Hinduism: Relationships and Families | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)

Hinduism: Relationships and Families

83 questions
7 subtopics
Group 2 paper
Group 2 paper

Hinduism: Relationships and Families is examined in Component Group 2, religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Hindu perspective (J625/10), if this is the perspective studied.

That perspective must be one of the student's two Group 1 religions. It covers the Hindu family and the purposes of marriage, the significance of a Hindu wedding, Hindu views on sexuality, same-sex marriage and civil partnership, Hindu views on sex before marriage, cohabitation, celibacy and contraception, Hindu views on divorce, annulment and remarriage, roles of Hindu men and women in family, community and upbringing and Hindu teaching on gender equality and discrimination.

Sample questions from Hinduism: Relationships and Families

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The Hindu family and the purposes of marriage

Why do Hindus traditionally value having children?

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Children continue the family and perform the rites for ancestors after death. Hindu tradition speaks of a debt to the ancestors repaid by raising a family.
The Hindu family and the purposes of marriage

What other ethical models of relationship do Hindus draw on?

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Shiva and Parvati model a partnership in which each completes the other. Savitri, who won her husband back from Yama, the god of death, models devoted love.
The significance of a Hindu wedding

Why are the couple's garments tied together in a Hindu wedding?

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The bride's and groom's garments are knotted together to show that two lives are now joined. The knot symbolises a bond that should never be broken.
The significance of a Hindu wedding

Why do Hindu wedding ceremonies differ from one community to another?

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Customs vary with region, language, caste and family tradition. Gujarati couples usually circle the fire four times, while many other couples circle it seven times.
Hindu views on sexuality, same-sex marriage and civil partnership

How do some Hindus use the idea of a third nature (tritiya prakriti) in debates about sexuality?

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Ancient texts such as the Kama Sutra recognise people of a third nature, neither fully male nor female. Some Hindus argue that sexual diversity has always been part of Hindu life.
Hindu views on sexuality, same-sex marriage and civil partnership

What is the law on same-sex marriage in the UK and in India?

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Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2014. The Supreme Court of India decriminalised homosexuality in 2018 but declined to legalise same-sex marriage in 2023.
Hindu views on sex before marriage, cohabitation, celibacy and contraception

What might a Humanist say about cohabitation, and how might a Hindu reply?

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A Humanist might say cohabitation is a responsible choice for a loving couple. A Hindu might reply that vows made before Agni give a stronger commitment.
Hindu views on sex before marriage, cohabitation, celibacy and contraception

What are Hindu attitudes to contraception?

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Hindu scriptures give no single ruling on contraception, and many Hindus use it for family planning. Contraception within marriage is widely accepted.

The 7 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The Hindu family and the purposes of marriage	The joint family, marriage as a religious duty, the value of children, fidelity and Manusmriti IX 101–102, Rama and Sita as a model, arranged marriage, Rig Veda X.85 and the Atharva Veda wedding hymns.	12
The significance of a Hindu wedding	Agni at the centre, kanyadan, the saptapadi, tying the garments, mangalsutra and sindoor, the jaimala, regional variety, Arya Samaj and ISKCON practice, British adaptations, and the vows against adultery.	11
Hindu views on sexuality, same-sex marriage and civil partnership	Sexual desire and the Kama Sutra, traditional teaching on homosexuality, tritiya prakriti, arguments for and against same-sex marriage, UK and Indian law, ahimsa, and Humanist and situation-ethics views.	11
Hindu views on sex before marriage, cohabitation, celibacy and contraception	Traditional and changing views of pre-marital sex, a Humanist view of living together, lifelong celibacy, restraint within marriage, objections to some forms of contraception, family duty, and utilitarianism.	12
Hindu views on divorce, annulment and remarriage	The traditional view, when divorce became legal in India, why many accept it today, remarriage and the change on widow remarriage, karma, situation ethics, a Humanist view, and reconciliation first.	11
Roles of Hindu men and women in family, community and upbringing	Stridharma and svadharma, Manusmriti III 55–57 and IX 3 and their interpretation, Sita's example, women in religious life, parents' roles in upbringing, restricted freedom of choice, and elderly parents at home.	13
Hindu teaching on gender equality and discrimination	The atman and Gita V 18, Ardhanarishvara and Mohini, the hijras, the saying vikruti evam prakriti, culture and embedded inequality, reformers, the Upanishads, women priests, and the Purusha Sukta.	13

Hinduism: Relationships and Families is 83 of the 2,800 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.