Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

the role of the family in society

FoundationHigherAll Boards

4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

Fastmail

Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: the role of the family in society

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about the role of the family in society. Then check against the key terms: Sociology Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Sociology Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: the role of the family in society. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Sociology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Compare Functionalist and Marxist views of the role of the family.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about the role of the family in society.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: the role of the family in society

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on the role of the family in society. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Functionalist view: the family serves essential functions for society. Murdock (1949): the nuclear family is universal and performs four functions - sexual (regulates sexual behaviour), reproductive (produces next generation), economic (pools resources), educational (socialises children). Parsons: the family serves two 'irreducible' functions - primary socialisation of children and stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory).
Key Fact: Marxist view: the family serves capitalism, not society as a whole. Zaretsky (1976): the family consumes capitalist products (TVs, cars, processed food) and provides unpaid domestic labour (women's housework reproduces the next generation of workers at no cost to the state). The family is a 'unit of consumption' and an 'ideological conditioning device' that supports capitalism.
Key Fact: Feminist view: the family is patriarchal and oppresses women. Delphy and Leonard: women do most unpaid domestic labour, enabling men to work while the family benefits men economically. Radical feminists: the family is the root of patriarchy - domestic violence, sexual violence and emotional abuse are normalised within families. Firestone: the family must be abolished to achieve gender equality.
Key Fact: Interactionist view: the family is created through everyday interactions. Berger and Kellner: marriage involves a 'negotiated reality' where couples construct shared meanings and roles through daily interaction. The family is not a fixed structure but an ongoing accomplishment.
Key Fact: Personal Life perspective (Smart): we should understand families from the perspective of those involved, not impose theoretical frameworks. People define their own families (including pets, friends as 'family'). This perspective values lived experience over abstract theory.
Sociology Exam Tips: When evaluating the family, always: compare at least two perspectives, use named sociologists, provide evidence for and against each view, and consider whether the family serves different functions for different groups (men vs women, rich vs poor).

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Compare Functionalist and Marxist views of the role of the family.

Answer: Functionalism: the family benefits society (socialisation, emotional support). Marxism: the family benefits capitalism (producing workers, consuming products, ideological control). Key difference: Functionalism sees the family as serving everyone; Marxism sees it as serving the ruling class. Functionalism ignores exploitation; Marxism ignores the positive emotional aspects of family life.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: the role of the family in society

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: Sociology Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Q1: Compare Functionalist and Marxist views of the role of the family.

Answer: Functionalism: the family benefits society (socialisation, emotional support). Marxism: the family benefits capitalism (producing workers, consuming products, ideological control). Key difference: Functionalism sees the family as serving everyone; Marxism sees it as serving the ruling class. Functionalism ignores exploitation; Marxism ignores the positive emotional aspects of family life.

Q2: Evaluate the Feminist view that the family oppresses women.

Answer: Feminist evidence: women do most housework (dual burden); domestic violence affects 1 in 4 women; the family normalises women's economic dependence; the divorce rate shows women want to escape oppressive marriages. Counter-arguments: many women choose family life; family structures are becoming more equal (symmetrical family); men also experience domestic violence; not all families are patriarchal. Conclusion: the family CAN oppress women but this is not inevitable - changing gender roles are creating more equal families.

Q3: Assess which perspective provides the most useful understanding of the family in modern society.

Answer: Functionalism: explains social order but ignores conflict and exploitation. Marxism: explains exploitation but ignores the emotional value of family. Feminism: explains gender inequality but may neglect other inequalities and positive family experiences. Personal Life perspective: values lived experience but lacks critical analysis. Conclusion: no single perspective is sufficient - each reveals different aspects. A multi-perspective approach combining structural analysis with lived experience is most useful.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: the role of the family in society

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate the view that the family is a beneficial institution for society. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: present Functionalist evidence (Murdock's four functions, Parsons' socialisation and stabilisation); present Marxist critique (family serves capitalism not people - Zaretsky); present Feminist critique (family oppresses women - Delphy and Leonard, domestic violence); evaluate whether benefits are equally distributed; conclude: the family IS beneficial in providing socialisation and emotional support, but these benefits are unequally distributed. The family serves men better than women, and capitalism better than workers. Making families more equal requires challenging patriarchal and capitalist structures within the family.

Exam Tips: Functionalism: family benefits EVERYONE (functions). Marxism: family benefits CAPITALISM (exploitation). Feminism: family benefits MEN (patriarchy). | Murdock: 4 functions (sexual, reproductive, economic, educational). Parsons: 2 functions (socialisation, stabilisation). | Zaretsky: family = unit of consumption. Delphy & Leonard: family = patriarchal exploitation. Smart: ask people what family means to THEM.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: The nuclear family benefits everyone equally by performing essential functions for society. Correct: While Functionalists argue the nuclear family serves universal functions, this ignores: who benefits and who loses. Women do most domestic labour (Oakley), the family consumes capitalist products (Zaretsky), and domestic violence is hidden behind the 'private' family (feminists). The nuclear family may serve functions for society but these functions are not equally distributed - men, capitalists and the state may benefit more than women and children.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how the role of the family in society connects to another Sociology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of the role of the family in society
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in the role of the family in society?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)