AS Unit G671 - Exploring Socialisation, Culture and Identity
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Assess the view that the nuclear family can no longer be seen as the normal family in UK society (24 marks)
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AS Unit G671 - Exploring Socialisation, Culture and Identity
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OCR Sociology for A Level Book 1
Assess the view that the nuclear family can no longer be seen as the normal family in UK society (24 marks).
This essay is written in detail and fully explains the arguments on why the nuclear family isn't considered to be the ideal family type within modern society. (A+ level for A level sociol...
Explain and briefly evaluate functionalism (12 marks)
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AS Unit G671 - Exploring Socialisation, Culture and Identity
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Assess the view that the nuclear family can no longer be seen as the normal family in UK society (24
marks)
This essay will be focusing on assessing the view that the nuclear family is no longer seen as the
normal or traditional family within UK society. Based on the new right and the functionalist beliefs that
the nuclear family is the ideal for the functioning of society. It can be argued that they will disagree with
the following statement. However, feminist and Marxist beliefs on the patriarchy and capitalism are
more likely to agree with the statement. Critical analysis will be discussed and a explicit conclusion will
be drawn.
The nuclear family has dominated UK society for decades. The 1940s and 50s saw the nuclear family
as the most popular viewpoint when discussing family types. The essay will cover both positive and
negative aspects of the nuclear family, more specifically covering the sociologists who support and who
are against the nuclear family which is backed up by sociological evidence. The new right perspective
is based on aspects from functionalism that crosses over to the new right. They claim that the nuclear
family contributes to creating a healthy society. The new right heavily push the narrative that more
traditional values is the way to go in terms of family life. By reverting back to the more traditional
methods of the nuclear family such as the father taking on the responsibility of the economic finances
and the mother taking on the domestic roles (raising the children and completing domestic chores). In
terms of the family dynamic, new right believe that a couple should be made up of a man and a woman.
When gay marriage became legalised in 2013, they attacked the government decision as it was
passed. Proposing the narrative that a child needs a parent of each sex to be brought up the correct
way. By allowing gay marriage to be passed it disrupts the traditional values of what we know as family.
The new right perspective reflects the clear conservative beliefs involved in many political groups today.
On the other hand, looking at the Marxist perspective, they heavily disagree with the new right
perspective. Marxists criticise the consensus view, rejecting the view that the nuclear family contributes
to society in a positive way. Marxists dispute the way that the nuclear family is organised and actually
doesn’t benefit people equally. They explain the nuclear family is very much like the institutions that
contribute towards maintaining capitalism, more specifically preserving the power and wealth of those
at the top (the higher status) of the economic system. Marxism shows how capitalism affects and
shapes family life. They argue people’s lives are dominated and consumed by earning a living, people
having to work longer hours to pay for things such as, food, electrical goods and even leisurely pursuits.
Arguing that we don’t choose how we can live our life but are actually encouraged to follow a strict
pattern throughout our life. They argue the nuclear family contributes the most to capitalism, institutions
like mass media heavily promote nuclear families and put them in a positive light. Marxism suggests
individually, peoples personal lives are controlled by capitalism. In contrast, Social action theorists
oppose this argument, explaining that people have the capacity to make their own choices, some
individuals choose to go against the nuclear model in replacement for a more diverse range of
alternatives.
Functionalism analyse family in two distinct ways, focusing on family structures (how individuals are
linked to one another and the roles they play with one another). They explain how the nuclear family is
the building block which creates the foundation for society to function. The key relationship between the
mother and father in relation to the children. Nuclear families are seen to be part of a much larger
structure. Murdock (1949) researched 250 societies and concluded that there was a clear type of family
within the majority of the societies. Murdock argued that there were two opposite sex parents with one
or more children (adopted or biological). He believe the nuclear family as a concept is something that is
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