Social Changes & Family Relationships (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

False.

Laws such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) gave women more equality and status in the workplace.

Liberal feminist Ann Oakley found little evidence of symmetry: women still had the main responsibility for housework, and only 15% of husbands were heavily involved in it.

Willmott and Young suggested that a new man was emerging, who was more likely to do domestic tasks.

The triple shift is Duncombe and Marsden's idea that women do paid work, domestic work and emotional work.

Radical feminists Delphy and Leonard argue that family relationships involve economic exploitation, as men benefit from the work women do in the home without pay.

Marxists argue that unequal roles support capitalism, because women's unpaid housework and emotional work provide healthy, happy workers.

Feminist Ann Oakley argues that the conventional family reinforces patriarchal relationships, with women doing unpaid domestic work and men in paid employment.

Oakley reviewed other researchers' work and official statistics, so she used secondary data.

Oakley argues that women's paid work is often part-time and low-paid, and their earnings usually go on household bills rather than independence or savings.

False.

Oakley argued that although the conventional family is outdated, society still idealises it, especially among middle-class families.

Oakley argues that mothers may suffer depression from domestic and emotional labour, while fathers may face health problems from the stress of being the main provider.

Willmott and Young noted a rise in shared decision-making, including financial decisions.

Delphy and Leonard describe the family as hierarchical and patriarchal, founded on male dominance and the subjugation of women.

Jan Pahl (1989) found that in many marriages, husbands control the finances.

False.

Pahl found that women and children sometimes live in poverty even though the man they live with has a good income.

Domestic violence is a form of power and control within families in which one family member abuses another, most often a partner.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 recognises children who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse as victims in their own right.

Victims may fear the repercussions, believe it is best handled in the privacy of the home or believe the police can do nothing.

False.

Because of the dark figure of crime, victim surveys may not show the true extent of domestic violence in families.

Walby argued that the statistics grossly understate the extent of violent crime by men against women in the home.

Compared with abuse against women, figures for male victims are much lower, men tend to experience less severe violence and they are less likely to be seriously injured or killed by a partner.

In the 1950s, men were expected to be breadwinners and heads of the household, with authority and status because they provided financially.

The decline of industries such as coal and steel led to male unemployment and a loss of the traditional breadwinner role.

False.

Media portrayals are confusing and contradictory: they show male heroes as strong and assertive, while modern expectations ask men to be emotionally open, caring and sensitive.

The crisis of masculinity is the idea that many men feel they have lost their traditional roles and are unsure of their identity or purpose.

The crisis of masculinity has been linked to higher rates of suicide and depression, lower educational achievement and higher rates of homelessness among men.

Many newer jobs are in the service sector and require communication and emotional skills, which both men and women can offer.

Esther Dermott found that many men now value being intimate fathers, closely involved in childcare and taking pride in active parenting rather than just financial provision.

False.

Sociologists argue that childhood is a social construction, which varies across time, place and culture.

In pre-industrial times, adults treated children as mini-adults, who took on the same work and responsibilities as adults.

Philippe Ariès argued that childhood did not exist, and that the idea of childhood emerged gradually from the 13th to the 17th centuries, starting with the upper classes.

In the 19th century, many working-class children worked in mines and factories, while middle-class children received a formal education.

A child-centred family is one where parents are more attentive and emotionally involved and devote more time, money and attention to their children.

Middle-class families are more likely to have democratic relationships, in which they value children's opinions.

False.

Social class, gender and ethnicity still shape children's experiences, and poorer children are more likely to face neglect or underachievement.

Helicopter parenting has increased because parents face conflicting expectations: they should foster independence in their children but also protect and monitor them.

Scott argued that children play an important economic and emotional role, e.g. as young carers or translating for parents in immigrant families.

Young and Willmott found that the extended family flourished among working-class families and family ties were strong.

Willmott and Young linked this to increasing geographical mobility and women's growing involvement in paid work, which reduced the need for extended family support.

False.

Due to cultural diversity, there is a relatively high percentage of extended families in the British Asian community.

Charles et al. found that family members continue to depend on each other, e.g. grandparents regularly care for grandchildren so that young women can keep working.

When relatives live further apart but keep in touch through telephone calls, visits and financial support, this is known as the modified extended family.

Life expectancy has risen due to improvements in healthcare and the NHS, better nutrition and living standards, and safer working conditions and housing.

An ageing population is one with a higher proportion of elderly people and a declining proportion of children and young people.

False.

Data for 2022 to 2024 show life expectancy at birth of 79.1 years for men and 83.0 years for women (Office for National Statistics).

A beanpole family has several living generations but fewer members in each generation, as people live longer and have fewer children.

In beanpole families, which have several living generations but fewer members in each, bonds between generations often need to be stronger because there are fewer relatives to rely on for support.

The sandwich generation are people, often middle-aged or older women, who care for their elderly parents and their own children or grandchildren at the same time.

Boomerang children are adults who return to live with their parents, often after a relationship breakdown, financial difficulties or high housing costs.

False.

In 2025, 28.7% of young adults aged 20 to 34 lived with their parents, up from 25.4% in 2015 (Office for National Statistics).

Family members, particularly daughters, usually provide informal care for dependent older people.

Elderly women are more likely to live alone because they tend to outlive men, and many experience loneliness and isolation.

Social class affects older people's quality of life: middle-class elderly people are more likely to live comfortably and independently, while working-class older people may face greater vulnerability and barriers to accessing support.