The family, social structure, social change and state policies: Practice Questions

Which term is used by Young and Willmott to describe a family where the roles of husbands and wives, although not identical, are becoming more similar and equal?

Elizabeth Bott (1957) distinguished between two types of conjugal roles. Which type is characterized by husbands and wives having a clear differentiation of tasks and a separate circle of friends?

According to Jacques Donzelot (1977), what is the primary function of the 'policing of families' by state agents such as social workers and doctors?

Sociologists often discuss the 'toxic childhood'. Which researcher argued that rapid technological and cultural changes in the UK have damaged children's emotional, physical, and intellectual development?

According to R.D. Laing and other radical psychiatrists, the family can sometimes be seen as a source of harm rather than support. What is this view of the family often called?

Identify and briefly explain one reason why the infant mortality rate has significantly declined in the United Kingdom since 1900.

In the context of power dynamics within the family, what did Stephen Edgell (1980) find regarding the distribution of 'very important' and 'less important' decisions between husbands and wives?

The 'Dependency Ratio' is a key concept in demographic studies. How is the ageing population in the UK currently affecting this ratio and what is the potential impact on the 'sandwich generation'?

(a) Define the term 'dependency ratio' and explain how it is influenced by an ageing population.

(b) Identify two ways in which state policies in the UK have responded to changes in family structures, such as the increase in divorce or cohabitation, since the 1970s.

Examine the sociological evidence for the 'symmetrical family' as proposed by Young and Willmott. In your answer, consider how far domestic roles have actually become equal in contemporary society.