Chapter 1: The family and social structure (functionalism - New Right) Flashcards
What were MURDOCK’S 4 functions of the family when he studied 250 societies?
Sexual function: limiting sexuality to monogamous relationships
Reproductive function: family ensures reproduction of a new generation
Economic function: family acts as an economic unit
Educational function: family provides stable environments where children can be socialized
What were PARSON’S functions of the family?
Primary socialilzation
Stabilization of adult personalities: stress of work for husband counterbalanced by warmth and security offered by nuclear family (emotional support)
Structural differentiation: family has lost some of its functions due to creation of specialised institutions being created
What was Marxists ENGLES perspective on the family?
Family developed so men could be certain of paternity of children
More confident that they were passing property down to biological offspring
What was Marxist ZARATSKY’S perspective on the family?
Family is a prop to capitalist system
Unpaid domestic labour of housewives supports future generations of workers for free
Family consumes commodities helping bourgeoisie make profit
What was the Marxist POULANTZAS perspective on the family?
Family is part of superstructure of society
Part of ideological state apparatus controlled by bourgeoisie
Used to create values, attitudes and beliefs which support capitalist system and position of ruling class
What did Radical feminist GREER say about the family?
Even in marriage today women remain subservient to their husbands.
Single women are happier than married
What did Marxist feminist BENSTON say about the family?
Claims wives are used to produce rear cheap labour for employers.
Childcare women provide is unpaid
Help to maintain husbands as workers at no cost
What did Marxist feminist ANSLEY say about the family in her study ‘The Takers of Shit’?
Wives suffer as result of frustration experienced by husbands in alienating work that they do for capitalists
What did Liberal feminist SOMERVILLE say about the family?
Women are still disadvantaged in families
Criticises radical/Marxist feminists for not accepting some changes
Women have more choice to marry
Greater equality within marriage (with paid and unpaid work)
What is the New Right view on the family?
Traditional nuclear families are cornerstone of stability in society.
Criticise anything that encourages change
Hate lone-parent families due to needing most benefits
Why do the New Right favour traditional nuclear families?
-See them as encouraging self-reliance
Family members help each other rather than relying on the state
- Helps reduce state expenditure on welfare
- See families as encouraging shared moral values and believe they are best way to pass down mortality to children.
How do Feminists criticise the New Right?
Believe increase in single parenthood can be beneficial for women in abusive relationships
How did COOPER support Marxist Poulantzas?
Family is ideological conditioning device
Children learn to conform to authority so they will become cooperative and easily exploited workers
How do Postmodernists criticise the New Right?
See declining dominance of nuclear families as part of wider changes in society.
