Essay questions: Compare and contrast a Marxist and feminist view of the family 2500 words Of concern in much sociological and political discussion in recent decades has been the question of inequality in society. The extent, distribution, causes and effects of a variety of forms of disadvantage has stimulated lively and wide ranging debate on a range of social issues; health outcomes, crime and delinquency, family breakdown, unemployment. The complexity of the inter-relating forces at work in society has meant that there are no simple answers to addressing inequality and disadvantage, but a close examination of the evidence, combined with careful analysis of the underpinning sociological and philosophical ideas can help us to assess which explanations provide the most convincing account of the causes and effects of social disadvantage. Module Learning Outcomes 1.