Paper instructions:
Family Sociology

Choose one of the following:

1.    Why is the way we define family such a controversial issue in Britain today?

2.    Examine the ways in which roles and relationships in families are changing. What are the implications of these changes both for families and society?

Learning outcomes to be addressed: 1-6

Option 1
What is your interpretation of the essay title/question? This essay requires you to discuss the complexity and diversity of family – how understanding has moved from ‘the family’ to ‘families’.  You need to address this essay title/question by providing critical discussion of different sociological perspectives of family. These sociological perspectives provide different explanations for different family forms/types. How is ‘family’ perceived within the functionalist perspective? What contribution did feminists make to understanding of family? How has the individualization thesis explained ‘family’? What are some of the more recent understandings of family? Your essay will be enhanced by demonstrating how the functionalist perspective of ‘the family’ still influences policy  and media  representations of family. Your essay should be supported with statistics to highlight shifts in family form. Your essay will also be enhanced by the inclusion of a cultural perspective and children’s views in relation to family form (embedded, briefly, within changing views of children within sociological theory. Your conclusion, based on evidence presented in the essay, should provide a response to the essay title/question.

Option 2
What is your interpretation of the essay title/question? To address this essay title/question you will need to discuss the various sociological perspectives of family as outlined for option 1. However, your discussion needs to have a more explicit focus on roles (e.g. husband/wife) and relationships (e.g. parent-child). You will need to consider the implications of the changes in these roles and relationships for families and society e.g. have relationships, such as husband-wife and parent-child, become more egalitarian and democratic? Developing a critical perspective in relation to this will enable you to consider (briefly) the issue of domestic violence and child abuse. How has family policy recognized/supported changing roles and relationships within families? Do the media  reflect these changing roles and relationships? Your essay will be enhanced by the inclusion of a cultural perspective and children’s views in relation to family roles and relationships (embedded, briefly, within changing views of children within sociological theory. Your conclusion, based on evidence presented in the essay, should provide a response to the essay title/question.

Please use different sources.
15 references at least.