AQA A Level Sociology Families And The Household Practice Test

What does Silva (1996) argue about media-fuelled concerns over lone mothers?

They reflect genuine welfare concerns They are patriarchal attempts to push women back into traditional roles and undermine gender equality They have no impact on gender equality They support women's independence

Correct Answer:

They are patriarchal attempts to push women back into traditional roles and undermine gender equality

Explanation:

Media representations of lone mothers can function as a tool to reinforce patriarchal ideas about gender roles. Silva argues that the frequent media focus on lone mothers isn’t simply about real welfare concerns; it serves to moralize and sensationalize them in a way that supports a traditional, male-breadwinner family ideal. This framing helps justify policies that push women back into domestic roles and curtail advances toward gender equality by portraying single motherhood as a problem rooted in individual morality rather than broader structural factors like poverty or housing. In this way, the discourse acts to uphold patriarchal norms rather than genuinely addressing welfare.

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