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Topic title: Families & Households

Year group: 12

When taught: Term 1, 2, and 3

What are we learning?

  • Family forms and diversity
  • Demographic changes including marriage, divorce, cohabitation, life expectancy, fertility, singlehood
  • Relationships in families and households with reference to social change
  • Theoretical perspectives of families and households: functionalist, Marxist, feminist, postmodernist, New Right.

Why is this important to know? 

  • It is a topic that is accessible to all students understanding of society, and important for further developing their understanding of diversity and social change within the contemporary UK regarding families and households.

Where does this link into our past and future learning?

  • The concepts of culture, socialisation and identity established in the Acquiring Culture topic continue in this topic.
  • The theoretical perspective are also a substantial element of the Education, Crime and Inequality topics.

How will we be assessed on this topic?

  • Students will sit a formal exam on this topic in the summer. This section makes up 50 marks and 62 minutes of Paper 1 at AS and A Level.
  • They will be asked one 10 mark question, one 15 mark question, and a choice of two 25 mark question at AS Level. At A level they will be asked one 15 mark question and a choice of two 35 mark questions.
  • There will also be mid topic and end of topic tests on the unit when we study it.
  • Students will also have recap tests / questioning / exam questions on this topic during most lessons.

What makes a strong piece of work in this topic?  What are teachers hoping to see?  

  • Linking their answers to the context of the item they are given in the exam.
  • A detailed description of the content.
  • Sustained evaluation that is fully ‘PEEEL’ed.

What key words are there in this topic?

Quizlet. Click here

What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?

  • Click here
  • There is an extension challenge set for this unit. This consists of 4 interesting tasks such as videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, articles to read and online courses to complete with a feedback task at the end. Please see your subject teacher to access this sheet.

What wider reading can be done on this topic?

  • There are several Sociology Review Magazine articles relevant to this topic that you can read to extend your knowledge. Please see your subject teacher to access copies of these.
  • The school library has a number of relevant sociology books including but not limited to:
    • Chavs -Owen Jones
    • Invisible Women – Caroline Criado-Perez
    • The Spirit Level: why equality is better for everyone -Kate Pickett & Richard Wilkinson