This document summarizes key concepts about the sociology of the family including ideology, gender, power, and diversity. It discusses how the family has changed over time and taken on different forms. While families have become more diverse, conservative ideology still promotes the nuclear family as the norm. Gender roles within families remain unevenly distributed, with women shouldering a triple workload. The document also notes families can have a "dark side" involving issues of power, control, and domestic violence.

1. Family roles, diversity,
ideology and power

2. Today’s class
• A word on note taking for this lecture…
• Recap from yesterday’s lecture on social change as seen through the family
• Lecture on the sociology of the family
• Activity
• Time to look over group presentations

3. Recap on social change
• The family is dynamic, it changes with time and depending on the
social/cultural/economic/political conditions in society.
• Family is a site of agency and structure.
• 1960s were a particularly changeable period for the family
• Families take on many different forms including; lone parents,
nuclear, same-sex and reconstituted.
• As sociologists we need to be thinking about the ideological,
structural, functional and power implications of the family.

4. Key concepts
Ideology - a set of powerful ideas, usually used to reaffirm the status
quo.
Gender - the social and cultural characteristics that relate to being male
or female (sex and gender are not interchangeable terms).
Power - The ability to exert one’s will despite resistance.
Diversity – the many, a range of ‘subjects’ being include in one topic.

5. Ideology and the family
Ideology determines what we think of as ‘correct’ or ‘the norm’ in any
given social situation.
In terms of the family conservative ideology is prevalent, so the nuclear
family is considered ‘the best’ family unit to bring up children, this
narrative benefits heterosexuality, middle class and white family
practices.
Ideology is something we need to be critical of despite it being so
prevalent that it seems implicit.

6. The nuclear family
Wilmott and Young (1957)
Study of Bethnal green titled ‘Family and Kinship in East London’, claim that the extended
family is still of great importance and not diminishing in modern society despite rise of the
nuclear family.
Laslett (1965)
Study of the nuclear family titled ‘The world we have lost’ Laslett claims that the nuclear
family was a feature of pre-industrial society, and it is only because of the nuclear family
that industrialisation was successful.
Fletcher (1966)
Study titled ‘The family and marriage in Britain’, suggests that industrialisation has
strengthened kinship ties, family as a popular social institution that aids society and the
individual.

7. Gender and the family
• Conjugal roles, study by Bott (1957) looks at division of household labour,
which falls into segregated and joint roles . Believes social networks that
are maintained by the family ensure conformity through the creation of
norms and sanctions.
• Ann Oakley (1974) the ‘Sociology of Housework’ looked at the gendered
division of labour and refutes ideas that domestic labour is becoming more
equally shared out. Domestic labour is considered to be repetitive,
unfulfilling and under-appreciated.
• Dunscombe and Marsden’s (1995) work on domestic responsibility
reinforces the idea that families are uneven in power and distribution, with
women taking on a triple workload, as they undertake work outside the
home, domestic labour and emotional labour.

8. Marriage in decline
Statistics show couples are getting married later in life, marriages are
not lasting as long (average is 13 years) and 50% of marriages now end
in divorce.
Why is this the case?
• Changes in employment.
• Changes in divorce law.
• People living longer.
• Family diversity showing marriage as one option to create a legitimate
family group.

9. Same sex families
• Families of choice
• Changes to the law on consent, civil partnership, same-sex marriage and adoption.
• Section 28 – wasn’t repealed until 2000!! Very important in terms of ideological control.
• Reproductive technologies (Macionis and Plummer), not just used by same-sex couples.
• Social stigma and acceptance. Think about this in terms of ideology and what we ‘know’
about different family structures.

10. Reconstituted families
• 10% of all British children lives with one birth parent and a step parent
• Over 50% of children who live in two different households take a positive
view of their ‘divided lives’
• 6% of all families with children are step families
• Two fifths of all marriages are re-marriages
• 25% of children have experienced their parents’ divorce. Over 50% of them
will find themselves members of a stepfamily when their mothers and
fathers go on to find new partners
- With these stats in mind we can see how common blended families are, so
why is the nuclear family and conservative ideology around the family still so
prevalent?

11. Family diversity
Organisational diversity- Multiheaded families, dual career families, the economic needs of
the family and the careers of caregivings implicates family life.
Cultural diversity- People of different cultures forming families, this will have implications
for socialisation, ideology, cultural practice. Eg, ear piercing.
Social class diversity- People from different social classes forming families, this will have
implications for socialisation, education and ideology.
Life cycle diversity- This refers to the generational differences that are present between
family members. Eg, you and your grandparents.
Family life cycle diversity- the difference that occurs when a family has a baby, (a)
child(ren), teens and (in)dependent adult children. At each stage, families have different
priorities, and adapt to this in terms of work and domestic labour.

12. Power and the family
• Wilmott and Young (1973) ‘The symmetrical family’ idea that conjugal roles
are becoming more even amongst middle class families, division of power
closing.
• Mckee and Bell (1986) unemployed men found housework ‘degrading’ and
didn’t like being ‘kept’ by their employed wives. What does this suggest
about power and gender?
• Sclatter (2000) advertising of household technology aimed at women,
reinforcing ideas that domestic labour is ‘women’s work’ and contributing
to their triple burden.

13. The dark side of the family
• Families are not always well functioning. Issues of power, gender and
control can create tension and even violence.
• Domestic abuse
• Child abuse
• Sanctions and government involvement in the dark side of the family.
What links can be made to ideology, consensus, power and gender?

14. In summary
• Again, none of this is happening in isolation, changes to the family
don’t happen overnight, they are linked to political, economical,
environmental and large scale social change.
• While families are increasingly diverse ideology serves to try to
maintain social norms and consensus.
• The family is a site of structure and agency.
• The family is not just a place of emotional fulfillment and personal
growth, it has an incredibly dark side too.

15. Activities
• Make notes on your notes.
• The 3 minute essay on one of the following: the nuclear family,
reconstituted family or same sex families.
• Spider diagram from your essay.
• Group presentation work. Make note of the deadlines, which are
available on learn.