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Sociology - family > Booklet 1 - perspectives of the family > Flashcards

Booklet 1 - perspectives of the family Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Murdock: functions of the family

A
  1. sexual - expressing sexuality in a socially approved context
  2. reproduction - the family providing some stability for the reproduction and rearing of children
  3. socialisation - family is an important part of primary socialisation which maintains a stable society
  4. economic - the family provides food and shelter for family members
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2
Q

What does Murdock believe the functions of the family are?

A

necessary for any society

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3
Q

What does Murdock suggest about the nuclear family?

A

that it is found in every society

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4
Q

Criticisms of Murdock

A
  1. Some argue that Murdock’s functions could be performed equally well by other institutions or non-nuclear family structures
  2. Marxists and Feminists reject the rose tinted harmonious consensus view that family meets the needs of wider society
  3. Feminists see the family as serving the needs of men whilst oppressing women
  4. Marxists - it meets the needs of capitalism not those of the family or society as a whole
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5
Q

Parsons functions of the family

A
  1. Primary socialisation of children
  2. stabilisation of human personalities
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6
Q

what does Parsons argue that would happen to society if the new generation were not socialised into accepting societies basic norms and values?

A

society would cease to exist

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7
Q

how does Parson see socialisation in the family?

A

so powerful that people are moulded of the culture and act in certain ways without realising it

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8
Q

what does Parsons say families are?

A

factories for producing human personalities - only family can provide emotional warmth and security to achieve this

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9
Q

How do families stabilise personalities according to Parsons?

A

through the sexual division of labour - men = instrumental role - family breadwinner which leads to stress and anxiety and threatens to destabilise his personality - women = expressive role - warmth, security and emotional support which contributes to the stabilisation of human personalities (warm bath theory)

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10
Q

What are the two family structures which Parsons distinguishes between?

A
  1. the nuclear family - fits the needs of modern industrial society
  2. the extended family - fitted the need of modern industrial society
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11
Q

what does Parsons argue that the particular structure and functions of a type of family will do?

A

fit the needs of society which it in e.g. when Britain began to industrialise from the late 18th century the extended family began to give way to the nuclear family

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12
Q

criticisms of Parsons

A
  1. Young and Willmott - men now take a greater share of domestic tasks on as wives have become wage earners
  2. Feminists argue that the division of labour is not natural and that it benefits men
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13
Q

what have Young and Willmott and Fletcher suggested about the classic extended family?

A

that it has largely disappeared in modern society and the structurally isolated privatised nuclear family or some modified extended family has emerged as the main family form

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14
Q

privatised nuclear family - young and willmott and fletcher

A
  • self - contained, self-reliant/ mutually dependant home centred unit.
  • free time = jobs around the house - leisure = with family
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15
Q

What do Young and Willmott suggest about rising living standards?

A

rising living standards have made the home a more attractive place to spend time

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16
Q

what does Parsons say about the privatised nuclear family?

A

that it is structurally isolated because it has lost many of its functions that link to other social institutions

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17
Q

Modified extended family - Young and Willmott and Fletcher

A

related nuclear families although apart geographically maintain regular contact and mutual support e.g. visiting, phone, letters, email and social networking

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18
Q

what are the main reasons for the decline in the extended family?

A
  1. need for geographical mobility - moving where skills are required for a job or education often means leaving family behind - isolated nuclear family is ideal for this because its small size = it is not tied to extended family who may have lived with them
  2. social mobility = different people in the family have different jobs and education and lifestyle attitudes = kin have less in common
  3. growth in wealth and the welfare state taking over family functions such as education which weakens the need for kin in times of distress.
  4. growth of meritocracy - not what you know but who you know - extended kin have less to offer family members
  5. different occupations, incomes and lifestyles of family who if living together may cause conflict and instability - adult children moving away generally means this problem is avoided
  6. lack of support for kin in the isolated nuclear family which means people are increasingly mutually dependant which protects family stability
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19
Q

Parsons structural differentiation

A

many functions once performed by the family have been removed and transferred to more specialised institutions e.g. NHS

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20
Q

What do Young and Wilmott argue about the extended family?

A

it only went into decline in the late 1960s as a result of major social changes:
- changes in womens positions
- geographical mobility
- new technology
- higher standards of living

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21
Q

In Young and Wilmott’s study of families in London who was the symmetrical family most common for?

A

young couples and those who are geographically and socially isolated and the more affluent

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22
Q

How does Brenda Almond see social change?

A

as undermining the nuclear family

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23
Q

what do the new right believe the nuclear family has been encouraged by?

A

perverse incentives

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24
Q

what do the new right argue that changes udermine?

A

social stability

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25
Q

what do the new right argue about working mothers?

A

they put their own careers above the needs of their children - lack of successful male role models for children in fatherless families with uncontrollable children - the fault of lone mothers unable to discipline youngsters

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26
Q

what do Murray and Marsland say about the welfare state?

A

that it has undermined personal responsibility, self help and the importance support from families - particularly don’t like support for lone parents as it encourages single women to have children they can’t afford knowing they can get help from state benefits

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27
Q

What does the new right suggest is a solution?

A

to return to traditional family values with government policies that reverse the decline in traditional family unit e.g.
- reduce divorce and births outside marriage
- reduction of welfare state benefits to non-coventional family units
- limit on child benefits in the UK cap of 2 children for those born after 6th April 2017 - reduces taxes and act as an incentive for fathers to find work

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28
Q

criticisms of the new right

A
  • assumes patriarchal model of the nuclear family is natural not socially constructed
  • Pam Abbot and Claire Wallace - cutting benefits leads to more poverty
  • rosy view of the family when there is a darker side
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29
Q

Do Marxists see the nuclear family as a functioning necessary institution?

A

No - see the family as a framework of a capitalist society

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30
Q

How do Marxists see all societies institutions?

A

as helping to maintain class inequality and capitalism

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31
Q

Marxism - the nuclear family

A
  • Concerned with social control teaching members to submit to the capitalist class.
  • The family reproduces unequal relationships of the workplace, accustoms children to them and helps dampen inevitable social conflict.
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32
Q

Marxism - Engles - nuclear family

A

Saw the monogamous nuclear family as a way of passing property to heirs as it provided proof of paternity.

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33
Q

Marxism - Engles - women’s position in the family

A
  • Not much different from prostitutes - provides sex and heirs in return for economic security from her husband.
  • The rise of the monogamous nuclear family as a ‘world historical defeat of the female sex.’
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34
Q

Marxism - Althusser - capitalism survival

A
  • Depended on the working class submitting to the ruling class/ bourgeoisie.
  • The family along with the education system and media are part of the ideological state apparatus - concerned with social control and passing on the ideology of the ruling class.
  • Through socialisation into this family the ruling class tries to maintain false class consciousness by winning the hearts and minds of the working class.
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35
Q

Marxism - Zaretsky - cushioning effect

A
  • The family props up capitalism by being an escape route from exploitation and oppression at work a private place where males can enjoy a personal life, be valued as individuals and have some control over their lives.
  • The release from daily oppression in the world of work helps to undermine their opposition to capitalism.
36
Q

Evaluation of the Marxist perspective

A
  • Questions the notion that the nuclear family is always good for society.
  • Old fashioned - men marrying to pass on property ignores other reasons for forming families/ getting married. - 2003 report by institute of education found people are now more likely to marry for love and affection than social obligation, with a growing emphasis on emotional aspects of relationships and personal fulfilment for both men and women.
  • Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the very real benefits the family provides its members.
  • Many women now work and have independent incomes and in many cases are more successful than men - women are therefore less likely to marry for economic security.
37
Q

Focault - concept of surveillance

A

Describes how the state can exercise social control over people.

38
Q

In Postmodernism societies how does Focault see surveillance?

A

Internalised - people accept the norms of behaviour as their own and follow them as they think it is in their best interest to do so.

39
Q

Netmums survey - 5,000 mothers 2011

A

Mums under so much pressure from themselves and others to appear like perfect parents that they lied about how much TV their children watched/ quality time/ food cooked.

40
Q

What does the process of self-surveillance establish?

A

A self imposed pattern of conformity to the accepted norms of family life - another way family can act as an agent of social control.

41
Q

Evaluation of family social control and surveillance

A
  • Functionalists believe this is part of a desirable process of ensuring social stability and conformity.
  • For Marxists and Feminists it is seen as repressive - promoting submission and conformity in an unequal society and exploitative especially for women whose guilt underpins it.
42
Q

What does the Feminist perspective emphasise about family life?

A

The harmful effects of family life upon women, and the role of the family in continuing oppression of women.

43
Q

Oakley - housework

A

Housework is hard routine and unrewarding and remains primarily the responsibility of women.

44
Q

Average womens pay

A

85% that of mens.

45
Q

What do radical feminists focus on?

A

The problem of patriarchy in society and in the family as the main obstacle to women’s equality.

46
Q

Greer - relationships between men and women

A

Remain patriarchal and exploitative.

47
Q

Land - social policies

A

assume the ideal family is a patriarchal nuclear family.

48
Q

How do Feminists suggest the control of women is reinforced?

A

Through sexual and physical violence.
Solution: reject family and family life and reject relationships with men altogether.

49
Q

Firestone

A

Women should use new reproductive technologies e.g. IVF to exclude men from child bearing and child rearing.

50
Q

What does Geer favour?

A

Matrifocal families - women head of the family - fathers may or may not be present but if they are occupy a secondary role - Thought common in African Caribbean communities in the UK.

51
Q

How do Marxist feminists see women?

A

Doubly exploited as workers in an unequal exploitative capitalist society and as women.

52
Q

Marxist feminists - 2 ways they see family

A
  1. Social reproduction of labour power
  2. Social control of the working class
53
Q

Marxist feminists - Social reproduction of labour power

A

Children are born, raised and the ruling class are supplied with a passive labour force for its factories and offices - the family achieves this in 3 ways:
- Providing food/ shelter/ place to relax so members of the workforce are renewed to work again.
- Producing and maintaining labour which is free of cost to the capitalist as women don’t get paid for these tasks.
- Socialising children into dominant ideas of society and preparing them to be future workforces.

54
Q

Marxist Feminists - social control of the working class

A
  • The means of keeping people conforming to the dominant norms and values of society.
  • Good parents work to provide material comforts and goods - cant afford to go on strike - weakens workers bargaining power.
55
Q

Zaretsky - family

A

Can be a sanctuary which adults can withdraw to experience friendship love and support.

56
Q

Leonard - safety valve

A

Provided by women whose emotional work in an important part of domestic labour. Safety valve prevents frustration at work spilling over into action against the system

57
Q

How don’t liberal feminists see gender inequality?

A
  • Don’t see it in the family as the product of a system or structure or as a consequence of one dominant sex deliberately oppressing another.
58
Q

Oakley - gender inequality

A

a product of discrimination by individuals who run institutions and this discrimination is largely based on ignorance, prejudice and mistaken view of biological differences between men and women.

59
Q

What does Oakley suggest is major source of patriarchal discrimination?

A

Gender role socialisation - girls being persuaded to accept their gender role.

60
Q

What does liberal feminism recognise?

A

That women’s positions in the family with women taking on major responsibilities for housework and childcare can have adverse effects on their power, career and health - the best way to improve the position of women is through reform measures within the present system, to remove discrimination to allow equality of opportunity for men and women and allow them to make free choices between motherhood, a career or both.

61
Q

How do liberal feminists believe equality of opportunity can be acheived?

A
  • Changing socialisation and parenting practices - avoid gender stereotyping.
  • Better and cheaper childcare - enable women and men to combine childcare with successful careers in paid employment.
  • Sharing housework and childcare.
  • Stronger actions against DV.
62
Q

Liberal feminism - economic and social changes

A

Wilkinson - UK workforce has evolved from being based on heavy industry to the rise of the service industry.

63
Q

Liberal feminsim - political legal and social policy changes

A

Establishing and asserting the legal rights of women as individuals - laws to establish equal pay and stop sex discrimination - Equal pay act 1970, sex discrimination act 1975, Equality Act 2010.

64
Q

What is the main criticism of liberal feminism?

A

While they make proposals that might improve the position of women within existing society, they don’t tackle the fundamental inequalities that women face due to patriarchy and capitalism.

65
Q

What do different feminists argue?

A

That we can’t generalise about womens experiences.

66
Q

What do Post Modernists such as Lydotard and Baudrillard believe?

A

That contemporary society is changing rapidly:
- Individuals no longer constrained by social structures.
- Individuals are rejecting the ideas about traditional family as the mainstay social order.
- Society has become fragmented into a mass of individuals who are making their own choices about what they believe and how to live their lives.

67
Q

Post modernism and the family - Gernsheim and stacey

A
  • Diversity:
  • Wide diversity of relationships
  • No longer bound by traditional expectations about marriage life long monogamy parenthood or traditional sexual identities and family life.
  • Rising divorce rates, cohabitation, serial monogamy births outside marriage.
  • Family choice:
  • Decline in family size, growing lone parenthood.
68
Q

Giddens - ‘need based family’

A

No family stays in the same structure or divisions they change as circumstances change.

69
Q

Beck - ‘negotiated family’

A

The roles and power structure within the family is negotiated by the members to satisfy all members.

70
Q

Who and why are postmodernism changes seen as bad?

A
  • Politicians and policy makers = threat to the family as:
  • support networks are weakened.
  • Individuals face growing insecurity, uncertainty and anxiety in their lives.
71
Q

Who and why are Post modernism changes seen as good?

A
  • Post modernists = changes as individuals making consumer choices.
  • Pick and choose relationships which suit and change overtime.
72
Q

Evaluation of Postmodernists

A
  • Social structures still have power - cereal packet family promoted in media.
  • Connectedness theory - people are part of an interconnected web of relationships and personal histories which influence and shape choices we have.
  • Recognises that relatedness isn’t always positive. People may feel trapped in a violent abusive relationship or ones where they aren’t happy.
73
Q

Rapport and Rapport 5 different types of family diversity:

A
  • Cultural diversity - cultural differences in family structures and organisations. Asian families tend to be more extended and Afro-Caribbean tend to be more matrifocal in nature.
  • Life course analysis - Hareven - family structures and organisation change as we go through our lives matching the time of life we are at and our needs at the time.
  • Organisational diversity - How the family is structured in terms of its members and power structures e.g. who has the most power.
  • Generational diversity - The shared historical experiences a group has which will shape their family structure and organisation e.g. introduction of the contraceptive pill in WWII.
  • Social class diversity - Inequalities in lifestyle possibilities have increased since the 1980s. Wealth and income have an obvious impact in terms of the type of housing, room size/ number, financial problems and holidays.
74
Q

Causes of diversity

A
  1. Material factors - greater affluence, geographical and social mobility, greater economic independence of women, increased lifespan.
  2. Values - people increasingly likely to view their circumstances in terms of what’s best for them.
  3. Immigration - cultural life of Britain greatly enlarged by mass immigration of the 1950s and 1960s.
75
Q

new Right on family diversity

A
  • Increase in family diversity has led to decline in traditional values and a rise in anti-social behaviour and crime.
  • Murray - single mothers are to blame for decline in society values because their children are being raised without a strong male authority figure.
  • Believe social policies should be targeted so they discourage family diversity and promote marriage and traditional nuclear family.
76
Q

Functionalist perspective of family diversity

A
  • The amount of family diversity has been exaggerated and that although there has been some growth the nuclear family still remains dominant.
  • Robert Chester - statistics are misleading as they don’t take into account that the UK has an ageing population which will impact family types.
  • Also argues Neo-Conventional family is becoming more common.
77
Q

Post-Modernists view on family diversity

A
  • There is no longer a single dominant family type.
  • Society is extremely diverse and diversity is increasing.
  • Changes in law and societal norms have given people more choice over how they structure their family.
  • Beck - many people live in ‘negotiated’ families which vary in size and set up according to the needs of the members of that unit.
78
Q

Alan and Crow research into reocnstructed families

A

7/10 families with dependant children may be described as married couple families.

79
Q

What % of all families do step-families with dependant children account for?

A

7%

80
Q

Smart - reconstructed families

A

Research with children whose families were broken up - found that in half the cases at least one parent had found another partner.

81
Q

Dorit Braun - blended families

A

Take 10 years to bed down completely

82
Q

Bedell - reconstructed families

A

Plenty of other difficulties that intact families don’t’ have e.g. birthdays

83
Q

What % of British children live with one birth parent and one step parent?

A

10%

84
Q

What % of children who live in different households take a positive view of their ‘divorced lives’?

A

Over 50%

85
Q

What % of families with children are step families?

A

6%

86
Q

How many marriages are remarriages?

A

2/5

87
Q

What % of children have experienced their parents divorce?

A

25% over 50% find themselves members of a stepfamily when their mothers and fathers go on to find new partners.

Sociology - family (18 decks)

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