Family and Households Exam Questions With
All Correct & Verified Answers
Outline and explain two ways in which changes to gender roles have affected diversity of family
structures (10) Correct answer-1. changes in womens position > women earning more gives them
opportunity to leave marriage when unsatisfied and be able to support family as lone parent
led to dual earner families where both partners go out to work
2. postmodernism > traditional family structures are no longer seen as essential to live a fulfilled life
and women have more freedom and choice in their relationships, have control over childbearing
Giddens : same sex couples are not influenced by traditional norms and actively create family
structures that serve their own needs, rather than having to conform
Weston (1992) found that same-sex couples
created supportive 'families of choice' from among friends, former lovers and biological kin
Weeks (2000) found that friendship networks functioned as kinship networks for gay men and
lesbians.
Outline two ways in which families have changed as a result of industrialisation (10) Correct
answer-the family has structurally differentiated
PARSONS
1. social mobility > Ind. has led to the establishment of mobile nuclear families which are structurally
isolated from their extended kin ( relatives ) unlike in the pre industrial society. It is better equipped
for industrial society where individuals can progress in different careers irrespective of their families
social class
2. geographical mobility > industries constantly
spring up and decline in different parts of the country, which requires people to
move to where the jobs are. It is easier for the compact two generation nuclear family to move, than
for the three generation extended family. The nuclear family is better fitted to the need that modern
industry has for a geographically mobile workforce.
OR
3. Ind. cause the family to shed their functions to other institutions such as education..
moved from unit of production to consumption
has left two main functions : socialisation of the young , stabilisation of adult personalities
Examine the changes in patterns of childrearing and childbearing in the United Kingdom since 1970
(20) Correct answer-Intro: outline changes
Childbearing Demography > Reasons for decline in birth rates
womens position, infant mortality, children economic liability, childcentredness, future trends in
birth rates
Effect : smaller family sizes, increses burden of dependency on working population, fewer schools
reducing maternity and child health services may be needed.
, Childrearing Childhood > Aries - non existence of childhood and policies that introduced childhood :
child protection laws, limited working hours
Postman > disappearance of childhood
Palmer > toxic childhood, Unicef survey,
Conflict view > Hillman, Firestone & Holt, Gittins, Hockey, James, Mayall, Smart
Examine the ways in which government policies and laws may affect the nature and extent of family
diversity (20) Correct answer-Tax reduction for married couples -highlights that there is an
emphasis on the domination of the traditional nuclear family structure
Civil partnerships, 2004 : sends out the message that the state no longer sees heterosexual marriage
as superior to other > increases family diversity because it establishes other types of relationships,
gave same sex couples similar rights to married couples
Laws making divorce easier > increased family diversity as there are more lone parent families
Welfare benefits > encourages lone parent family as it gives them an incentives to flee abusive
husbands on care for her children on benefits - New right oppose to that
Assess that the main role of the family is to serve the interests of capitalism Correct answer-
Marxist
Inheritance of property - monogamy became essential as men had to be certain of the paternity of
their children in order to ensure that their legitimate heir inherited from them , a way of securing
control of the means of production
Ideological functions
a unit of consumption
cristicsm -
Feminism - disagrees and see family as fulfilling needs of a patriarchal society
ansley - takers of shit
Evaluate the view that position of the old in today's society is changing for the better Correct
answer-Intro outlining debate and describing how older groups are a growing proportion in our
society due to higher life expectancies, lower birth rates and declining infant mortality
Effects of ageing population
Public services > increased expenditure on health and social care
One person pensioner households
Female takes up for the numbers of old people living alone in one household as they usually live
longer
Dependency ratio > retired people number rise which puts burden on the working population
All Correct & Verified Answers
Outline and explain two ways in which changes to gender roles have affected diversity of family
structures (10) Correct answer-1. changes in womens position > women earning more gives them
opportunity to leave marriage when unsatisfied and be able to support family as lone parent
led to dual earner families where both partners go out to work
2. postmodernism > traditional family structures are no longer seen as essential to live a fulfilled life
and women have more freedom and choice in their relationships, have control over childbearing
Giddens : same sex couples are not influenced by traditional norms and actively create family
structures that serve their own needs, rather than having to conform
Weston (1992) found that same-sex couples
created supportive 'families of choice' from among friends, former lovers and biological kin
Weeks (2000) found that friendship networks functioned as kinship networks for gay men and
lesbians.
Outline two ways in which families have changed as a result of industrialisation (10) Correct
answer-the family has structurally differentiated
PARSONS
1. social mobility > Ind. has led to the establishment of mobile nuclear families which are structurally
isolated from their extended kin ( relatives ) unlike in the pre industrial society. It is better equipped
for industrial society where individuals can progress in different careers irrespective of their families
social class
2. geographical mobility > industries constantly
spring up and decline in different parts of the country, which requires people to
move to where the jobs are. It is easier for the compact two generation nuclear family to move, than
for the three generation extended family. The nuclear family is better fitted to the need that modern
industry has for a geographically mobile workforce.
OR
3. Ind. cause the family to shed their functions to other institutions such as education..
moved from unit of production to consumption
has left two main functions : socialisation of the young , stabilisation of adult personalities
Examine the changes in patterns of childrearing and childbearing in the United Kingdom since 1970
(20) Correct answer-Intro: outline changes
Childbearing Demography > Reasons for decline in birth rates
womens position, infant mortality, children economic liability, childcentredness, future trends in
birth rates
Effect : smaller family sizes, increses burden of dependency on working population, fewer schools
reducing maternity and child health services may be needed.
, Childrearing Childhood > Aries - non existence of childhood and policies that introduced childhood :
child protection laws, limited working hours
Postman > disappearance of childhood
Palmer > toxic childhood, Unicef survey,
Conflict view > Hillman, Firestone & Holt, Gittins, Hockey, James, Mayall, Smart
Examine the ways in which government policies and laws may affect the nature and extent of family
diversity (20) Correct answer-Tax reduction for married couples -highlights that there is an
emphasis on the domination of the traditional nuclear family structure
Civil partnerships, 2004 : sends out the message that the state no longer sees heterosexual marriage
as superior to other > increases family diversity because it establishes other types of relationships,
gave same sex couples similar rights to married couples
Laws making divorce easier > increased family diversity as there are more lone parent families
Welfare benefits > encourages lone parent family as it gives them an incentives to flee abusive
husbands on care for her children on benefits - New right oppose to that
Assess that the main role of the family is to serve the interests of capitalism Correct answer-
Marxist
Inheritance of property - monogamy became essential as men had to be certain of the paternity of
their children in order to ensure that their legitimate heir inherited from them , a way of securing
control of the means of production
Ideological functions
a unit of consumption
cristicsm -
Feminism - disagrees and see family as fulfilling needs of a patriarchal society
ansley - takers of shit
Evaluate the view that position of the old in today's society is changing for the better Correct
answer-Intro outlining debate and describing how older groups are a growing proportion in our
society due to higher life expectancies, lower birth rates and declining infant mortality
Effects of ageing population
Public services > increased expenditure on health and social care
One person pensioner households
Female takes up for the numbers of old people living alone in one household as they usually live
longer
Dependency ratio > retired people number rise which puts burden on the working population
