families and households Flashcards
1
Q
family by definition of functionalists
A
- adults of both sexes (at least 2 who maintain socially approved sexual relationship)
- 1 or more children (own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting couple)
2
Q
what is a household
A
- a person living alone or a group of people living together
- all families are households not all households are families
3
Q
what did Murdock (1949) say were the 4 functions of the family
A
- stable satisfaction of the sex drive
- reproduction of the next generation
- socialisation of the young
- meeting its members economic needs
4
Q
criticisms of Murdock (1949)
A
- other institutions and family types can carry out the functions
- he has a “rose tinted” harmonious consensus view
- feminists: the family serves the need of men and oppresses women
- marxists: the family meets the needs of capitalism, not the needs to family members and society as a whole
5
Q
what was Parsons (1955) functional fit theory
A
- the functions the family performs depends on the needs of society
- preindustrial society = extended family
- industrial society = nuclear family
- as society changes the “type” of family that is required to help society function changes
6
Q
industrail society has 2 essential needs which require a nuclear family to work. what arae they?
A
- a geographically mobile work force (individuals willing to travel to find employement)
- a socially mobile work force (ability to move up and down the social ladder depending on job)
7
Q
define the nuclear family
A
just parents and dependent children
8
Q
define the extended family
A
three generations living under the same roof
9
Q
loss of functions (parsons)
A
- family in modern society has lost many functions as its become a unit of consumption only rather than also beng a unit of production
- in the modern society the nuclear family has just 2 essential or “irreducible” functions: primary socialisation of children, stabilisation of adult personalities
