GCSE Unit 1
The Sociology of
Families
PLC Quizzing Booklet
Name:
PLC Point 1.1: Family Types
A
B
C
A group of people who whose
relationship is based on marriage,
civil partnership, cohabitation, blood
1 relations or adoption.
Household
Family
Couple
A group of unrelated adults living
together.
Household
Family
Couple
A family that consists of a mother,
father and their dependent children.
Nuclear
family
Cereal packet Beanpole
family
family
A family with multiple generations
with few people at each level. Long
4 and thin in shape.
Vertical
extended
family
Horizontal
extended
family
A family consisting of a couple where
one or both of the partners have
children from a previous relationship
5 living with them.
Reconstituted Step family
family
A family where there are three
generations or more living together or
6 nearby.
Vertical
extended
family
Horizontal
extended
family
Same-sex
family
On-sex family Homosexual
family
Vertical
extended
family
Horizontal
extended
family
Beanpole
family
What is the most common family type
found in Britain today?
Step-families
Nuclear
Lone-parent
Which is the fastest growing family
form in Britain today?
Step-families
Nuclear
Lone-parent
2
3
A family consisting of a gay or lesbian
couple with their dependent children
Beanpole
family
Blended family
Beanpole
family
7
A family where there are aunties,
uncles or cousins living together or
8 close by.
9
10
Green
10-8
Amber
7-5
Red
4-0
Correct?
PLC Point 1.1: Family
Types
Definition
Family
1
Household
2
Nuclear
3
Beanpole
4
Reconstituted
5
Vertical extended
6
Same-sex
7
Horizontal extended
8
Lone-parent
9
Harder!
Green
8-6
Amber
5-4
Red
3-0
Correct?
PLC Point 1.2:
Family Diversity
A
Which term describes when a society
has lots of different family types?
1
Which family type is more common in
the Asian community?
2
Which family type is more common in
the African caribbean community?
3
What is a key difference between
working class and middle class families?
4
Family
differences
Traditional
gender roles
One-person
households
Middle class
families are
more
egalitarian
(equal)
B
C
Family Variation Family Diversity
Lone-parent
family
Extended family
Lone-parent
family
Extended family
Middle class
families use
democratic
parenting
Middle class
families are
more likely to be
nuclear
The Rapoports
Murdock
Cultural
diversity
Organisational
diversity
Cultural
diversity
Organisational
diversity
Which sociologist researched family
diversity?
Parsons
5
6
7
8
9
10
Which form of diversity describes
differences in family structures e.g family
type and division of labour?
Which form of diversity describes how
families vary between ethnic and
religious groups?
Which form of diversity describes the
stage at which people are in their lives
e.g. newly-wed, retired?
Which form of diversity describes how
families differ according to the period of
time they exist in?
Which form of diversity describes how a
family may be different according to the
different resources available to them?
Green
9-7
Amber
6-4
Life-course
diversity
Life-course
diversity
Life-course
diversity
Life-course
diversity
Organisational
diversity
Red
3-0
Social class
Cohort diversity diversity
Social class
Cohort diversity diversity
Social class
Status diversity diversity
Correct?
PLC Point 1.2:
Family Diversity
Answer
Which term describes when a society has lots of
different family types?
1
Which family type is more common in the Asian
community?
2
Which family type is more common in the African
caribbean community?
3
What is a key difference between working class
and middle class families?
4
Which sociologist researched family diversity?
5
6
Which form of diversity describes differences in
family structures e.g family type and division of
labour?
Which form of diversity describes how families vary
between ethnic and religious groups?
7
8
Which form of diversity describes the stage at
which people are in their lives e.g. newly-wed,
retired?
Which form of diversity describes how families
differ according to the period of time they exist in?
9
10
Which form of diversity describes how a family may
be different according to the different resources
available to them?
Harder!
Green
9-7
Amber
6-4
Red
3-0
Correct?
PLC Point 1.3:
Functionalist Perspective of the
Family
Which family type to Functionalist
sociologists think is most ideal?
1
Which family type to Functionalist
sociologists think is least ideal?
2
What are the 4 functions of the nuclear
family as identified by Murdock?
3
What was Talcott Parsons’ overall
argument about the nuclear family?
4
5
Which of Parsons’ functions is defined as
the process by which children learn the
norms and culture of their society?
Which of Parsons’ functions is defined as
the process by which adults are
supported emotionally (warm bath
6 theory)?
7
Who do Functionalists believe benefits
from the nuclear family performing vital
functions?
Who does Parsons believe is completing
the functions the family once
performed?
8
Why would Marxists criticise the
Functionalist approach?
9
Why would Feminists criticise the
Functionalist approach?
10
Green
10-7
Amber
6-4
A
Lone-parent
family
Lone-parent
family
Education,
Reproduction,
Stabilisation of
Adult
Personalities,
Economic
It had lost
functions over
time
Secondary
socialisation
The triple shift
Society and
capitalism
External
agencies e.g.
NHS, social
services
It ignores how
women are
exploited in the
family
It ignores how
women are
exploited in the
family
Red
3-0
B
C
Nuclear Family Extended Family
Nuclear Family Extended Family
Economic,
Sexual,
Stabilisation of
Adult
Personalities,
Socialisation
Sexual,
Reproduction,
Economic,
Education
It had never
It had been
performed the 4
replaced by the functions
lone-parent
murdock
family
identified
Primary
socialisation
Education
function
Stabilisation of
emotional
status
Stabilisation of
adult
personalities
Individuals and Capitalism and
society
individuals
Lone parents
It ignores how
the nuclear
family is being
replaced by
other family
types
It ignores how
the nuclear
family is being
replaced by
other family
types
Capitalism
It ignores how
the true
beneficiary of
the family is
capitalism
It ignores how
the true
beneficiaries of
the family is
capitalism
Correct?
PLC Point 1.3:
Functionalist Perspective of the Family
Answers
Correct?
Which family type to Functionalist sociologists
think is most ideal?
1
Which family type to Functionalist sociologists
think is least ideal?
2
What are the 4 functions of the nuclear family
as identified by Murdock?
3
What was Talcott Parsons’ overall argument
about the nuclear family?
4
5
6
Which of Parsons’ functions is defined as the
process by which children learn the norms and
culture of their society?
Which of Parsons’ functions is defined as the
process by which adults are supported
emotionally?
Who do Functionalists believe benefits from
the nuclear family performing vital functions?
7
Who does Parsons believe is completing the
functions the family once performed?
8
Why would Marxists criticise the Functionalist
approach?
9
Why would Feminists criticise the Functionalist
approach?
10
Harder!
Green
10-7
Amber
6-4
Red
3-0
PLC Point 1.6:
Conjugal Roles
A
B
C
Which term refers to the role a man
performs as breadwinner and
disciplinarian?
Instrumental role
1
Expressive role
Traditional man
Expressive role
Double-shift
The roles men and
women perform are
natural and based on
their biology
The roles men and
women perform help the
family and society
function smoothly
Which term does Parsons use to refer to
the role a woman performs in looking after
the family emotionally?
Instrumental role
2
How do Functionalists justify segregated
conjugal roles?
3
What were the key features of Young and
Wilmott’s symmetrical family?
4
Which of the following is a key reason
Young and Wilmott use to explain the
move to symmetry?
5
The roles men and
women perform are
are a social
construction
The family spend
more leisure time
together
Feminism changed
women’s
expectations of
homelife and worklife
The man and wife made Men and women did the
equal contributions to
same jobs around the
the home
house
Contraception meant
that families were
smaller and wanted to
spend more time
together
The Equal Pay Act 1970
meant women went out
to work in greater
numbers and
demanded equality in
the home
Stratified Diffusion
Embourgeoisement
The evidence is valid
The claims they make
are exaggerated
Double shift
Second shift
They cherry pick the
enjoyable aspects of
childcare
Men still do not do
enough childcare
Which term do Young and Wilmott use to
describe how social changes happen in
the middle class and filter down?
Social class diffusion
6
How does Ann Oakley critique Young and
Wilmott’s research?
The claims they make
are false
7
Which term refers to the feminist critique
of women doing most of the housework
and paid work outside of the home?
Dual burden
8
What did Caroline Gatrell argue about
men in the family?
9
They are playing a
greater role in their
children’s lives
What do Scott and Cleary argue is the
consequence of inequality at home?
It holds women back
in the workplace
10
What was Jan Pahl’s main argument
about power and decision making in the
family?
11
Men and women have
equal say over
financial decisions in
the majority of
relationships
It means women are less It makes women resent
likely to commit crime
their partners
Men use domestic
violence as a way to
have more power in
relationships
Men have more power
than women over
financial decisions
Men and women have
separate, defined roles
Both men and women
experience strain in the
conventional family
What were the key features of Ann
Oakley’s conventional family?
They are financially
unequal
12
Green
10-7
Amber
6-4
Red
3-0
Correct
?
PLC Point 1.6:
Conjugal Roles
ANSWER
Correct?
Which term refers to the role a man performs as
breadwinner and disciplinarian?
1
Which term does Parsons use to refer to the role a
woman performs in looking after the family
emotionally?
2
How do Functionalists justify segregated conjugal
roles?
3
What were the key features of Young and Wilmott’s
symmetrical family?
4
Which of the following is a key reason Young and
Wilmott use to explain the move to symmetry?
5
Which term do Young and Wilmott use to describe
how social changes happen in the middle class
and filter down?
6
How does Ann Oakley critique Young and Wilmott’s
research?
7
Which term refers to the feminist critique of women
doing most of the housework and paid work
outside of the home?
8
What did Caroline Gatrell argue about men in the
family?
9
What do Scott and Cleary argue is the
consequence of inequality at home?
10
What was Jan Pahl’s main argument about power
and decision making in the family?
11
What were the key features of Ann Oakley’s
conventional family?
12
Green
12-9
Amber
8-5
Red
4-0
Harder!