Family Diversity & Different Family Forms (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Flashcards
Exam code: C200
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- FrontWhat is a Family?
Define family.
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Cards in this collection (43)
Define family.
A family is a couple who are married, civil partners or cohabiting, with or without dependent children, or a lone parent with their child(ren).
Define household.
A household is either one person living alone or a group of people who live together at the same address, who are not necessarily related by blood or marriage.
Why do sociologists prefer the term families to the family?
Sociologists prefer the term families because it recognises the range of family types, relationships and household arrangements in society.
A nuclear family has ____ generations living together in the same household.
A nuclear family has two generations living together in the same household.
Define beanpole family.
A beanpole family has multiple generations of older people and few children in any one generation.
True or False?
In a modified extended family, relatives all live in the same household.
False.
In a modified extended family, members live apart but keep regular contact and support.
Define reconstituted family.
A reconstituted family is a blended or step-family in which one or both partners have a child or children from a previous relationship living with them.
How has secularisation increased family diversity?
Secularisation means people no longer see marriage as sacred, so new family types such as lone-parent families are now socially acceptable.
How have changes in the law increased family diversity?
Changes in the law made divorce easier, which raised the number of lone-parent and reconstituted families, while civil partnerships (2004) and same-sex marriage (2014) made same-sex families more visible.
Increased life ___________ means more one-person households contain older women whose partners have died.
Increased life expectancy means more one-person households contain older women whose partners have died.
Why are more career-focused women living alone?
More career-focused women are living alone because the influence of feminism and the changing role of women mean more women are financially independent.
What did Roseneil and Budgeon (2006) find about friends?
Roseneil and Budgeon found that more friends than kin provided support to people with mental health issues.
True or False?
Most looked-after children in England live in children's homes.
False.
Around two-thirds (67%) of looked-after children live with foster carers, and 12% live in children's homes (2025).
What was the main reason children in England were looked after in 2025?
The main reason was abuse or neglect, which applied to 73% of looked-after children in 2025 (not counting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children).
Define kibbutz.
A kibbutz is a group of people who live together communally and value equality between members.
How does a kibbutz raise children born in the same year?
On a kibbutz, children born in the same year are raised and educated together.
China introduced its one-child policy in ______, allowing couples in cities to have just one child.
China introduced its one-child policy in 1979, allowing couples in cities to have just one child.
Why did China relax its one-child policy?
China relaxed the policy because of its ageing population: it needs more young people for the future workforce and to look after ageing relatives.
True or False?
Since 2021, married couples in China may have no more than two children.
False.
Since 2021, married couples in China may have up to three children; the two-child limit applied from 2016.
Define serial monogamy.
Serial monogamy is when a person marries, divorces and remarries repeatedly, so marriage is not a lifelong commitment.
Define polygamy.
Polygamy is when a person has multiple spouses at the same time, which is legal in some countries.
What is the difference between polygyny and polyandry?
Polygyny is a man having two or more wives at the same time, while polyandry is a woman having more than one husband at the same time.
Define bigamy.
Bigamy is marrying a second person when already married to another, which is a criminal offence in the UK.
True or False?
In an arranged marriage, the individual has no right to refuse the chosen partner.
False.
Arranged marriages rest on consent: family members choose a partner, but the individual has the right to choose whether to accept.
What has caused cultural diversity in Britain?
Migration has caused cultural diversity in Britain, e.g. from Ireland in the 19th century and from former colonies after the Second World War.
In 2021, about 14% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi households in England and Wales fell into a census group that includes families with three or more ___________ living together.
In 2021, about 14% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi households in England and Wales fell into a census group that includes families with three or more generations living together.
Why do sociologists challenge the image of the Asian family as male-dominated?
Sociologists argue that this image rests on prejudice, and that people of Asian heritage differ by religion and social class, which makes generalisation difficult.
How do patterns of motherhood and work differ by ethnic heritage?
Patterns of motherhood and work differ by ethnic heritage: among people of African-Caribbean heritage, motherhood does not always mean stopping full-time work, while people of Asian heritage place some emphasis on being a full-time mother.
What did Rapoport and Rapoport (1982) argue about families in the UK?
The Rapoports argued that there is no longer a dominant norm of family life, as people value the freedom to choose the family life that suits them.
True or False?
The Rapoports argued that diverse family types are less functional than nuclear families.
False.
The Rapoports argued that diverse family types are just as functional and effective as nuclear families in performing essential functions.
The Rapoports developed their five types of family diversity by reviewing other sociologists' work, so they used ___________ sources.
The Rapoports developed their five types of family diversity by reviewing other sociologists' work, so they used secondary sources.
Define organisational diversity.
Organisational diversity refers to differences in family structures, the domestic division of labour and social networks.
What is cultural diversity in the Rapoports' five types?
In the Rapoports' typology, cultural diversity means differences in families' cultural values and beliefs, e.g. between minority ethnic groups.
Why may roles in middle-class families be unequal?
Roles in middle-class families may be unequal because of the husband's demanding career.
The Rapoports found that discipline tends to be more physical among ___________ parents.
The Rapoports found that discipline tends to be more physical among working-class parents.
Define life-course diversity.
Life-course diversity means family structure changes with the stage of the life cycle, e.g. newlyweds, families with young children and empty-nest retired couples.
Define cohort diversity.
Cohort diversity refers to differences caused by the particular time period in which a family passes through the stages of the family life cycle.
True or False?
Younger people today may find it harder to live in same-sex families than people did 40 years ago.
False.
Homosexuality has lost its social stigma, so younger people may find it easier to live in same-sex families today.
Which developments have further increased family diversity since 1982?
Family diversity has grown because of changing social attitudes to divorce, changes in the law such as civil partnerships and same-sex marriage, and reproductive technology such as IVF.
How do postmodernists view family diversity?
Postmodernists see family diversity as a positive development that reflects freedom and choice, especially for women.
What does Beck mean by the negotiated family?
Beck argues that families negotiate roles through personal choice rather than tradition, which makes relationships more fragile.
Define neo-conventional family.
A neo-conventional family is a dual-earner household where both partners play an instrumental (breadwinner) role.
True or False?
Chester (1985) argues that family diversity has made the nuclear family obsolete.
False.
Functionalist Chester argues that diversity is overstated, as most people still aspire to the nuclear family, which remains the dominant ideal.
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