Family 10-mark questions (Paper 2)
Reasons for decline in fertility rate.
- 1950 NHS contraceptive Pill, 1961 Abortion Act- less unwanted pregnancies.
- 1970 Equal Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act- careers- Sharpe: ambitions.
Reasons for increase in life expectancy.
- Decline in death rate due to:
- 1948 NHS, medical advances.
- Decline in smoking.
- Awareness of diet and nutrition through literacy.
- Welfare state- benefits to prevent poverty and poor health.
Reasons for decline in birth rate.
- Changes in women’s position- 1970 Equal Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act.
- Decline in infant mortality rate.
- Children are now more expensive.
- Child centredness- less children but focused on more.
Reasons for decline in death rate.
- Improved nutrition.
- Medical advances and 1948 NHS formed.
- Smoking and diet.
- Public health measures.
Reasons for decline in infant mortality rate.
- Improved healthcare and NHS- 1948.
- Improved housing and sanitation.
- Improved awareness of diet and nutrition.
Reasons for increase in divorce rate.
- 1969 Divorce law reform act.
- Less stigma surrounding divorce.
- Secularisation- less influence by religion eg Catholics against divorce.
- Giddens and Beck- individualisation thesis.
- Female emancipation- less reliance on men- 1970 Equal Pay act and 1975 Sex discrimination act.
Reasons for decline in marriage rate.
- Changing attitudes to marriage- Fletcher- high expectations.
- Secularisation.
- Female emancipation.
- Increase in cohabitation- Chester- trial for marriage.
Outline and explain two Marxist criticisms of the family.
- Marx- forces men to keep working to provide for family- prevents striking/ overthrow of capitalism. Func-
Parsons 2 irreducible functions- stabilisation of adult personality.
- Marcuse- family as a unit of consumption. Benston- family provides labour for capitalism. Fem- Marxism
ignores how family exploits women.
Outline and explain two ways in which social policies have impacted on the position of women.
- 1969 divorce law reform act- female emancipation is liberating for women. Increase in divorce and decline in
marriage. Most divorces are by women. New Right- Murray perverse incentives for single mothers.
- 1967 abortion act and 1951 contraception on NHS- increased reproductive rights= more choice on family.
New Right/ functionalists- this makes society function less effectively. Murdock- nuclear family is best.
Reasons for decline in fertility rate.
- 1950 NHS contraceptive Pill, 1961 Abortion Act- less unwanted pregnancies.
- 1970 Equal Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act- careers- Sharpe: ambitions.
Reasons for increase in life expectancy.
- Decline in death rate due to:
- 1948 NHS, medical advances.
- Decline in smoking.
- Awareness of diet and nutrition through literacy.
- Welfare state- benefits to prevent poverty and poor health.
Reasons for decline in birth rate.
- Changes in women’s position- 1970 Equal Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act.
- Decline in infant mortality rate.
- Children are now more expensive.
- Child centredness- less children but focused on more.
Reasons for decline in death rate.
- Improved nutrition.
- Medical advances and 1948 NHS formed.
- Smoking and diet.
- Public health measures.
Reasons for decline in infant mortality rate.
- Improved healthcare and NHS- 1948.
- Improved housing and sanitation.
- Improved awareness of diet and nutrition.
Reasons for increase in divorce rate.
- 1969 Divorce law reform act.
- Less stigma surrounding divorce.
- Secularisation- less influence by religion eg Catholics against divorce.
- Giddens and Beck- individualisation thesis.
- Female emancipation- less reliance on men- 1970 Equal Pay act and 1975 Sex discrimination act.
Reasons for decline in marriage rate.
- Changing attitudes to marriage- Fletcher- high expectations.
- Secularisation.
- Female emancipation.
- Increase in cohabitation- Chester- trial for marriage.
Outline and explain two Marxist criticisms of the family.
- Marx- forces men to keep working to provide for family- prevents striking/ overthrow of capitalism. Func-
Parsons 2 irreducible functions- stabilisation of adult personality.
- Marcuse- family as a unit of consumption. Benston- family provides labour for capitalism. Fem- Marxism
ignores how family exploits women.
Outline and explain two ways in which social policies have impacted on the position of women.
- 1969 divorce law reform act- female emancipation is liberating for women. Increase in divorce and decline in
marriage. Most divorces are by women. New Right- Murray perverse incentives for single mothers.
- 1967 abortion act and 1951 contraception on NHS- increased reproductive rights= more choice on family.
New Right/ functionalists- this makes society function less effectively. Murdock- nuclear family is best.
