The family unit in sociology: roles, structures, and societal impact... Show more
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Family - Example Questions and Answers
506
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6 Jul 2025
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The family unit in sociology: roles, structures, and societal impact... Show more
This page delves into ethical issues in family research and debates surrounding the concept of symmetrical families in modern Britain.
The document begins by addressing ethical considerations in researching the division of domestic labor:
Definition: Informed consent is the ethical principle of ensuring participants understand and voluntarily agree to participate in research after being fully informed of its purpose and potential risks.
Example: To obtain informed consent for a study on domestic labor division, researchers would explain the study's purpose and allow potential participants to choose whether to take part.
The page then explores the debate around symmetrical families in Britain today, presenting contrasting sociological perspectives:
Vocabulary: Symmetrical family - A family structure where partners share responsibilities for home, leisure, and decision-making equally.
Functionalist sociologists Young and Willmott argue for the existence of symmetrical families, citing:
However, they also predict a shift towards the "managing director family" through stratified diffusion.
In contrast, feminist sociologists like Delphy and Leonard dispute the idea of symmetrical families:
Highlight: Feminists argue that families remain patriarchal structures where women are oppressed through unequal domestic labor distribution.
The document concludes by noting that high rates of female-initiated divorce support the feminist critique of family inequality.
Example: Higher rates of women initiating divorce suggest greater dissatisfaction with marriage and family life, challenging the notion of truly symmetrical families.
This page effectively contrasts functionalist and Marxist views on family structure and gender roles, providing valuable content for GCSE Sociology exam questions on family dynamics and theoretical perspectives.
This page covers key concepts and example questions related to family structures and roles in GCSE Sociology.
The document begins by defining a dual-career family as one where both partners pursue independent careers and paid employment, often with more joint conjugal roles.
It then explores factors behind the increase in lone parent families in Britain, highlighting changing social attitudes towards marriage, divorce, and single parenthood as a key driver.
The traditional division of domestic labor is explained through the lens of social attitudes:
Definition: The traditional division of domestic labor refers to the gendered allocation of household tasks and responsibilities based on societal expectations.
Example: Women were traditionally seen as nurturing and suited to the "expressive role" of housewife, while men were viewed as financial providers in the "instrumental role" of breadwinner.
The page also touches on research methodology, discussing the disadvantages of using postal questionnaires to study attitudes towards cohabitation:
Highlight: Low response rates to postal questionnaires can distort the sample, potentially impacting the validity of results on attitudes towards cohabitation.
Finally, it examines Parsons' functionalist perspective on the importance of family for society:
Quote: "Parsons saw the family as important in socializing children with the norms and values of wider society."
Vocabulary: Functionalist perspective - A theoretical approach in sociology that views society as a complex system of interconnected parts working together to maintain stability.
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The family unit in sociology: roles, structures, and societal impact
• This document covers key concepts in family sociology for GCSE level, including family structures, gender roles, research methods, and theoretical perspectives.
• It provides example exam questions and model... Show more
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
This page delves into ethical issues in family research and debates surrounding the concept of symmetrical families in modern Britain.
The document begins by addressing ethical considerations in researching the division of domestic labor:
Definition: Informed consent is the ethical principle of ensuring participants understand and voluntarily agree to participate in research after being fully informed of its purpose and potential risks.
Example: To obtain informed consent for a study on domestic labor division, researchers would explain the study's purpose and allow potential participants to choose whether to take part.
The page then explores the debate around symmetrical families in Britain today, presenting contrasting sociological perspectives:
Vocabulary: Symmetrical family - A family structure where partners share responsibilities for home, leisure, and decision-making equally.
Functionalist sociologists Young and Willmott argue for the existence of symmetrical families, citing:
However, they also predict a shift towards the "managing director family" through stratified diffusion.
In contrast, feminist sociologists like Delphy and Leonard dispute the idea of symmetrical families:
Highlight: Feminists argue that families remain patriarchal structures where women are oppressed through unequal domestic labor distribution.
The document concludes by noting that high rates of female-initiated divorce support the feminist critique of family inequality.
Example: Higher rates of women initiating divorce suggest greater dissatisfaction with marriage and family life, challenging the notion of truly symmetrical families.
This page effectively contrasts functionalist and Marxist views on family structure and gender roles, providing valuable content for GCSE Sociology exam questions on family dynamics and theoretical perspectives.
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
This page covers key concepts and example questions related to family structures and roles in GCSE Sociology.
The document begins by defining a dual-career family as one where both partners pursue independent careers and paid employment, often with more joint conjugal roles.
It then explores factors behind the increase in lone parent families in Britain, highlighting changing social attitudes towards marriage, divorce, and single parenthood as a key driver.
The traditional division of domestic labor is explained through the lens of social attitudes:
Definition: The traditional division of domestic labor refers to the gendered allocation of household tasks and responsibilities based on societal expectations.
Example: Women were traditionally seen as nurturing and suited to the "expressive role" of housewife, while men were viewed as financial providers in the "instrumental role" of breadwinner.
The page also touches on research methodology, discussing the disadvantages of using postal questionnaires to study attitudes towards cohabitation:
Highlight: Low response rates to postal questionnaires can distort the sample, potentially impacting the validity of results on attitudes towards cohabitation.
Finally, it examines Parsons' functionalist perspective on the importance of family for society:
Quote: "Parsons saw the family as important in socializing children with the norms and values of wider society."
Vocabulary: Functionalist perspective - A theoretical approach in sociology that views society as a complex system of interconnected parts working together to maintain stability.
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
App Store
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user