Unit 2: Family, Community and Social Cohesion
Core concepts
Unit 2 explores the family and community as institutions and their contribution to social cohesion. You must understand family as a social institution and the diversity of family structures (nuclear, extended, blended, sole-parent, same-sex, de facto). Know kinship, norms and values, social cohesion (the bonds holding society together), social capital (networks, trust and reciprocity), and deviance as behaviour violating significant norms. Understand how socialisation within families transmits culture and how institutions such as education, religion and community organisations support integration. Familiarise yourself with concepts of inclusion and exclusion, and the role of community in providing belonging and support.
Common traps
A frequent error is asserting a single 'normal' family type; questions reward recognition of diversity and change over time. Students often confuse social capital with financial capital, or describe cohesion only in terms of absence of conflict rather than shared values and trust. In questions about deviance, avoid moral judgement and instead apply sociological explanation. When asked to evaluate, you must weigh strengths and limitations and reach a judgement, not simply list both sides.
Rule of thumb
Define the concept, illustrate with an Australian example, then explain its function for cohesion or exclusion. Always link family or community features back to the question's focus on social cohesion.
Worked example
Question: 'Discuss how family diversity affects social cohesion.' A strong response defines social cohesion as shared values and trust, acknowledges diverse structures, argues that inclusive institutions and strong social capital can maintain cohesion across diversity, and notes that exclusion or inequality can weaken it - reaching a balanced judgement rather than assuming diversity itself is a threat.