marketers of these specific items may successfully aim this group through advertising and
promotional activities.

Modern urban families are found to influence their children indirectly in their purchase
decisions instead of direct control. Parents are now found to be free and intimate with their
children than ever before, bearing on children’s influence on family purchase decisions.

These have transformed families into child-oriented ones changing the patterns of
children’s influence on family purchase decisions.

Influences on Children’s Behavior

The behaviors that children display are shaped by their basic values, attitudes,
interaction, and orientation. Several factors determine children’s basics.

Some of the notable factors are parents, peer groups, social class, subcultural
differences, and gender differences. We are now going to highlight these in turn:

Parents’ Influences on Children’s Behavior

Consumption behavior of children is affected or influenced by their parents in many

instances.

Regarding parents’ influences on children’s behavior, it is found from different studies

that children do not always take their parents’ advice regarding their purchase/ consumption
decisions.

They depend more on their parents when they find the purchase difficult and involve
more money.

The reason is that they are dependent on parents for the money required to make such
purchases. Studies also revealed that teenage children rely less on their parents than the
younger children in making purchase-related decisions.

The reason for this is that during this age, children are found to spend less time with their
parents, and as a result, parents’ influences diminish. Some other studies revealed that, in
purchases of clothing, sports equipment, small appliances, and some food products, older
children rely more on their parents.

Parents’ influences on children are found to be more particularly in difficult purchase

situations. Again, between boys and girls, it is found that girls are influenced more by their
parents in arriving at their purchase decisions. In general, parents’ influence on children’s
behavior depends on the product or service in question or the problem context.

Peers’ Influences on Children’s Behavior

Regarding peer group influence on children’s behavior, it is known that teenaged children
are influenced more by their peers in assuming the purchase behavior models.

Children rely on peers for purchase decisions, first of all, to identify themselves with a
particular group.

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 Second, they are subject to peer influence to satisfy their psychological, social, or
physical needs. Different studies also found that secondary school students are influenced more
by peers than elementary school students.

As children of secondary school levels spend more time with their peers, they naturally
develop an intimate relationship with their peers and are influenced more.

Children of this age group consider their peers better judges in some specific purchase
decisions such as clothing and entertainment. Studies also revealed that boys are more
influenced by their peers than girls in purchase-related decisions.

Influence of Social Class on Children’s Behavior

Attitudes that children form depend to a great extent on the class to which their parents
belong. These attitudes, in turn, influence their consumption behavior.

Thus, social classes influence children’s behavior, particularly consumption behavior, to

a great extent. Different social classes have a different bearing on children’s behavior.

It is found from different studies that lower-class children enjoy more freedom from their
families in making purchase decisions than middle-class children. In middle-class families,
children are subject to more parents’ supervision in their purchase and consumption behavior.

Though some middle-class families allow their children to buy certain items
independently, they are made accountable for their parents’ decisions. In the upper-class
families here in Bangladesh, children enjoy even more freedom in making purchase decisions
than lower-class families. This is particularly true when children reach their teenage.

Influence of Subculture on Children’s Behavior

Subculture is also an important determinant of children’s consumption behavior. In unit

five, you have been given quite an idea of what a subculture is and the different subculture
types.

In Bangladesh, families belonging to the Muslim subculture usually exert more influence
on their children’s behavior, including purchase behavior.

Again, the regional subculture study reveals that children can independently decide
regarding many of their purchases in an urban subculture (one of the regional subcultures).

In general, children cannot think of buying and consuming many rural subculture items
even though their families can afford them. This is because of the differences in mentalities,
education, orientation, and rural and urban families’ attitudes.

Influence of Gender Difference on Children’s Behavior

You know that, in our society, the roles of males and females are discrete. This is taught
in the family from very childhood.

We teach our children the differences in their roles, through the purchase of products,
among others. When parents buy clothes for their children, they buy different types and designs
for boys and girls.

This practice has a far-reaching impact on children’s consumption behavior as it is

instilled in their minds. When children grow up, they start behaving differently, keeping in mind
their gender differences.
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 In the following few paragraphs, you will be given a brief idea of some of the important
aspects related to children’s consumption behavior:

Internet, Television and Children’s Behavior

In this age of mass communication and sky culture, children of all classes, areas, and
ages are exposed to televisions. This exposure influences their behavior in turn.

Studies on children’s behavior reveal that older children, and those heavily exposed to
televisions, can remember more of the TV commercials. That is, the retention of advertisements
is high in the case of these children. As the ages of children vary, the impacts of television
advertising on their behaviors vary.

Different studies suggest that television advertising influences even young children’s
behaviors to differentiate TV programs and commercials. As a result of which, children’s
behaviors are even influenced by the advertisements aimed at adults.

Therefore, at times, younger children press their parents to buy some of the items for
them that are actually targeted to the adults. As children get older, they can understand
advertisements’ symbolic meanings, influencing their consumption behavior in turn.

The behavior of Teenage Children

The marketers, for a variety of reasons, now consider Teenage children very significant.
Marketers, therefore, pay special attention to teenagers. As parents give their teenage children
some money to spend, they decide independently on many purchase decisions.

Therefore, they deserve the special attention of marketers. In certain families, teenagers
buy certain household items because of their parents’ involvement in a job or profession, not to
give time for family purchases. Thus, children can decide on the brands to buy with regards to
those household products.

It suggests that marketers of certain household products may develop advertising

messages aimed at teenagers.

Moreover, teenagers sometimes accompany their parents when they go shopping and
may influence different brand selection items. Teenagers also expect to receive due attention
from their parents to select certain important and durable products. This aspect also carries a
marketing significance from advertising and product design points of view.

Teenagers not only influence family purchase decisions; they are also future consumers
of certain items, such as cosmetics, hygiene products, and undergarments. Marketers of such
products should take note of this and develop strategies accordingly.

College/University-Going Students and Family Consumption

When children approach colleges or universities, they become independent buyers and
consumers of many items.

Some of these items include books, reading materials, and so on. During this stage, they
also start developing brand preferences as they become more aware of different products.

Moreover, they start influencing family purchase decisions more than ever. These
few aspects of college/university-going children also bear marketing significance. Smart
marketers take note of them and act accordingly.
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 As a student, and also an individual consuming unit. Tract you own daily expenses as
part of society’s consuming unit.

Explain your consuming satisfaction.

Answer the questions below comprehensively. Each question has 15 points. Rubrics
for this are placed at the last part of this module.

1. Share your opinion on family as the primary consuming unit in society. (10 points)
2. State you point of view on the participation of children in marketing decision making.
( 10 points)
3. Explain your reasons on the different factors that determine the family or household
consuming decision making. ( 10 points)

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4. Discuss your side on the status in society as one that determine individual or family
consuming style.( 10 points

RUBRICS

Score Knowledge Understanding Writing skills/ Analysis Peer-

Application Responsiveness
Comprehensive, Outstanding Excellent Grasps inner Demonstrates an
10 in-depth and ability to grasp mechanics, relationship of exceptional ability
wide ranging concepts and sentence concepts, to analyze and
Relate theory to structure, and Excellent use of a synthesize student
practice. organization wide range of work, asks
supporting meaningful
materials extending
questions
8 Up to date and High level of Significant Demonstrates the Demonstrates
relevant ability to mechanics, ability to analyze good ability to
conceptualize structure and and synthesize, analyze other
essential ideas organization independent student work, and
and relate theory analysis, ask meaningful
to practice good use of a extending
range of questions
supportive
material
6 Relevant but not Some ability to Some Informed Some ability to
comprehensive conceptualize grammatical commentary with meaningfully
essential ideas lapses, uses some evidence of comment on
and relate theory emotional genuine analysis; other student
to practice response in lieu of some supportive work and ask
relevant points materials used bridging questions
4 Limited superficial Limited ability to Poor grammar, Some Lack of ability to
knowledge/response draw out weak observations, comment on
concepts and communication some supportive other students
relate theory to evidence used work and ask
practice meaningful
questions
2 Little Minimal Lack of clarity, Lacks evidence of Demonstrates poor
relevance/some awareness that poor presentation critical analysis, ability to comment
accuracy external concepts of thinking poor use of on other student
exist supportive work, asks no
evidence meaningful
questions

This document is a property of NONESCOST Module 1 | Page 56

Unauthorized copying, uploading, and / or editing is prohibited. (For Classroom Use Only) Prepared by: Ma. Albina S. Labrador, LPT, MEd