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Lecture notes

Intro into Families and Households – Sociology, Families & Households, GCSE/A-Level Sociology – Clear Definitions and Theorists Summary

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This document provides a clear overview of different family and household types, including nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone-parent, and chosen families. It also covers key sociological theories and concepts on domestic labour and the division of labour, with detailed references to Parsons, Bott, Young and Willmott, and Oakley. The notes are well suited for revision and exam preparation, including guidance on how to structure a 15-mark sociology essay.

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Uploaded on
December 29, 2025
Number of pages
3
Written in
2025/2026
Type
Lecture notes
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Summery of key words / theorists

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Intro into Families and households

Empty nest familyA married / cohabiting couple living together on. Their
own, created because of children growing up and leaving home.

Beanpole familyMade up of children, parents, and grandparents etc. It’s
vertical in its extension and described as long and thin.

Nuclear familyA family made up of 2 parents and their children – a mum
and a dad where the mum often does more household labour.

Extended familyMade up of parents, children, grandparents, aunties /
uncles, and cousins, etc. They are found n pre-industrial societies / Asian
families, particularly in the 50s / 60s.

Reconstituted / blended familyWhen one / both partners in a new
relationship bring children from past relationships into the household.

Lone-parent familyA household headed by 1 parent, typically the
mother.

Single person household  A person living alone. There has been a huge
increase in this family type, now 4.6million types of this household in the
UK.

Divorce-extended familyA result of divorce, these families act as a
support system for women. Create these families with their ex-husband's
new partners / family members e.g. ex mother-in-law’s.

Chosen familyA family that’s defined by the person, rather than what its
typically referred to as “family.” E.g. people in the LGNT community create
families of “kinship” (friendship) that provide them with the same stability
as heterosexual couples.

Symmetrical familyCharacterised by dual earners who share
responsibilities for household roles. Some theorists argue that most
people gravitate towards this type of family in the end, even if they live in
other family types early on in their lives.

Cohabiting coupleA couple that is living together but is not yet married /
has chosen not to get married at all.

Neo-conventional familyA nuclear family hat is not traditional in its
allocation of roles, e.g. both parents will take part in paid and domestic
work.

Domestic labourRoles and responsibilities that need to be completed in
the home.
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