Mini-Lesson
Family
This mini-lesson covers the sociology of the family : functions, family forms and diversity , conjugal roles , marriage and divorce, and the functionalist, Marxist and feminist views.
Work through each screen, answer the questions as you go and collect ⭐ stars. Some questions are multiple-choice, some are sort-and-match games, and a few use simple research-methods maths (percentages and sample figures). Press Start when you're ready.
Functions
What is the family for?
Functionalism: Murdock (four needs); Parsons (socialisation + stabilising personalities).Marxism: serves capitalism.Feminism: serves patriarchy.Spec note (please read): OCR withdrew GCSE Sociology (J696); its final exams were in summer 2018 and it was not redeveloped for the current 9–1 GCSEs. This lesson teaches mainstream GCSE Sociology content that matches the old J696 topic. If you are sitting a current exam, check whether your school uses AQA or Eduqas instead.
Quick check
Whose view?
? Who said the family's key jobs are primary socialisation and stabilising personalities?
Parsons ✅
Marx ❌
Oakley ❌
Becker ❌
Forms
Family forms & diversity
Nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone-parent, same-sex, beanpole. The Rapoports — five types of family diversity.
Sort it
Sort the form
Tap a description, then the best-fitting form.
Quick check
Which form?
? A step-family formed after remarriage is a…
Reconstituted family ✅
Nuclear family ❌
Beanpole family ❌
Extended family ❌
Roles
Conjugal roles
Segregated vs joint roles; the 'symmetrical family' (Young & Willmott). Oakley: women's dual burden .
Calculate
Your turn — percentage
✎ In a survey of 400 married women, 232 agreed with a statement. What percentage agreed? Give a whole number.
%
Check ✓
Hint: percentage = (part ÷ whole) × 100 = (232 ÷ 400) × 100.
Change
Marriage & divorce
↓ marriage, ↑ cohabitation, ↑ divorce (law, secularisation, independence).
Calculate
Your turn — percentage change
✎ Cohabiting couples in a sample rose from 90 to 117 over ten years. Calculate the percentage increase. Give a whole number.
%
Check ✓
Hint: % change = (change ÷ start) × 100 = ((117 − 90) ÷ 90) × 100.
Match it
Match perspective to claim
Tap a claim, then the perspective.
Calculate
Your turn — response rate
✎ A researcher posts 500 questionnaires and 340 are completed and returned. Calculate the response rate as a percentage. Give a whole number.
%
Check ✓
Hint: response rate = (returned ÷ sent) × 100 = (340 ÷ 500) × 100.
Calculate
Your turn — percentage
✎ In a survey of 250 lone-parent households, 95 agreed with a statement. What percentage agreed? Give a whole number.
%
Check ✓
Hint: percentage = (part ÷ whole) × 100 = (95 ÷ 250) × 100.
Quick check
Whose concept?
? Which feminist argued the symmetrical family is a myth (dual burden)?
Ann Oakley ✅
Parsons ❌
Murdock ❌
Young and Willmott ❌
Calculate
Your turn — sample size
✎ A sampling frame lists 800 people. The researcher takes a one-in-four (1/4) sample. How many people are in the sample?
people
Check ✓
Hint: sample = 800 × 0.25.
Quick check
Divorce
? A reason for rising divorce since the 1960s is…
Secularisation and changes in the law ✅
Falling life expectancy ❌
The banning of marriage ❌
Compulsory extended families ❌
Recap
Family — the big ideas
Functions: Murdock, Parsons vs Marxist & feminist critiques
Forms: nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone-parent, same-sex, beanpole
Roles: symmetrical family vs dual burden
Change: ↓ marriage, ↑ cohabitation, ↑ divorce
You've covered the sociology of the family. Press Finish .
🏆
Mini-lesson complete!
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You've worked through Family for GCSE Sociology (OCR J696 legacy). 🎉
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