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SociologyAQA (7192)Families & Households

Families & Households — AQA A-Level Sociology

AQA A-Level Sociology

Families and Households is a core topic in AQA A-Level Sociology (Paper 2, Section A). This interactive tool covers the functions of the family (Murdock, Parsons), changing family structures (nuclear, reconstituted, lone-parent, beanpole, same-sex), conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour (Bott, Oakley, Duncombe & Marsden's triple shift), childhood (social construction, march of progress vs conflict views), family diversity (Rapoports' five types), and demographic trends (birth rate, death rate, ageing population, migration). Compare functionalist, Marxist, feminist, and postmodernist perspectives and apply them to exam scenarios.

Uses Google Fonts (Libre Baskerville, Rubik). Requires an internet connection for full styling.

Frequently asked questions

What is the functionalist view of the family?+
Functionalists (Murdock, Parsons) argue the family performs essential functions for society: primary socialisation (teaching norms and values), stabilisation of adult personalities (emotional support), economic cooperation, and reproduction. Parsons identified two "irreducible functions" in the modern nuclear family: primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities.
What is the feminist critique of the family?+
Feminists argue the family reproduces patriarchy and gender inequality. Liberal feminists focus on legal barriers, Marxist feminists see the family as reproducing capitalism's labour force, radical feminists view the family as a site of domestic violence and male domination, and difference feminists argue that family experiences vary by ethnicity, class, and sexuality.

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