Sociology | 9699 Notes

Here are comprehensive notes structured for the Cambridge International AS & A Level Sociology (9699) syllabus. These notes cover the key topics, theories, and studies required for both AS and A Level.

2. Sociological Perspectives on the Family

• Functionalist (Durkheim, Parsons, Murdoch):
  • Views the family as a vital institution serving the needs of society.
  • Murdock (1949): The nuclear family performs 4 universal functions:
    1. Sexual: Controls sexual behavior (stabilizes adult personalities).
    2. Reproductive: Produces the next generation.
    3. Economic: Division of labor (male breadwinner/housewife).
    4. Educational: Primary socialization of children.
  • Parsons: The family has lost functions (industrialization took away economic/educational roles) but retains two essential functions:
    • Primary Socialization: Transmitting norms and values.
    • Stabilization of Adult Personalities: Emotional support (the "warm bath" theory).
• Marxist (Engels, Zaretsky):
  • Sees the family as serving the needs of Capitalism.
  • Engels: Family evolved to ensure inheritance of private property passed to legitimate heirs (monogamy ensured paternity).
  • Zaretsky: Family acts as a safety valve for workers’ frustration (consumers of commodities, unpaid labor).
  • Unit of Consumption: Families buy goods (generation of profit).
• Feminist (Oakley, Delphy & Leonard, Barrett & McIntosh):
  • Liberal: Seek equal rights and opportunities within the family (anti-discrimination laws).
  • Marxist: The family serves the interests of capitalism, which exploits women’s unpaid labor (reserve army of labor).
  • Radical (Greer, Millett): The family is the root of patriarchy. Men dominate women through domestic labor, sexual control, and violence. "The personal is political."
• Postmodernist (Stacey, Beck):
  • The family is diverse and fluid. No single "correct" family type.
  • Stacey: "Postmodern family" includes diverse arrangements (cohabitation, single parents, gay parents).
  • Beck: "Risk Society" – People are less likely to marry due to fear of divorce; "Negotiated Family" where roles are not fixed but discussed.

1. Key Concepts & Definitions

• Family: A nuclear family (parents and children) or an extended family (kinship network).
• Household: One person living alone or a group of people living at the same address, sharing cooking facilities and living space. (Note: A household is not always a family).
• Kinship: System of social relationships based on blood (consanguineal) or marriage (affinal).

3. Research methods — essentials

• Quantitative

  • Surveys, experiments, secondary data analysis, statistics.
  • Strengths: generalizability, hypothesis testing.
  • Weaknesses: limited depth, measurement validity concerns.

• Qualitative

  • Interviews, ethnography, participant observation, focus groups, content analysis.
  • Strengths: depth, context, meaning.
  • Weaknesses: limited generalizability, researcher bias.

• Mixed Methods

  • Combine strengths; sequential or concurrent designs.

• Sampling & Validity

  • Probability vs. non‑probability samples, representativeness.
  • Reliability, internal/external validity, construct validity, reflexivity, ethics.