Past Exam Questions: June 'Families and Households'

Section A: Families and households

May/June 2002

1. (a) Explain the difference between a family and a household. (9)

(b) Evaluate the claim that the nuclear family is a universal feature of societies. (16)

2. (a) Describe with examples, the types of conjugal relationships that may be found in societies. (9)

(b) Assess the claim that conjugal roles have become more equal in recent years. 16)

May/June 2003

1. (a) Describe, with examples, the variety of households that may be found in societies. (9)

(b) Evaluate the claim that the nuclear family is of declining importance in modern industrial societies (16)

2. (a) Describe,with examples, the major trends in marriage and divorce over the last 100years (9)

(b) Assess the extent to which the changes that you have outlined in (a) reflect the changing status of women in society (16)

May/June 2004

1. (a) Describe, with examples from the family, what is meant by life cycle. (9)

(b) Evaluate the extent to which the state may influence family life. (16)

2. (a) Describe, with examples, how the status of children has changed in families over the last 10 years. (9)

(b) Evaluate the view that in modern industrial societies there is equality between all family members (16)

May/June 2006

1. (a) Describe, with examples, what is meant by a matrifocal family. (9)

(b) Evaluate the claim that the nuclear family is universal in modern industrial societies. (16)

2. (a) Describe, with examples, how the status of the elderly has changed in modern industrial societies. (9)

(b) Evaluate the statement that ‘the rising divorce rate is evidence of the increasing unpopularity of marriage’. (16)

May/June 2007

1. (a) (i) Define the term kinship (3)

(ii) Identify and briefly describe two examples of kinship. (6)

(b) Evaluate the claim that in modern societies social class determines the type of family structure people adopt. (16)

2. (a) (i) Define the term conjugal roles. (3)

(ii) Identify and briefly describe two examples of conjugal roles (6)

(b) Evaluate the claim that the family oppresses its less powerful members. (16)