Families

What term is commonly used by sociologists to describe the experience of women who have both a paid job and have to do most of the housework?

What term is commonly used by sociologists to describe the way that parents channel their children's interests into toys, games and other activities that are seen as appropriate for their gender?

Describe one example of a commune.

Identify and describe one consequence of divorce for family members.

Describe the type of statistical data shown in Item A. Identify the trend shown by the data and explain one factor which may account for this trend.

SOURCE TEXT: Item B In 1982, Ann Oakley defined the conventional family as a nuclear family that consisted of a married couple and their children who lived together. She identified a number of features associated with conventional families: • Women were expected to do unpaid work inside the home while men were expected to do paid work outside the home. • The man's economic power was linked to his income from paid work. • The woman's dependence on the man's wages was an aspect of inequality. Statistically the conventional family is no longer the norm, but according to Oakley the idea of the conventional family life remained a powerful one in society. Source: Oakley, A, Conventional Families, 1982. QUESTION: From Item B, identify and describe one way in which Oakley saw the conventional family as being patriarchal, including what you know of her perspective on the family.

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the main function of the family is to serve the needs of capitalism.

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that gender roles are equal in families in Britain today.