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IGCSE Sociology UNIT 1, 2 & 3 NOTES
IGCSE Sociology UNIT 1, 2 & 3 NOTES
Family
Sociological approaches to family:
Functionalists: See family as positive for society. They believe that the nuclear family is
beneficial to society as it provides functions such as reproduction, primary socialisation and
economic support.
New Right: See the family as negative for society, if not nuclear. They say children from
Nuclear families do better at school, get better jobs and do not turn to crime.
Marxism: See the family as negative. Marxists believe society is based upon conflict between
classes. They believe the family helps to maintain class differences in society as the rich can give
children a better start than the poor. They believe the family socialises the working class to
accept it is fair that classes are unequal.
Feminists: See the family as negative; they believe the family is bad for women as family
teaches patriarchal values through the teaching of gender roles during socialisation.
Changes in families in modern societies:
1. More people living together without being married: Religion isn't so influential nowadays
so it isn't considered a sin any more to have children without being married. Divorce rates
are rising and nowadays many people decide not to remarry with their new partner. Same sex
couples were unable to marry until very recently and people are likely to trial living together
before marriage. These are all factors influencing these changes. Feminists say this is a good
thing as marriage is a patriarchal institution. Functionalists and New Right disagree as they
believe the nuclear family is the only family type that can do the job properly.
2. More single parent families: The divorce act in 1960's made it easier to get a divorce.
There are more teenage pregnancies than in the past. The availability of in vitro fertilisation
are all factors behind these families. Functionalists are completely against these families,
they do not think a single parent can perform all the important functions of the family.
3. More same sex families: More socially acceptable due to campaigns by gay right groups.
Gay couples are now allowed to adopt.