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AQA A Level Sociology Exam Question Answers
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Five(5) 10 Mark Questions - AQA A Level Sociology Exemplar Answers Multiple Topics
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10 Mark QuestionsOutline and Explain 2 ways in which changes in society may have affected family sizes [10]
One way in which changes in society may have affected family sizes is through changes in
the position of women. Over time, Radical and Marxist feminists have pushed their agenda
against institutions and societies for being too ‘patriarchal’. Women felt as if they were
being oppressed both within and outside the household. For example, Marxist feminists
believe that capitalism is the cause of gender inequality due to the fact that it is ‘normalised’
for women to work domestically and men to go out for work. However, Liberal feminists
wanted change and believed in the March of Progress view, which was the idea that men
and women are becoming more equal over time. As a result, women became more
independent and gained more access to employment opportunities. Having children was no
longer at the forefront of women’s minds and instead the focus was on their own careers.
On a large scale, birth rates dropped and family sizes shrunk. Although this change is
beneficial for women, the New Right argue that it may cause problems within the economic
sector. With the amount of people in employment increasing and the birth rate dropping, it
lowers the dependency ratio and this could cause problems in the future. The change in the
position of women has a big impact on family sizes.
Another way in changes in society may have affected family sizes is through changes in the
perception of children. In the past, children were an asset to their parents because they
could be could out to work from a very young age. Laws that were in place were not strong
enough for children and they were used as a source of income. Nowadays, children are
more protected through child protection programmes as well as by the Education Act, which
makes it compulsory for children aged 18 or below to stay in education. Therefore, children
have become an ‘economic liability’ for their parents who have to look after and pay for
their child. This puts pressure on parents and put them off having children. Postmodernists
argue that parents are more likely to have fewer children now and take a more ‘child-
centred’ approach. Assuming that both parents’ work, taking a child-centred approach is
important for the well-being of a family. On a large scale, using this approach means that
there is drop in birth rates and family sizes. Having lots of children is a financial burden for
parents, so therefore it is no longer a priority for parents to have lots of children.
, Outline and Explain 2 ways in which women’s involvement in paid work has affected
family structures [10]
One way in which women’s involvement in paid work has affected family structures is that it
has led to more women being independent and free. The change in the position of women
has meant that they are now able to work outside the home in professional jobs like men.
This has led to a change in the way women are seen within the household and women are
more willing to take on male roles such as being the breadwinner. The traditional family
structure is where the male is instrumental in the family whereas women work domestically
doing tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and child caring. Now that women are involved in paid
work, this means that they spend less time doing domestic tasks and are more focussed on
their own careers. In this instance, the male is likely to take on the expressive role. This
shows that women’s involvement in paid work has affected family structures. However due
to recent social changes, some argue that there is no set family structure.
Another way in which women’s involvement in paid work has affected family structures is
that women no longer have to rely on men. This gives women more power in the family and
therefore their role is not strictly defined. If both parents are involved in paid work then the
roles within a family become flexible. For example, instead of segregated roles, parents
would have to have joint conjugal roles. Women’s involvement in paid work has meant that
the male may have to stay at home sometimes in order to work domestically. This shows a
change in the family structure because it is different to what it used to be. Postmodernists
believe that males are now taking a ‘new man’ approach whereby they are involved in
domestic tasks a lot more than before. The way in which women are now seen in society has
changed family structures. They are also delaying child birth and families are becoming
smaller, more narrow than ever before. This is because women have a bigger position in
society and having children is no longer a priority. This has changed family structures and
the way in which families operate.
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