Sociology paper 2 summary sheet
Describe two negative aspects of family life.
-domestic violence – typically (but not exclusively) male on female, can be emotional, physical
or sexual abuse e.g. Dobash and Dobash (feminism);
-child abuse and neglect – increasingly seen to be a problem in modern industrial societies, can
be emotional, physical or sexual abuse;
-Marxism – families in poverty and the difficulties this brings, particularly linked with lone-parent
families;
Explain how gender equality exists in the family.
-dual income workers – both husband and wife are in paid employment and thus there is no
longer the same inequalities in pay, power and status;
-shared (joint) conjugal roles means that housework and emotional care in the family is no
longer seen as the woman’s role (Willmott and Young symmetrical family);
-if both parents work then often individuals are employed to take on some of the household
duties traditionally performed by the wife e.g. child-care and cleaning;
Explain why the nuclear family is important in contemporary societies.
functionalists believe that in order for society to work and run smoothly there are some essential
functions that need to be carried out and these are best performed by the nuclear family;
-reproduction – societies must reproduce new generations of children and it is through marriage
and the formation of the nuclear family that this is encouraged;
-socialization – children need to learn the norms and values of their society through primary
socialization whereby culture is transmitted to the next generation;
-social control – behavior of children needs to be controlled so that they conform to society’s
norms and expectation, the ‘father figure’ is often thought to be the best for this job;
-care of children – the expressive role played by the wife is seen to be the most effective way of
ensuring that children are nurtured and cared for properly;
-finance and status – the instrumental role played by the father is seen to be the best way for a
family to have the money it needs to function adequately;
-New Right sociologists believe that it is only the nuclear family that can provide all the things a
family needs to be successful and that all other family types fall short of this ideal;
To what extent is an ageing population good for family life?
Arguments for
-retirement has been extended as the population live longer, leading to the availability of
grand-parents for family childcare;
-active ageing has led to a generation of healthy, fit and happy retirees who are an asset to
family life in terms of socialisation, support, childcare etc;
-grand-parents are able to play a greater role in the lives of their grandchildren and so develop
closer bonds and relationships;
-a return in some families to the extended family structure where families share a household –
this brings financial, childcare and housework benefits for all;
,-an ageing population increases the status of older people who are no longer seen as an
economic burden due to factors such as the ‘grey pound’;
AGAINST
-more older people living alone after the death of a partner may lead to greater isolation and
loneliness as elderly people see little of their family;
-geographical mobility and the move to the privatised nuclear family is not good for an ageing
population who may not have a place in their wider kin’s family;
-there may be a greater burden for adult children looking after their ageing parents – poor
healthcare, need for support, financial implications etc. – the pivot/sandwich generation;
-old age is associated with retirement and this can bring with it a lack of status and no clear role
which may lead to disengagement from family life;
-there may be a burden placed on the grand-parents who feel that they must play a role in the
family’s childcare;
-this may bring conflict and tension to the family through different norms, values and
expectations between the generations;
-an ageing population may lead to a generation gap between family members, leaving them with
little in common and thus weakening relationships and family bonds;
Describe two functions of education.
-socialisation – norms and shared values are transmitted through schools resulting in a sense of
belonging;
-education is a means of social control – functionalists see this positively, Marxists negatively;
-economic function – schools produce individuals with the skills and abilities needed for getting
a job and for supporting the economy of that society;
Explain how family background may impact upon educational achievement.
-a lack of money may mean not having a quiet place to study;
-not having the money to attend preschool may negatively impact upon a child’s educational
achievements at school;
-coming from a family that is not financially able to support a child through university may limit
aspirations accordingly;
-having parents who do not value education is likely to be passed on to the children who are
then also unlikely to value it and so not try hard to succeed
Explain why some students join anti-school sub-cultures.
-teacher labeling – if students are labeled as ‘failures’ this may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
and the student joining an anti-school subculture;
-Cohen – status frustration – students may join an anti-school subculture as a means of gaining
status if they are unable to do this in the school system;
-peer pressure – the pressure to conform to one’s peer group may cause some students to join
an anti-school subculture;
-instant gratification – the desire for fun and ‘having a laff’ (Willis, the lads) may encourage
some students to reject school values and join an anti-school subculture instead;
,-Willis and Marxists thinkers would argue that anti-school subcultures are formed due to the
‘myth of meritocracy’/fatalism;
-culture of masculinity – boys in particular may feel pressure to join an anti-school subculture so
they can prove their masculinity in the feminized world of education;
-setting and streaming – anti-school subcultures tend to be formed by students from the lower
sets, suggesting they are a reaction to low self esteem and an inability to be successful through
the school curriculum;
To what extent does the comprehensive system of education improve an individual’s life
chances?
COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM: non-selective secondary schools accepting all children in the
local area, regardless of ability
FOR
-they allow for equality of opportunity as all students study the same subjects (national
curriculum) and have an equal chance of succeeding and improving their life chances;
-comprehensive schools operate within a system based on achieved status – this allows
anybody, regardless of background, to improve their life chances;
-comprehensive schools avoid the disadvantages of selective education whereby children can
be labeled as ‘failures’ from an early age, thus limiting their life chances;
-functionalist view – comprehensive schools are based on the principle of meritocracy, meaning
all students have the same chances to be successful and to improve their life chances;
-the comprehensive system means that fewer pupils than ever before leave education without
any qualifications thus improving their life chances;
-comprehensive schools are free to attend and therefore allows everyone the opportunity to
improve their life chances;
-the comprehensive system benefits working class pupils in particular as they are least likely to
get into grammar or private schools. This therefore improves their life chances;
AGAINST
-critics of comprehensive education say that it lowers educational standards (and therefore life
chances) through insufficient challenge and mixed ability teaching;
-comprehensive schools tend to be large and impersonal leading to discipline problems that can
impinge upon learning so negatively affecting life chances;
-comprehensive schools still tend to use setting and streaming and so still label students – this
can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy and so lower the life chances of some pupils;
-private and grammar schools still achieve better exam results than comprehensive schools
meaning that the life chances of their students tend to be better;
-many sociologists believe that life chances are linked to a person’s ascribed status –
comprehensive schools can do little to challenge or change this;
-Marxists believe that comprehensive schools make little difference to a person’s life chances as
we live in a world in which the ruling class will always exploit the lower classes through their
power over them;
Describe two trends in divorce in modern industrial societies.
, -age – those who marry young are more likely to divorce;
-class – middle class people are less likely to divorce than working class people;
-society – the divorce rate is high in MIS’s as compared to other types of society
Explain how ethnicity can affect family life.
-ethnic minority families typically adapt to the country they are living in whilst still holding onto
cultural practices from their country of origin (dual identity);
-Afro-Caribbean families may have high rates of single parents and are typically matrifocal;
-South Asian families are often extended in form, have low divorce rates and few instances of
single parenthood;
-arranged marriages are practised by some ethnic groups as the norm e.g. some South Asian
families;
-for some ethnic groups the law determines aspects of family life e.g. Chinese families may be
influenced by China’s ‘one child’ policy;
-South Asian families are often patriarchal in nature with the males (father and brothers) often
having more power and influence than the females;
-South Asian families often abide by traditional segregated conjugal roles – male breadwinner
and female housewife/mother
Explain why the average family size has decreased in modern industrial societies.
-secularization has meant that there has been a growth in divorce and single parenthood – this
makes family size smaller;
-singlehood is now socially acceptable and increasingly popular, this decreases family size;
-women are typically today having less children due to factors such as contraception and their
focus on careers – this leads to smaller families;
-advancements in medicine and health-care means that children rarely die in infancy today in
MIS’s therefore families have less need to have lots of children;
-there has been a big decline in the extended family, it often being replaced by nuclear families
– these are much smaller;
-geographical and social mobility has meant that the family has become dispersed – it is easier
to function effectively like this as a smaller unit;
-feminism has encouraged women to take control of their own lives and this has affected family
size as more women work, choose to remain childless or to remain single
To what extent are family roles changing in modern industrial societies?
FOR
-loss of family functions means that roles once taken by the family e.g. taking care of the
children, are now performed by the state;
-sandwich/pivot generation – roles of parents now often involve supporting children into
adulthood – the boomerang family;
-increased levels of divorce in society means that both men and women are having to change
their roles to fit the new family structure they find themselves in – single parent, singlehood,
blended families etc;
Describe two negative aspects of family life.
-domestic violence – typically (but not exclusively) male on female, can be emotional, physical
or sexual abuse e.g. Dobash and Dobash (feminism);
-child abuse and neglect – increasingly seen to be a problem in modern industrial societies, can
be emotional, physical or sexual abuse;
-Marxism – families in poverty and the difficulties this brings, particularly linked with lone-parent
families;
Explain how gender equality exists in the family.
-dual income workers – both husband and wife are in paid employment and thus there is no
longer the same inequalities in pay, power and status;
-shared (joint) conjugal roles means that housework and emotional care in the family is no
longer seen as the woman’s role (Willmott and Young symmetrical family);
-if both parents work then often individuals are employed to take on some of the household
duties traditionally performed by the wife e.g. child-care and cleaning;
Explain why the nuclear family is important in contemporary societies.
functionalists believe that in order for society to work and run smoothly there are some essential
functions that need to be carried out and these are best performed by the nuclear family;
-reproduction – societies must reproduce new generations of children and it is through marriage
and the formation of the nuclear family that this is encouraged;
-socialization – children need to learn the norms and values of their society through primary
socialization whereby culture is transmitted to the next generation;
-social control – behavior of children needs to be controlled so that they conform to society’s
norms and expectation, the ‘father figure’ is often thought to be the best for this job;
-care of children – the expressive role played by the wife is seen to be the most effective way of
ensuring that children are nurtured and cared for properly;
-finance and status – the instrumental role played by the father is seen to be the best way for a
family to have the money it needs to function adequately;
-New Right sociologists believe that it is only the nuclear family that can provide all the things a
family needs to be successful and that all other family types fall short of this ideal;
To what extent is an ageing population good for family life?
Arguments for
-retirement has been extended as the population live longer, leading to the availability of
grand-parents for family childcare;
-active ageing has led to a generation of healthy, fit and happy retirees who are an asset to
family life in terms of socialisation, support, childcare etc;
-grand-parents are able to play a greater role in the lives of their grandchildren and so develop
closer bonds and relationships;
-a return in some families to the extended family structure where families share a household –
this brings financial, childcare and housework benefits for all;
,-an ageing population increases the status of older people who are no longer seen as an
economic burden due to factors such as the ‘grey pound’;
AGAINST
-more older people living alone after the death of a partner may lead to greater isolation and
loneliness as elderly people see little of their family;
-geographical mobility and the move to the privatised nuclear family is not good for an ageing
population who may not have a place in their wider kin’s family;
-there may be a greater burden for adult children looking after their ageing parents – poor
healthcare, need for support, financial implications etc. – the pivot/sandwich generation;
-old age is associated with retirement and this can bring with it a lack of status and no clear role
which may lead to disengagement from family life;
-there may be a burden placed on the grand-parents who feel that they must play a role in the
family’s childcare;
-this may bring conflict and tension to the family through different norms, values and
expectations between the generations;
-an ageing population may lead to a generation gap between family members, leaving them with
little in common and thus weakening relationships and family bonds;
Describe two functions of education.
-socialisation – norms and shared values are transmitted through schools resulting in a sense of
belonging;
-education is a means of social control – functionalists see this positively, Marxists negatively;
-economic function – schools produce individuals with the skills and abilities needed for getting
a job and for supporting the economy of that society;
Explain how family background may impact upon educational achievement.
-a lack of money may mean not having a quiet place to study;
-not having the money to attend preschool may negatively impact upon a child’s educational
achievements at school;
-coming from a family that is not financially able to support a child through university may limit
aspirations accordingly;
-having parents who do not value education is likely to be passed on to the children who are
then also unlikely to value it and so not try hard to succeed
Explain why some students join anti-school sub-cultures.
-teacher labeling – if students are labeled as ‘failures’ this may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
and the student joining an anti-school subculture;
-Cohen – status frustration – students may join an anti-school subculture as a means of gaining
status if they are unable to do this in the school system;
-peer pressure – the pressure to conform to one’s peer group may cause some students to join
an anti-school subculture;
-instant gratification – the desire for fun and ‘having a laff’ (Willis, the lads) may encourage
some students to reject school values and join an anti-school subculture instead;
,-Willis and Marxists thinkers would argue that anti-school subcultures are formed due to the
‘myth of meritocracy’/fatalism;
-culture of masculinity – boys in particular may feel pressure to join an anti-school subculture so
they can prove their masculinity in the feminized world of education;
-setting and streaming – anti-school subcultures tend to be formed by students from the lower
sets, suggesting they are a reaction to low self esteem and an inability to be successful through
the school curriculum;
To what extent does the comprehensive system of education improve an individual’s life
chances?
COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM: non-selective secondary schools accepting all children in the
local area, regardless of ability
FOR
-they allow for equality of opportunity as all students study the same subjects (national
curriculum) and have an equal chance of succeeding and improving their life chances;
-comprehensive schools operate within a system based on achieved status – this allows
anybody, regardless of background, to improve their life chances;
-comprehensive schools avoid the disadvantages of selective education whereby children can
be labeled as ‘failures’ from an early age, thus limiting their life chances;
-functionalist view – comprehensive schools are based on the principle of meritocracy, meaning
all students have the same chances to be successful and to improve their life chances;
-the comprehensive system means that fewer pupils than ever before leave education without
any qualifications thus improving their life chances;
-comprehensive schools are free to attend and therefore allows everyone the opportunity to
improve their life chances;
-the comprehensive system benefits working class pupils in particular as they are least likely to
get into grammar or private schools. This therefore improves their life chances;
AGAINST
-critics of comprehensive education say that it lowers educational standards (and therefore life
chances) through insufficient challenge and mixed ability teaching;
-comprehensive schools tend to be large and impersonal leading to discipline problems that can
impinge upon learning so negatively affecting life chances;
-comprehensive schools still tend to use setting and streaming and so still label students – this
can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy and so lower the life chances of some pupils;
-private and grammar schools still achieve better exam results than comprehensive schools
meaning that the life chances of their students tend to be better;
-many sociologists believe that life chances are linked to a person’s ascribed status –
comprehensive schools can do little to challenge or change this;
-Marxists believe that comprehensive schools make little difference to a person’s life chances as
we live in a world in which the ruling class will always exploit the lower classes through their
power over them;
Describe two trends in divorce in modern industrial societies.
, -age – those who marry young are more likely to divorce;
-class – middle class people are less likely to divorce than working class people;
-society – the divorce rate is high in MIS’s as compared to other types of society
Explain how ethnicity can affect family life.
-ethnic minority families typically adapt to the country they are living in whilst still holding onto
cultural practices from their country of origin (dual identity);
-Afro-Caribbean families may have high rates of single parents and are typically matrifocal;
-South Asian families are often extended in form, have low divorce rates and few instances of
single parenthood;
-arranged marriages are practised by some ethnic groups as the norm e.g. some South Asian
families;
-for some ethnic groups the law determines aspects of family life e.g. Chinese families may be
influenced by China’s ‘one child’ policy;
-South Asian families are often patriarchal in nature with the males (father and brothers) often
having more power and influence than the females;
-South Asian families often abide by traditional segregated conjugal roles – male breadwinner
and female housewife/mother
Explain why the average family size has decreased in modern industrial societies.
-secularization has meant that there has been a growth in divorce and single parenthood – this
makes family size smaller;
-singlehood is now socially acceptable and increasingly popular, this decreases family size;
-women are typically today having less children due to factors such as contraception and their
focus on careers – this leads to smaller families;
-advancements in medicine and health-care means that children rarely die in infancy today in
MIS’s therefore families have less need to have lots of children;
-there has been a big decline in the extended family, it often being replaced by nuclear families
– these are much smaller;
-geographical and social mobility has meant that the family has become dispersed – it is easier
to function effectively like this as a smaller unit;
-feminism has encouraged women to take control of their own lives and this has affected family
size as more women work, choose to remain childless or to remain single
To what extent are family roles changing in modern industrial societies?
FOR
-loss of family functions means that roles once taken by the family e.g. taking care of the
children, are now performed by the state;
-sandwich/pivot generation – roles of parents now often involve supporting children into
adulthood – the boomerang family;
-increased levels of divorce in society means that both men and women are having to change
their roles to fit the new family structure they find themselves in – single parent, singlehood,
blended families etc;
