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IELTS Family & Society Vocabulary - Intermediate

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breadwinner
[noun]
/ˈbredˌwɪn.ər/
Definition

The member of a family who earns the money needed to support the others.

Examples
  • The traditional model of a male breadwinner and female homemaker has largely given way to dual-income families.
  • Women are increasingly becoming the primary breadwinner in households, challenging long-held gender assumptions.
Related Expressions
  • primary breadwinner
  • sole breadwinner
  • breadwinner role

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  • breadwinner
    The member of a family who earns the money needed to support the others.
    Examples
    • The traditional model of a male breadwinner and female homemaker has largely given way to dual-income families.
    • Women are increasingly becoming the primary breadwinner in households, challenging long-held gender assumptions.
    Related Expressions
    • primary breadwinner
    • sole breadwinner
    • breadwinner role
  • caregiving
    The act of providing regular care and support to a family member who is elderly, ill, or disabled.
    Examples
    • The burden of caregiving for elderly relatives falls disproportionately on women in most societies.
    • As populations age, the demand for both formal and informal caregiving will increase substantially.
    Related Expressions
    • caregiving responsibilities
    • informal caregiving
    • caregiving burden
  • cohabitation
    The arrangement of living together as a couple without being legally married.
    Examples
    • Cohabitation has become an increasingly accepted alternative to marriage in many Western countries.
    • Critics argue that cohabitation provides less legal protection for partners and children than formal marriage.
    Related Expressions
    • rise in cohabitation
    • cohabitation before marriage
    • cohabiting couple
  • cohesion
    The quality of forming a united and harmonious whole, particularly within a family or community.
    Examples
    • Rapid gentrification can destroy the social cohesion of established working-class communities.
    • Urban planners must design spaces that foster cohesion between residents of different backgrounds.
    Related Expressions
    • social cohesion
    • community cohesion
    • undermine cohesion
    • family cohesion
    • promote cohesion
  • conformity
    The tendency to comply with social norms, family expectations, or cultural standards of behaviour.
    Examples
    • Pressure for conformity to family expectations can restrict individual freedom and personal development.
    • Young people in collectivist societies often face strong expectations of conformity regarding marriage and career.
    Related Expressions
    • social conformity
    • pressure to conform
    • demand for conformity
  • consent
    Voluntary agreement or permission, particularly in the context of marriage and family decisions.
    Examples
    • Many countries have strengthened laws to ensure that marriage requires the free and informed consent of both parties.
    • The absence of genuine consent in arranged marriages remains a serious human rights concern.
    Related Expressions
    • informed consent
    • free consent
    • marriage without consent
  • custody
    The legal right to care for and make decisions about a child, especially following parental separation.
    Examples
    • The suspect was taken into custody following a tip-off from a member of the public.
    • Holding a person in custody for extended periods without charge raises serious human rights concerns.
    Related Expressions
    • taken into custody
    • remanded in custody
    • held in custody
    • police custody
    • child custody
    • joint custody
  • demography
    The statistical study of human populations, including birth rates, death rates, and family structure.
    Examples
    • The demography of most developed nations is shifting rapidly due to falling birth rates and increased life expectancy.
    • Understanding demography is essential for governments designing long-term family and social welfare policy.
    Related Expressions
    • shifting demography
    • study of demography
    • demographic data
  • dependency ratio
    The ratio of dependent people — children and the elderly — to the working-age population in a society.
    Examples
    • A rising dependency ratio places unsustainable pressure on working-age people to fund social services.
    • Countries with very low birth rates face the challenge of an increasingly unfavourable dependency ratio.
    Related Expressions
    • old-age dependency ratio
    • rising dependency ratio
    • manage the dependency ratio
  • digital divide
    The gap between those who have access to digital technology and those who do not, often affecting elderly family members.
    Examples
    • The digital divide within families means that elderly relatives are often excluded from communication on digital platforms.
    • Bridging the digital divide is essential to prevent technology from deepening intergenerational isolation.
    Related Expressions
    • bridging the digital divide
    • digital divide and the elderly
    • overcome the digital divide
  • discrimination
    Unjust or prejudicial treatment of people based on gender, age, or family status.
    Examples
    • Racial discrimination in sport remains a significant issue despite decades of campaigning.
    • Gender discrimination is evident in the unequal prize money and media coverage given to women's sport.
    Related Expressions
    • racial discrimination
    • gender discrimination
    • tackle discrimination
    • age discrimination
  • disparity
    A great difference between things, particularly in gender roles, pay, or opportunity within society.
    Examples
    • There is a stark disparity in health outcomes between wealthy and low-income populations in most countries.
    • Addressing health disparity requires not only better healthcare provision but also policies that tackle poverty and inequality.
    Related Expressions
    • health disparity
    • stark disparity
    • disparity in outcomes
    • address disparity
    • economic disparity
    • income disparity
  • empowerment
    The process of giving individuals, particularly women, greater control over their lives and decisions.
    Examples
    • Education plays an important role in the empowerment of disadvantaged groups.
    • Many social policies aim at the economic empowerment of women.
    Related Expressions
    • economic empowerment
    • social empowerment
    • women's empowerment
    • community participation
    • empower individuals
  • feminism
    The advocacy of equal rights and opportunities for women, challenging traditional gender roles in family and society.
    Examples
    • Feminism has played a central role in transforming expectations around women's roles within the family.
    • Some argue that modern feminism must address the unequal distribution of domestic labour to achieve true equality.
    Related Expressions
    • feminist movement
    • feminist perspective
    • waves of feminism
  • fertility
    The ability to conceive children; also used to describe population-level rates of childbearing.
    Examples
    • Falling fertility rates in developed countries have prompted serious concerns about future population decline.
    • Women's increasing participation in higher education and employment has been linked to declining fertility.
    Related Expressions
    • fertility rate
    • declining fertility
    • fertility treatment
  • glass ceiling
    An invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to senior positions in a profession.
    Examples
    • Despite legislative progress, the glass ceiling continues to limit women's advancement in many industries.
    • Breaking the glass ceiling requires not only equal opportunity policies but also a change in workplace culture.
    Related Expressions
    • break the glass ceiling
    • glass ceiling effect
    • shatter the glass ceiling
  • hierarchy
    A system in which people or things are ranked according to authority or status, often within a family structure.
    Examples
    • Traditional family hierarchies placed men at the top and expected women and children to be subservient.
    • The flattening of family hierarchies in modern societies reflects broader shifts towards individual rights.
    Related Expressions
    • family hierarchy
    • social hierarchy
    • challenge hierarchy
  • individualism
    The tendency to prioritise personal goals and independence over the needs of the family or group.
    Examples
    • The rise of individualism in Western societies has weakened traditional family bonds and obligations.
    • Critics argue that excessive individualism leads people to prioritise personal fulfilment over family commitment.
    Related Expressions
    • rise of individualism
    • culture of individualism
    • individualism vs collectivism
  • isolation
    The state of being separated from others and lacking social contact, often worsened by technology use.
    Examples
    • Social media can paradoxically increase feelings of isolation by replacing face-to-face family interaction.
    • Elderly people living alone are particularly vulnerable to social isolation and its health consequences.
    Related Expressions
    • social isolation
    • feelings of isolation
    • combat isolation
  • life expectancy
    The average number of years a person is expected to live, based on current mortality statistics.
    Examples
    • Rising life expectancy means that families must plan for the care of elderly relatives over much longer periods.
    • The gap in life expectancy between men and women means that many older women live alone in later life.
    Related Expressions
    • rising life expectancy
    • average life expectancy
    • increase in life expectancy
  • marginalisation
    The process by which certain groups — such as elderly people or single parents — are pushed to the edges of society.
    Examples
    • The marginalisation of women in sports media perpetuates the idea that female athletes are less worthy of attention.
    • Disability sport continues to face marginalisation in terms of funding, coverage, and public recognition.
    Related Expressions
    • social marginalisation
    • marginalisation of groups
    • combat marginalisation
    • marginalisation of women
  • materialism
    The tendency to consider material possessions and financial success more important than family relationships.
    Examples
    • Critics argue that materialism has led many parents to prioritise careers and income over time with their children.
    • The rise of materialism in consumer societies has been linked to declining family cohesion and wellbeing.
    Related Expressions
    • rise of materialism
    • materialistic values
    • materialism and family
  • mortality
    The state of being subject to death; in demographics, the rate at which people die within a population.
    Examples
    • High infant mortality rates in developing countries are closely linked to poor nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare access.
    • Reducing mortality from preventable diseases is a central goal of global public health organisations.
    Related Expressions
    • mortality rate
    • infant mortality
    • reduce mortality
    • premature mortality
    • declining mortality
  • multigenerational
    Involving or relating to several generations of a family living together or interacting closely.
    Examples
    • Multigenerational households are more common in collectivist cultures where elderly parents live with their children.
    • Rising housing costs are driving an increase in multigenerational living even in traditionally individualist societies.
    Related Expressions
    • multigenerational household
    • multigenerational living
    • multigenerational family
  • obligation
    A duty or commitment to a family member or society arising from moral, cultural, or legal expectations.
    Examples
    • In many Asian societies, children feel a strong obligation to care for their ageing parents.
    • The tension between personal ambition and family obligation is a recurring theme in IELTS writing tasks.
    Related Expressions
    • family obligation
    • sense of obligation
    • moral obligation
  • remarriage
    The act of marrying again after a previous marriage has ended through divorce or bereavement.
    Examples
    • Remarriage often creates blended families, bringing new challenges around parenting and family identity.
    • Children's adjustment to a parent's remarriage depends greatly on how the transition is managed.
    Related Expressions
    • blended family
    • rates of remarriage
    • adjust to remarriage
  • social mobility
    The ability of individuals to move between different social and economic levels, often shaped by family background.
    Examples
    • Access to good schools and employment in cities is a key driver of social mobility for disadvantaged groups.
    • Concentrated poverty in certain urban areas severely limits the social mobility of residents trapped there.
    Related Expressions
    • upward social mobility
    • improve social mobility
    • barriers to social mobility
    • intergenerational social mobility
  • surrogate
    A woman who carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple.
    Examples
    • Surrogacy raises complex ethical questions about commodification of the body and the rights of the child.
    • Commercial surrogacy is banned in many countries due to concerns about exploitation of vulnerable women.
    Related Expressions
    • surrogate mother
    • commercial surrogacy
    • surrogacy agreement
  • symbolic capital
    Bourdieu's concept of the prestige, honour, and social recognition that families accumulate through their status, name, and cultural practices.
    Examples
    • Family name and social reputation constitute a form of symbolic capital that can be inherited across generations.
    • In many societies, marriage is not merely a personal choice but a strategic accumulation of symbolic capital for both families.
    Related Expressions
    • accumulate symbolic capital
    • Bourdieu's symbolic capital
    • symbolic capital and status
  • stereotype
    A widely held but oversimplified image or idea about a particular group, especially regarding gender roles.
    Examples
    • Advertising has been criticised for reinforcing harmful stereotypes about gender.
    • The documentary challenged common stereotypes about people living in poverty.
    Related Expressions
    • reinforce stereotypes
    • challenge stereotypes
    • gender stereotype in sport
    • gender stereotype