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GCSE · Thematic Studies

RS.TA5 Family Life and Procreation

AQA 8062 · Calculators not allowed · about 55 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

This question checks key vocabulary used when discussing family life.

(a)State what is meant by family.(1)

(b)State what is meant by procreation.(1)

(c)State what is meant by an extended family.(1)

(d)State what is meant by a nuclear family.(1)

(e)State what is meant by a blended family.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 5 marks)

Give three facts about family structures in Britain today.

(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Explain two religious teachings about the purpose of having children. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority in your answer.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Explain two contrasting beliefs about what makes a family, religious and/or non-religious. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority or another source in your answer.

(Total for Question 4 is 5 marks)

This question is about religious and non-religious perspectives on family life and procreation. It is the AQA-style 24-mark, five-part question.

(a)State one purpose of the family, according to religious teaching.(1)

(b)Give two reasons why families are important in society.(2)

(c)Explain two religious teachings about the responsibilities of parents towards their children. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority in your answer.(4)

(d)Explain two contrasting beliefs about same-sex parenting, religious and/or non-religious. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority or another source in your answer.(5)

(e)Evaluate this statement: 'Children need to be brought up by a mother and a father.' In your answer you should: refer to religious teaching, refer to different points of view, reach a justified conclusion.(12)

(Total for Question 5 is 24 marks)

Explain two non-religious views about what makes a good family. Refer to Humanist or other non-religious beliefs in your answer.

(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)

Give three reasons why the family is valued in contemporary British society.

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Mark scheme · RS.TA5 Family Life and Procreation

Question 1

(a) B1 a group of people related by blood, marriage, civil partnership or adoption, who usually live together and support one another, oe
(a) Answer: A group of people related by blood, marriage, civil partnership or adoption, who usually live together and support one another.
(b) B1 the act of having children, oe
(b) Answer: The act of having children.
(c) B1 a family that includes relatives beyond parents and children, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, oe
(c) Answer: A family that includes relatives beyond parents and children, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins.
(d) B1 a family unit consisting of two parents and their child or children, living together, oe
(d) Answer: A family unit consisting of two parents and their child or children, living together.
(e) B1 a family formed when parents with children from previous relationships form a new family together, oe
(e) Answer: A family formed when parents with children from previous relationships form a new family together.

Question 2

B1 nuclear families remain common, but many other family structures also exist, including single-parent, blended and same-sex-parent families, oe
B1 same-sex couples can legally marry, form a civil partnership and raise children together, oe
B1 there is no single legally required family structure in the UK, oe
Answer: Any three: nuclear families are common but many other structures exist; same-sex couples can legally marry/form a civil partnership and raise children; there is no single legally required family structure.

Question 3

B1 point 1: many Christians believe having children is part of God's purpose for marriage, oe
B1 development: Genesis 1:28 records God telling the first humans to 'be fruitful and multiply', which many Christians see as a command to have children, oe
B1 point 2: many Christians and Muslims believe children are a gift or blessing from God, oe
B1 development: Psalm 127:3 describes children as 'a heritage from the Lord', reflecting the belief that children should be valued and cared for as a gift, oe
Answer: E.g. Genesis 1:28's command to 'be fruitful and multiply'; Psalm 127:3 describing children as a heritage/gift from God.

Question 4

B1 belief 1: some religious believers hold that the ideal family is a nuclear family formed through the marriage of a man and a woman, oe
B1 development: this reflects traditional teaching, such as Genesis 2:24's description of marriage, which some see as the intended foundation for family life, oe
B1 belief 2: many religious and non-religious people today accept a wide range of family structures, including single-parent, blended and same-sex-parent families, as equally valid, oe
B1 development: this reflects a belief, held by many, that what matters most for a family is love, stability and care, rather than the particular structure of the household, oe
B1 reference to a source of wisdom and authority or another appropriate source made accurately, oe
Answer: Contrast: traditional teaching favouring the married nuclear family (Genesis 2:24) vs the wider contemporary view that love, stability and care matter more than family structure.

Question 5

(a) B1 e.g. to raise and care for children / to provide a stable, loving environment / to pass on religious belief and values, oe
(a) Answer: E.g. to raise and care for children.
(b) B1 families provide children with the love, care and support they need to grow up well, oe
(b) B1 families pass on values, traditions and, for many, religious belief and practice, to the next generation, oe
(b) Answer: E.g. providing love, care and support for children; passing on values and, for many, religious belief and practice.
(c) B1 point 1: many Christians believe parents have a responsibility to raise children well and teach them right from wrong, oe
(c) B1 development: Ephesians 6:4 instructs fathers to bring their children up 'in the training and instruction of the Lord', showing the seriousness of this responsibility, oe
(c) B1 point 2: many religious believers, including Jews and Muslims, believe parents should pass on their faith to their children, oe
(c) B1 development: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 instructs parents to impress God's commandments on their children, showing the importance placed on religious upbringing, oe
(c) Answer: E.g. Ephesians 6:4 on bringing children up in the Lord's training; Deuteronomy 6:6-7 on teaching children God's commandments.
(d) B1 belief 1: many religious and non-religious people today accept and support same-sex couples raising children, believing a loving and stable home matters more than the sex of the parents, oe
(d) B1 development: this is reflected in UK law, which allows same-sex couples to marry, adopt and have parental rights on the same basis as opposite-sex couples, oe
(d) B1 belief 2: some religious believers hold that children are best raised within a traditional family formed by a mother and a father, based on their tradition's teaching on marriage, oe
(d) B1 development: this view draws on scripture such as Genesis 2:24, which describes marriage between a man and a woman as the foundation the family was traditionally understood to be built on, oe
(d) B1 reference to a source of wisdom and authority or another appropriate source made accurately, oe
(d) Answer: Contrast: acceptance of same-sex parenting (reflected in UK adoption/parenting law) vs traditional teaching favouring a mother-and-father family (Genesis 2:24).
(e) L4 (10-12): A well-argued, balanced answer that considers more than one point of view in a developed way, using accurate and detailed references to religious teaching and/or scripture to support each point, and reaches a clear, justified conclusion.
(e) L3 (7-9): A clear and reasoned answer that considers more than one point of view, supported by relevant references to religious teaching and/or scripture, though the justification of the conclusion may be less developed.
(e) L2 (4-6): A reasoned answer that considers at least one point of view, with some relevant supporting evidence, but with limited or no consideration of an alternative view.
(e) L1 (1-3): One or more relevant points are made, but with little or no supporting evidence and no reasoned conclusion.
(e) L0 (0): No relevant content.
(e) Indicative content:
- Agree: some religious believers argue that scripture describes the family as founded on the marriage of a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24), and that a mother and father together provide complementary care.
- Agree: some argue that a mother and a father can each offer a distinct kind of role model, and that this combination best reflects their tradition's teaching about family life.
- Agree: for believers who hold this view strongly, it is often tied closely to their tradition's wider teaching on marriage and gender roles within the family.
- Disagree: many religious and non-religious people believe that what determines a child's wellbeing is the love, stability and care they receive, not the sex of their parents.
- Disagree: same-sex couples in Britain today legally marry, adopt and raise children, and research referred to in RS teaching materials generally finds that children of same-sex parents can and do thrive when raised in a loving, stable home.
- Disagree: single parents, grandparents and other carers successfully raise children without a mother and father both present, showing that this is not the only way a child can be well brought up.
- Disagree: some argue that focusing on 'mother and father' as a fixed requirement can unfairly stigmatise loving families that do not fit that pattern.
- A balanced answer might conclude that while many religious traditions value the mother-and-father family as their ideal, most religious and non-religious people today would judge a family primarily by the quality of care and love it provides.

Question 6

B1 point 1: many non-religious people, including Humanists, believe a good family is defined by love, care and stability rather than a particular structure, oe
B1 development: on this view, single-parent, blended and same-sex-parent families can be just as valuable as any other family, provided children are well cared for, oe
B1 point 2: some non-religious people emphasise the wellbeing and happiness of children as the main measure of a successful family, rather than following a fixed tradition, oe
B1 development: this reflects a Humanist-style focus on evidence and outcomes for the people involved, rather than on a religious rule about family structure, oe
Answer: E.g. love, care and stability matter more than family structure (Humanist argument); child wellbeing/outcomes as the key measure of a successful family.

Question 7

B1 it provides children with love, security and support as they grow up, oe
B1 it offers practical and emotional support between family members of different generations, oe
B1 it helps pass on values, traditions and, for many, religious belief and practice, oe
Answer: Any three: love, security and support for children; support between generations; passing on values, traditions and belief.

Family Life and Procreation - Worksheets, Questions and Revision