June 2024.
Outline and explain two ways that falling birth rates may affect gender roles and
relationships within families. [10]
Point: One reason why falling birth rates may affect gender roles is more women taking on
paid employment leads to an increase in joint conjugal roles and symmetrical
families.
Evidence: Wilmott and Young argue that families are becoming more symmetrical due to
joint conjugal roles.
Explain: With fewer children to care for, women have more time and opportunity to enter or
remain in the workforce. This shift encourages a more equal distribution of domestic
responsibilities, as both partners contribute to paid work and share housework and
childcare more equally. This leads to a move away from traditional expressive and
instrumental roles.
Link: Therefore, falling birth rates can facilitate the development of more egalitarian
relationships within the family, supporting the rise of symmetrical family structures.
Point: Another reason why falling birth rates may affect joint conjugal roles is more women
taking on paid employment leads to increase in dual earner households.
Evidence: Sharpe found that girl’s ambitions in the 1970s were to marry and have
children, however by the 1990s their ambitions had changed to careers and
independence.
Explain: As women prioritize education and careers, they delay childbirth or choose to
have fewer children. This creates a family model where both partners often work, leading
to greater financial equality and a shift in power dynamics within the household. Gender
roles become more flexible and less fixed, challenging traditional norms.
Link: Thus, falling birth rates support the formation of dual-earner households where
gender roles are more balanced and both partners share family responsibilities.
Applying material from Item C, analyse two ways that social policies may have
affected the status of children. [10]
Point: As stated in Item C, in the UK today there are a range of social policies aimed at
protecting vulnerable groups.
Evidence: Fletcher argues that health, education and housing policies have led to the
development of the welfare state which supports the family in performing its functions
more effectively.
Explain: These policies have increased the status of children by recognising them as a
vulnerable group in need of protection and support. For example, the provision of free
healthcare (e.g. the NHS) and compulsory education ensures that children’s needs are
prioritised by the state. This has helped reinforce the idea of childhood as a distinct and
protected phase of life, contributing to the ‘march of progress’ view that children are now
better cared for and valued.
Link: Therefore, although social policies have increased the visibility and care of children
in society, this improved status may be limited by structural inequalities.
Point: As also stated in Item C, there are also social policies which impose age restrictions
on certain activities such as paid employment.
Evidence: Aries argues that children in the middle ages had the same rights,
responsibilities and skills as adults.
Explain: In contrast, modern policies such as child labour laws and minimum age
, requirements for activities like driving, voting, or full-time work have created a clear
distinction between childhood and adulthood. These laws reflect a growing consensus that
children require protection from adult responsibilities and should be allowed to develop
gradually.
Link: Nonetheless, such age-related policies reinforce the notion of childhood as a
separate and safeguarded stage of life, enhancing children's dependent and protected
status in society.
Applying material from Item D and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of the
nature and extent of family diversity in the UK today. [20]
Introduction: Family diversity in the UK has significantly increased over the last few
decades, challenging the once-dominant image of the traditional nuclear family.
Sociologists offer a variety of explanations for this shift, including cultural, economic, and
individualistic changes. While some argue this diversity is a reflection of freedom and
modernisation, others believe the nuclear family remains the most functional structure for
society.
Point: As stated in Item D, some sociologists argue that there is growing family diversity in
the UK today. They argue that there are now more family types and structures.
Evidence: Rapoport argues that society has moved from the nuclear family to 5 types of
diversity: organisational, cultural, social class, life stage and generational.
Explain: This suggests that the family is no longer a one-size-fits-all model but varies
depending on personal and societal factors such as ethnicity, income, age, and values.
For example, single-parent households, reconstituted families, and same-sex parent
families are increasingly recognised and accepted in UK society.
Evaluation: However, critics argue that the Rapoports may overstate the extent of diversity
by failing to consider that the nuclear family still remains a statistical norm, especially in
middle-class and conservative communities. The persistence of marriage and cohabitation
with children indicates that change may not be as widespread as suggested.
Link: Nevertheless, the Rapoports' framework highlights the importance of recognising
diversity and the shift away from a single dominant family form.
Point: As also stated in Item D, they also claim that these changes bring greater individual
choice.
Evidence: Giddens asserts that we are disembedded from traditional family structures,
and free to live our lives as we choose, leading to the ‘pure relationship’.
Explain: According to Giddens, relationships today are based more on emotional
satisfaction and individual fulfilment rather than obligation or tradition, which has allowed
people to choose alternative family forms like cohabitation, childfree partnerships, or LAT
(living apart together) relationships.
Evaluation: Postmodernist critics support Giddens, but others, like functionalists or the
New Right, argue this freedom undermines stability and social order. For instance, the
breakdown of marriage and rise in lone-parent households are often linked to increased
risks of poverty and poor child outcomes.
Link: While individual choice has led to greater diversity, it also raises concerns about the
consequences of unstable family life for individuals and society.
Point: As also stated in Item D, some functionalist sociologists argue that there is limited
evidence to support family diversity. They suggest the conventional nuclear family is still
the dominant family type and the one that best fits society’s needs.
Evidence: Murdock argues that the nuclear family performs 4 essential functions:
socialisation, reproduction, meeting the members economic needs and stable satisfaction
, of the sex drive.
Explain: From this perspective, the nuclear family provides stability and ensures the
smooth functioning of society by performing vital roles that no other family form can match
as effectively.
Evaluation: However, this view can be seen as outdated and ethnocentric. Feminists
criticise functionalism for ignoring the oppression of women within the nuclear family, and
Marxists argue it supports capitalism by reproducing labour and transmitting ruling-class
ideology.
Link: Therefore, although the nuclear family remains influential, functionalist views fail to
account for the validity and benefits of alternative family forms in modern society.
Conclusion: In conclusion, sociological explanations of family diversity reveal a complex
picture shaped by cultural change, economic conditions, and evolving personal values.
While traditional structures still exist, the rise in individualism and policy changes have
made diverse family forms more common and accepted. Overall, family diversity is both a
reflection of greater freedom and a challenge to long-standing social norms.
Outline and explain two ways in which the ownership and control of the media may
have been affected by the growth of the new media. [10]
Point: One way ownership and control may have been affected by the growth of the new
media is active audience through interactive journalism reduces control of media owners
Evidence: Jenkins argues that technological convergence - multiple media in the same
device - has led to cultural convergence, which leads to a participatory culture.
Explain: This means that audiences are no longer passive consumers of content but can
create, share and shape media themselves, such as through commenting, blogging, or
sharing on social media. As a result, media owners have lost some of their traditional
gatekeeping power, since users can challenge dominant narratives or even produce viral
content independently.
Link: Therefore, the interactive and participatory nature of new media means media
owners have less control over the production and circulation of information, leading to a
shift in power dynamics.
Point: Another way ownership and control may have been affected by the growth of the
new media is digital media have made it harder for owners to regulate as information can
be spread easily and quickly.
Evidence: McLuhan argues that rapid technological changes have led to a global village,
whereby there has been a collapse in space and time barriers in human communication.
Explain: This means that information now travels instantly across the world via the internet
and social media, making it increasingly difficult for media owners to contain or filter
content. Leaks, citizen journalism, and viral stories can undermine attempts by media
corporations or governments to control narratives.
Link: Consequently, the global reach and speed of the new media reduce the ability of
traditional media owners to maintain tight regulation and control, further decentralising
media power.
Applying material from Item M, analyse two reasons why the media may not always
have a direct influence on their audiences. [10]
Point: As stated in Item M, there is now a very wide range of different media available.
Evidence: McQuail and Lull assert that there is a variety of uses and gratifications for the
, media: these include diversion, surveillance, personal relationships, personal identity and
background wallpaper.
Explain: This suggests that audiences actively choose and interpret media content in ways
that suit their own needs, rather than passively absorbing messages. For example, one
person may watch a news story to be informed (surveillance), while another might simply
use it as background noise (background wallpaper). This undermines the idea of a direct,
uniform influence because the audience is not a passive receiver but an active interpreter
of content.
Link: Therefore, the variety of media content and the active role of audiences mean that
media influence is not always direct or predictable.
Point: As also stated in Item M, the media may also be less trusted sources of information
than they used to be.
Evidence: Hall asserts that the content of media messages is encoded by the dominant
hegemonic viewpoint, which reflects the interests, beliefs and values of media owners.
Explain: Audiences may decode these messages in alternative or oppositional ways,
especially if they are aware that the media serves elite interests. This reduces the
effectiveness of media influence because people may critically reject the intended
messages, particularly when they recognise bias or manipulation.
Link: Hence, decreasing trust in media, combined with critical audience interpretations,
weakens the potential for direct influence.
Applying material from Item N and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of the
ways in which the media represent people from different social classes. [20]
Introduction: The media plays a powerful role in shaping public perceptions of social class.
Sociologists argue that the media often reinforce class-based stereotypes, maintaining the
status quo. However, developments in digital technology have allowed alternative
representations to emerge that challenge dominant ideologies.
Point: As stated in Item N, some sociologists suggest the media have often presented
stereotypical representations of social classes. For example, working class people are
often represented negatively in comparison to other social classes.
Evidence: Curran and Seaton assert that the content of newspapers aimed at working
class audiences suggested they are interested in exaggerated, dramatised or made up
human stories.
Explain: This suggests the media portrays the working class as unintelligent and
emotionally driven, reinforcing class-based prejudices and limiting opportunities for social
mobility by shaping negative public perceptions.
Evaluation: However, this view may be outdated, as media representations have become
more diverse in recent years. For instance, working-class characters in contemporary
dramas may be shown as resilient or heroic, although these portrayals still risk being
tokenistic.
Link: Therefore, while traditional media often reinforced negative stereotypes of the
working class, there is some evidence of increasing variation in representation.
Point: As also stated in Item N, Marxists suggest the ruling class use the media to present
ideas that suit their interests.
Evidence: Miliband argues that the media play an active role in spreading the dominant
ideology, encouraging individuals to accept the unequal society in which we live.
Explain: This means the media can present upper-class lifestyles as aspirational while
depicting the working class as lazy or problematic, helping to justify inequality and
discourage resistance to capitalism.
Outline and explain two ways that falling birth rates may affect gender roles and
relationships within families. [10]
Point: One reason why falling birth rates may affect gender roles is more women taking on
paid employment leads to an increase in joint conjugal roles and symmetrical
families.
Evidence: Wilmott and Young argue that families are becoming more symmetrical due to
joint conjugal roles.
Explain: With fewer children to care for, women have more time and opportunity to enter or
remain in the workforce. This shift encourages a more equal distribution of domestic
responsibilities, as both partners contribute to paid work and share housework and
childcare more equally. This leads to a move away from traditional expressive and
instrumental roles.
Link: Therefore, falling birth rates can facilitate the development of more egalitarian
relationships within the family, supporting the rise of symmetrical family structures.
Point: Another reason why falling birth rates may affect joint conjugal roles is more women
taking on paid employment leads to increase in dual earner households.
Evidence: Sharpe found that girl’s ambitions in the 1970s were to marry and have
children, however by the 1990s their ambitions had changed to careers and
independence.
Explain: As women prioritize education and careers, they delay childbirth or choose to
have fewer children. This creates a family model where both partners often work, leading
to greater financial equality and a shift in power dynamics within the household. Gender
roles become more flexible and less fixed, challenging traditional norms.
Link: Thus, falling birth rates support the formation of dual-earner households where
gender roles are more balanced and both partners share family responsibilities.
Applying material from Item C, analyse two ways that social policies may have
affected the status of children. [10]
Point: As stated in Item C, in the UK today there are a range of social policies aimed at
protecting vulnerable groups.
Evidence: Fletcher argues that health, education and housing policies have led to the
development of the welfare state which supports the family in performing its functions
more effectively.
Explain: These policies have increased the status of children by recognising them as a
vulnerable group in need of protection and support. For example, the provision of free
healthcare (e.g. the NHS) and compulsory education ensures that children’s needs are
prioritised by the state. This has helped reinforce the idea of childhood as a distinct and
protected phase of life, contributing to the ‘march of progress’ view that children are now
better cared for and valued.
Link: Therefore, although social policies have increased the visibility and care of children
in society, this improved status may be limited by structural inequalities.
Point: As also stated in Item C, there are also social policies which impose age restrictions
on certain activities such as paid employment.
Evidence: Aries argues that children in the middle ages had the same rights,
responsibilities and skills as adults.
Explain: In contrast, modern policies such as child labour laws and minimum age
, requirements for activities like driving, voting, or full-time work have created a clear
distinction between childhood and adulthood. These laws reflect a growing consensus that
children require protection from adult responsibilities and should be allowed to develop
gradually.
Link: Nonetheless, such age-related policies reinforce the notion of childhood as a
separate and safeguarded stage of life, enhancing children's dependent and protected
status in society.
Applying material from Item D and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of the
nature and extent of family diversity in the UK today. [20]
Introduction: Family diversity in the UK has significantly increased over the last few
decades, challenging the once-dominant image of the traditional nuclear family.
Sociologists offer a variety of explanations for this shift, including cultural, economic, and
individualistic changes. While some argue this diversity is a reflection of freedom and
modernisation, others believe the nuclear family remains the most functional structure for
society.
Point: As stated in Item D, some sociologists argue that there is growing family diversity in
the UK today. They argue that there are now more family types and structures.
Evidence: Rapoport argues that society has moved from the nuclear family to 5 types of
diversity: organisational, cultural, social class, life stage and generational.
Explain: This suggests that the family is no longer a one-size-fits-all model but varies
depending on personal and societal factors such as ethnicity, income, age, and values.
For example, single-parent households, reconstituted families, and same-sex parent
families are increasingly recognised and accepted in UK society.
Evaluation: However, critics argue that the Rapoports may overstate the extent of diversity
by failing to consider that the nuclear family still remains a statistical norm, especially in
middle-class and conservative communities. The persistence of marriage and cohabitation
with children indicates that change may not be as widespread as suggested.
Link: Nevertheless, the Rapoports' framework highlights the importance of recognising
diversity and the shift away from a single dominant family form.
Point: As also stated in Item D, they also claim that these changes bring greater individual
choice.
Evidence: Giddens asserts that we are disembedded from traditional family structures,
and free to live our lives as we choose, leading to the ‘pure relationship’.
Explain: According to Giddens, relationships today are based more on emotional
satisfaction and individual fulfilment rather than obligation or tradition, which has allowed
people to choose alternative family forms like cohabitation, childfree partnerships, or LAT
(living apart together) relationships.
Evaluation: Postmodernist critics support Giddens, but others, like functionalists or the
New Right, argue this freedom undermines stability and social order. For instance, the
breakdown of marriage and rise in lone-parent households are often linked to increased
risks of poverty and poor child outcomes.
Link: While individual choice has led to greater diversity, it also raises concerns about the
consequences of unstable family life for individuals and society.
Point: As also stated in Item D, some functionalist sociologists argue that there is limited
evidence to support family diversity. They suggest the conventional nuclear family is still
the dominant family type and the one that best fits society’s needs.
Evidence: Murdock argues that the nuclear family performs 4 essential functions:
socialisation, reproduction, meeting the members economic needs and stable satisfaction
, of the sex drive.
Explain: From this perspective, the nuclear family provides stability and ensures the
smooth functioning of society by performing vital roles that no other family form can match
as effectively.
Evaluation: However, this view can be seen as outdated and ethnocentric. Feminists
criticise functionalism for ignoring the oppression of women within the nuclear family, and
Marxists argue it supports capitalism by reproducing labour and transmitting ruling-class
ideology.
Link: Therefore, although the nuclear family remains influential, functionalist views fail to
account for the validity and benefits of alternative family forms in modern society.
Conclusion: In conclusion, sociological explanations of family diversity reveal a complex
picture shaped by cultural change, economic conditions, and evolving personal values.
While traditional structures still exist, the rise in individualism and policy changes have
made diverse family forms more common and accepted. Overall, family diversity is both a
reflection of greater freedom and a challenge to long-standing social norms.
Outline and explain two ways in which the ownership and control of the media may
have been affected by the growth of the new media. [10]
Point: One way ownership and control may have been affected by the growth of the new
media is active audience through interactive journalism reduces control of media owners
Evidence: Jenkins argues that technological convergence - multiple media in the same
device - has led to cultural convergence, which leads to a participatory culture.
Explain: This means that audiences are no longer passive consumers of content but can
create, share and shape media themselves, such as through commenting, blogging, or
sharing on social media. As a result, media owners have lost some of their traditional
gatekeeping power, since users can challenge dominant narratives or even produce viral
content independently.
Link: Therefore, the interactive and participatory nature of new media means media
owners have less control over the production and circulation of information, leading to a
shift in power dynamics.
Point: Another way ownership and control may have been affected by the growth of the
new media is digital media have made it harder for owners to regulate as information can
be spread easily and quickly.
Evidence: McLuhan argues that rapid technological changes have led to a global village,
whereby there has been a collapse in space and time barriers in human communication.
Explain: This means that information now travels instantly across the world via the internet
and social media, making it increasingly difficult for media owners to contain or filter
content. Leaks, citizen journalism, and viral stories can undermine attempts by media
corporations or governments to control narratives.
Link: Consequently, the global reach and speed of the new media reduce the ability of
traditional media owners to maintain tight regulation and control, further decentralising
media power.
Applying material from Item M, analyse two reasons why the media may not always
have a direct influence on their audiences. [10]
Point: As stated in Item M, there is now a very wide range of different media available.
Evidence: McQuail and Lull assert that there is a variety of uses and gratifications for the
, media: these include diversion, surveillance, personal relationships, personal identity and
background wallpaper.
Explain: This suggests that audiences actively choose and interpret media content in ways
that suit their own needs, rather than passively absorbing messages. For example, one
person may watch a news story to be informed (surveillance), while another might simply
use it as background noise (background wallpaper). This undermines the idea of a direct,
uniform influence because the audience is not a passive receiver but an active interpreter
of content.
Link: Therefore, the variety of media content and the active role of audiences mean that
media influence is not always direct or predictable.
Point: As also stated in Item M, the media may also be less trusted sources of information
than they used to be.
Evidence: Hall asserts that the content of media messages is encoded by the dominant
hegemonic viewpoint, which reflects the interests, beliefs and values of media owners.
Explain: Audiences may decode these messages in alternative or oppositional ways,
especially if they are aware that the media serves elite interests. This reduces the
effectiveness of media influence because people may critically reject the intended
messages, particularly when they recognise bias or manipulation.
Link: Hence, decreasing trust in media, combined with critical audience interpretations,
weakens the potential for direct influence.
Applying material from Item N and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of the
ways in which the media represent people from different social classes. [20]
Introduction: The media plays a powerful role in shaping public perceptions of social class.
Sociologists argue that the media often reinforce class-based stereotypes, maintaining the
status quo. However, developments in digital technology have allowed alternative
representations to emerge that challenge dominant ideologies.
Point: As stated in Item N, some sociologists suggest the media have often presented
stereotypical representations of social classes. For example, working class people are
often represented negatively in comparison to other social classes.
Evidence: Curran and Seaton assert that the content of newspapers aimed at working
class audiences suggested they are interested in exaggerated, dramatised or made up
human stories.
Explain: This suggests the media portrays the working class as unintelligent and
emotionally driven, reinforcing class-based prejudices and limiting opportunities for social
mobility by shaping negative public perceptions.
Evaluation: However, this view may be outdated, as media representations have become
more diverse in recent years. For instance, working-class characters in contemporary
dramas may be shown as resilient or heroic, although these portrayals still risk being
tokenistic.
Link: Therefore, while traditional media often reinforced negative stereotypes of the
working class, there is some evidence of increasing variation in representation.
Point: As also stated in Item N, Marxists suggest the ruling class use the media to present
ideas that suit their interests.
Evidence: Miliband argues that the media play an active role in spreading the dominant
ideology, encouraging individuals to accept the unequal society in which we live.
Explain: This means the media can present upper-class lifestyles as aspirational while
depicting the working class as lazy or problematic, helping to justify inequality and
discourage resistance to capitalism.
