Families

Question 1

Give 3 functionalist perspectives of the family

Answer 1

Murdock = The biological reproduction of the next generation without which society cannot continue.

Parsons = family is essential in the primary socialisation process and ensuring the that each generation are fully integrated into society and maintain the social norms and values.

Parsons = Warm bath theory, the family acts as a comfort from the stresses and strains of society.

Question 2

Give 2 evaluations of the functionalist perspective of the family

Answer 2

1. Deterministic, Assumes that the members of society automatically take on the norms and values.
2. Ignores diverse families (family reproduction)

Question 3

Give 2 Marxist persperctives of the family

Answer 3

Zaretsky = The cushioning effect, the family allows a man to feel in control which they don’t feel in the workplace due to bourgeoisie oppression.
This maintains capitalism as it prevents them from recognising their oppression and starting proletariat revolution

Althusser = Ideological state apparatus, family socialises the next generation into the ruling class ideology and unequal social hierarchy.
This maintains capitalism by ensuring the next generation accepts the ruling ideology as normal.

Question 4

Give 2 evaluations of the marxist perspective of the family

Answer 4

1. Deterministic, ignores other inequalities such as the role of the family in maintaining patriarchy.
2. Ignores family diversity, only discuss the role of the nuclear family,

Question 5

Give 1 Marxist Feminist perspective of the family

Answer 5

Marxist feminists argue the main cause of women’s oppression in the family is not men, but capitalism.

Ansley = women absorb the anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism. (think of zareskys cushioning effect)

Question 6

Give 1 Radical Feminist perspective of family

Answer 6

Against Liberal Feminism, they argue that paid work has not been ‘liberating’. Instead women have acquired the ‘dual burden’ (Hochschild)

Question 7

Give 1 Liberal Feminist perspective of family

Answer 7

-Families are slowly becoming more equal through changes in law and social attitudes.

Somerville = The increased choice for women and the rise of the dual-earner households has helped create greater equality within relationships.

Question 8

Give 1 evaluation of the Marxist feminist perspective of the family

Answer 8

its very outdated, women today are just as likely to be in paid work as men
-so they no longer act as the absorber of anger

Question 9

Give 1 evaluation of the Radical feminist perspective of the family

Answer 9

Outdated, women are less likey to expeirince dual burden in society today.

Question 10

Give 1 evaluation of the liberal feminist perspective of the family

Answer 10

Radical Feminists argue that it fails to deal with the Patriarchal structures and culture in contemporary family life.

Question 11

What is the personal life perspective of the family

Answer 11

-Developed along side the interactionist approaches to the family.
-The family is not the only significant relationship in peoples lives.
e.g frienships, Fictive kin, pets

Question 12

Who is the sociologist for the personal life perspective of the family

Answer 12

Smart = Emphasises how social relationships can be just as important as biological ones.
-her approach prioritises how the bonds between people can give them a sense of identity

Question 13

What is the evluation of the personal life perspective of the family

Answer 13

too broad, By including a wide range of family types it overlooks what is special about relationships which are based on blood and marriage ties.

Question 14

What is the postmodernist view of the family

Answer 14

Recent social changes such as increasing diversity have made family more of a personal choice
-families have become more unstable and more diverse.

Question 15

Who are the 2 sociologists for the postmodernist view of the family

Answer 15

Stacey = women have more freedom than ever before to shape their family arrangement to meet their needs and free themselves from patriarchal oppression.

Beck = Beck argues that we now live in a ‘risk society’ where tradition has less influence and people have more choice

Question 16

Give 1 evaluation of the postmodernist view of the family

Answer 16

Contemporary Feminists disagree, in most cases traditional gender roles which disadvantage women remain the norm.

Question 17

Name 5 of the main social policies regarding the family

Answer 17

• 1969 Divorce act = Divorce without “fault”
• 1975 Employment protection act = Maternity leave
• 2004 Civil partnerships act = gave same-sex couples the rights and responsibilities similar to those in a civil marriage
• 2002 Adoption act = gives unmarried couples, including gay couples the right to adopt on the same basis as married couples.
• 1967 Legalisation of contraceptive pill (all women have access)

Question 18

What are 3 main causes of family diversity?

Answer 18

1. Changes in the law (e.g divorce act)
2. Changing role of women
3. Immigration & Globalisation in the uk

Question 19

What is the functionalist view of family diversity

Answer 19

Parsons = functional fit theory, It is not diversity but the changing of structures to meet the needs of society.

Question 20

What is the new right view of family diversity

Answer 20

Only correct family type is the nuclear family (instrumental and expressive roles)
Murray = welfare policies have undermined the nuclear family and given perverse incentives for people to start single-parent families or to end their marriages

Question 21

What is the postmodernist view of family diversity

Answer 21

Society has become for individualised due to development of medicine, technology and female equality.
(Beck)

Question 22

What is the feminist view of family diversity

Answer 22

Growing diversity is a positive move for women. (Stacey)

Question 23

What is cohabitation?

Answer 23

living together and having a sexual relationship without being married.

Question 24

Give 2 causes of the trends of cohabitation, Marriage and divorce trends

Answer 24

1. Social changes (more freedom, less pressure) - beck
2. Legal changes (1969 divorce act) - stacey

Question 25

Give one negative impact and one positive impact of trends of cohabitation, marriage and divorce trends

Answer 25

Murphy = Children of cohabiting parents are disadvantaged

Bernardes = Divorce is less damaging on children then a negative marriage.

Question 26

Give 2 reasons for the birth rates in the uk

Answer 26

1. Social changes
2. Legal changes (1967 legalisation of contracpetive pill)

Question 27

Give two economic reasons for the birth rates in the uk

Answer 27

better medical care – reduces the infant mortality rate, meaning that parents have fewer ‘replacement babies’ to make up for those who die.

The cost of raising a child is rising every year with the current estimate at around £185,000 from birth to 18
This influences couples deciding to have no children or less as they cant afford more

Question 28

Who emphasises how sex and reproduction have become detached

Answer 28

Giddens calls contraceptive ‘plastic sexuality’ = Sex becomes detached from reproduction.

Question 29

What is a traditional view of the domestic division of labour

Answer 29

Parsons = Husband plays instrumental role and wife plays the expressive role

Question 30

Who goes against the traditional view of domestic division on labour

Answer 30

Willmott and Young = In modern families men and women both did paid work and both did work around the house, including childcare. ( symmetrical)

Question 30

Give 2 reasons/ proof of why the domestic division of labour is changing

Answer 30

Feminism
Stacey = women have more freedom than ever before to shape their family arrangement to meet their needs and free themselves from patriarchal oppression.

Social pressure
Beck = Beck argues that we now live in a ‘risk society’ where tradition has less influence and people have more choice

Question 31

Whats proof the domestic division of labour still remians mainly on women.

Answer 31

Hochschild = Dual burden, dual career families women still had major responsibility for domestic tasks.

Oakley = Men participating in domestic tasks are only doing so to “help their wives“

Question 32

Give 2 impacts family life has on career and job opportunities

Answer 32

Fear that a women might become pregnant can limit promotion prospects.

Women are seen as unreliable workers as they are more likely to take time off if a child is unwell

Question 33

What is the triple shift?

Answer 33

-Paid work
-Domestic labour
-Emotional support
of the family

Question 34

What is the impact of the triple shift on women

Answer 34

Green = women found free time as time away from paid work and the family whereas men found free time as only time away from paid work.

Question 35

What are the issues of domestic violence stats?

Answer 35

Victims don’t report the abuse to the police, Don’t think they will be believed

Some abuse is difficult to prove e.g Emotional or psychological abuse

Question 36

What are the radical feminists view as the cause of domestic violence

Answer 36

Dobash and Dobash = Domestic violence is evidence of patriarchy and caused by challenges to male authority.

However this is determinstic

Question 37

What is the new right view as the cause of domestic violence

Answer 37

Murray = Domestic violence only occurs in Dysfunctional Families
e.g teen parents, cohabitation and divorce

Question 38

What is the postmodernist view as the cause of domestic violence

Answer 38

Giddens = Domestic Violence is caused by the emotional intensity of family life.
The nature of family life, emotional intensity, personal intimacy and increasing isolation

Question 39

What is the marxist feminist view as the cause of domestic violence

Answer 39

Ansley = women absorb the anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism. (think of zareskys cushioning effect)

Question 40

Give 2 ways in which childhood is a social construction

Answer 40

Cultural relativity
Benedict = argues children in simple, non-industrial societies are treated differently from western children.

Historical relativity
Aries = In the Middle Ages (the 10th to the 13th century) ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’

Question 41

Give 2 ways in which childhood isnt a social construction

Answer 41

Pilcher = Childhood is seen as a distinct life stage where children occupy a different status than adults.

James and prout = Children are simple and amoral
Adults are complex and moral

Question 42

Name 1 way in which child life has improved (sociologists)

Answer 42

March of progress view

Aries = children’s position has steadily improved and is better than it has ever been. Family and society have become ‘child-centred’. (Historical relativity)

Question 43

Name 2 ways in which childhood has gotten worse

Answer 43

Inequalities amongst children:
Brannen = Asian f parents were much stricter had held tighter on their daughters

Inequalities between adults and children:
Firestone = extensive care and protection are just new forms of oppression. Being banned from paid work is not benefit towards children but form of inequality.

Question 44

Who proposed the dissapearing childhood thesis and what did they say?

Answer 44

Postman = children becoming more like adults – gaining similar rights and acting in similar ways.
e.g the committing of ”adult” crimes such as murder and rape.
-Children and adult clothes are blurred
-growth of technogly means they are gaining the same info

Question 45

Who proposed the toxic childhood thesis and what did they say?

Answer 45

Palmer = agues rapid technological and cultural changes are damaging children’s development (e.g. junk good, computer games, intensive marketing to children).

Evidence is. Increasing adhd, self harm and poor mental health

Question 46

Give 2 ways in which the childhood is not dissapearing

Answer 46

Lee = childhood not disappearing but has become more complex and contradictory.

Opie = Separate children’s culture continues to exist in form of games, songs and jokes.