Families And Households (2) Flashcards
Define family
Individuals related by blood, marriage, civil partnership or adoption. Co-habiting couples not linked by partnership are also regarded as family
Define household
Individuals living together, regardless of relationship status
Define nuclear family
husband, wife, kids
Describe the family unit in The Nayar-India (pre 19th century)
- no nuclear family
- women could have sexual relations with anyone
- children wouldn’t know their fathers
Describe communes
- developed in western europe
- emphasis on living together than individual family units
- very few remain in britain
Describe family units in The Kibbutz-Isreal
- children separated from birth parents
- limited role of parents
- kids grow up in children’s home
How do functionalists see the family?
Beneficial institution that contributes to social stability and creating a harmonious society
How do Marxists see the family?
An agency of social control
What are the four functions of the family?
1) Sexual- expressing sexuality in socially approved
2) Reproduction- rearing children in safe environment
3) Socialisation- primary socialisation
4) Economic- providing food and shelter for family members
What are Talcott Parsons 2 basic functions of the family?
- The socialisation of children
- The stabilisation of adult personalities
Define the division of labour
The jobs that are split between men and women
What role do men usually take on?
The instrumental role (breadwinner for the family)
What role do women usually take on?
The expressive role (offering emotional support)
Define social mobility
a person’s movement over time from one class to another
How does social mobility weaken the family?
- family members work different jobs and earn different wages and can be in different social classes
- weakens reliability on extended family as they have less in common
How does a growth in wealth and income weaken the family?
- Welfare state has taken over many functions usually performed by family such as education and health care
- weakening reliance on extended family
What are the criticisms of the functionalist perspective?
- ignoring exploitation of women
- down playing conflict
- being out of date
- ignoring harmful effects of the family
How does growth in meritocracy weaken the family?
- society is more what you know vs who you know
- family can’t be much help when getting jobs anymore as there is more emphasis on qualifications
How has traditional ‘reproduction of the population’ changed?
-some married couples choose not to have children as having offspring is no longer the sole purpose of a marriage
How has the traditional belief of the family being a ‘unit of production’ changed?
-Children are able to have careers outside of their extended family and so reliance on a parents trade has decreased
How has the traditional function of the family maintaining and caring for ‘dependant children’ changed?
-The introduction of after school clubs and special ed schools create more independent children
How has the function of the family providing the majority of health care changed?
The introduction of the NHS has take the pressure off the family
How has the function of the family being the only source of education for children changed?
Children now have to remain in education until they are 18 and is free
What are ‘The New Right’s’ views of the family?
- traditional nuclear family is best for society
- various social policies undermine the importance of the family
Describe the views of the new right theorist Charles Murray (1998)
- welfare policies have undermined the nuclear family
- given perverse incentives for people to start single parent families or to end marriages
- welfare state led to work shy underclass of people who live of benefits (dependency culture)
- teenage girls see pregnancy as route to financial support and housing
What are the Marxist views on the family?
- place for ideological conditioning
- socialises people to accept capitalism as norm
- provides next generation of workers
- wealthy pass down property, maintaining class inequality
Define ‘Pressure valve’
Where individuals can let go of tensions built at work in the comfort of their home and loved ones
Define ‘reserve of army labour’
women and young people being cheap workers for the market
What are the criticisms of Marxism?
- assumes individuals accept socialisation and future is pre determined
- ignores family diversity
- benefits of nuclear family ignored
Define ‘means of production’
the facilities and organisation of producing materials in which labour is needed
Define ‘false class consciousness’
when working class do not recognise their oppression
Define ‘Neo-Marxism’
an updated version of Marxism
Define ‘warm bath theory’
After a hard day at work, an individual can relax into their family
What are Radical Feminist’s view of the family?
- patriarchy oppresses all women
- family is main place of oppression
- patriarchal ideological tool
What do Delphy and Leonard outline?
the family is based on hierarchal and exploitive relations
What are Liberal Feminist views of the family?
- rejects notion of biological difference between men and women
- seek to make men and women more alike
Define ‘sex’
whether you are born male or female
Define ‘gender’
what you identify as
When did women get the right to vote?
1920
What are the key points of Marxist feminism?
Capitalism and patriarchy interplay to exploit and oppress women
Until capitalism is overthrown, patriarchy will still exist
Who is a key Marxist feminist?
Margaret Benson
What are the key points of black feminism?
Criticises other forms of feminism for being eurocentric
aims to account for cultural, national and racial differences
Sees colonialism and capitalism as oppressive forces
Who is a key black feminist?
Hazel Carby
Briefly describe first wave feminism
Occurred during 19th and 20th century Focused on legal gain for women Suffragettes were popular icon Challenged domestic roles of women Many working class women's struggles ignored
Briefly describe second-wave feminism
1960s-1970s
Reshaped how private matters of home were talked about in public
Increase of women in the work place and reproductive rights
Popular after Second World War as women didn’t want to go back to domestic roles
Briefly describe third wave feminism
1990s
Focuses on empowerment and cultural and identity factors
Younger generation
focusing on everyday sexism
When was abortion made legal in the uk?
1967
When was the Equal Pay act?
1970
When was contraception made free in the uk?
1974
When were women able to take out mortgages and loans in their own name?
1980
When were women able to take out mortgages and loans in their own name?
1980
When was marital rape made illegal?
1991
When were same-sex couples given legal status?
2005
Describe Modernity
era focusing on scientific thought, individualism, and industrialisation
Describe postmodernism
era beyond modernity, experienced globalisation, ‘pick and mix’ culture, where an individual can choose religion and beliefs
Define ‘grand narratives’
An over-arching framework or theory that explains social life
Describe a post-modern family
units of consumption
breakdown of traditional family forms
Describe Shorter’s (1975) view on post modernism
divorce is on the rise
teenagers are indifferent to the family identity
instability of couples relationships
Describe dual socialisation
Both family and education provide socialisation, Shorters research found some children adapt better to this
What unit does Shorter say is unnecessary in a post-modern world
Nuclear family unit
Describe Judith Stacey (1996) beliefs
economics are often linked to family diversity
gay and lesbian couples are important in their own right and should be normalised
Describe Beck’s ‘negotiated family’
gender equality and individualism leading to a family based on choice
What are the key words associated with a modern family?
Patriarchal Nuclear Stable Heterosexual Culturally dominat
What are the key words associated with a post-modern family
Blended No patriarchal Democratic Unstable Diverse
Define ‘social construct’
Concept that goes through social process of being identified, labelled, defined and given meaning. It is sometimes presented as an objective reality
What are the trends involving marriage, divorce and cohabilitation
Marriage is declining
Divorce is rising
Cohabitation is rising
What are the New Right perspectives on marriage, divorce and cohabitation trends
Alarmed by trends as they disapprove of movement away from nuclear family
Disapprove of co-habitating and single parenting
Campaign for legislations that support nuclear family
What are the feminist perspectives on marriage, divorce and cohabitation trends
Confirmation that women have more freedom
Divorce is important for women
Decline in marriage is positive
What are the social feminist views of the family?
Sociologists wear ‘rose-tinted’ glasses when talking about the family
Nuclear family encourages selfishness
Reject warm bath theory
Prefer term ‘household’ rather than carry gender and power implications
Describe Anthony Giddens (1992) view on family
Puts forward idea of ‘pure relationship’ and ‘confluent love’ to understand changes in personal relationships
Relationships are projects
Define ‘pure relationship’
Romantic relationship that provides emotional satisfaction, only functions if both are satisfied
Define liquid modernity
Period of late modernity with life constantly shifting (eg. changing jobs, house, location frequently)
Who devised ‘liquid modernity’
Bauman (2003)
Define individualisation
No set course on how-to-be, individual must decide their own life and actions
What is Beck and Beck-Gernsheim’s view on love?
Great importance to risk society, occupies central role to life that provides a way of coping w/ rapid changes in wider-globalised risk society
Define cereal packet family
Typical, gendered nuclear family, dependent on father. Appearance of happy family on a cereal packet
Define family diversity
A family that isn’t stereotypical with differences in culture, ethnicities and religions
Define extended family
Multi-generational family all living in one household (3 gens)
Define beanpole family
Multi generational family with few aunts and uncles, long and thin
Define reconstituted family
Blended family as a result of previous marriages
What did Gottman (1990) discover?
Daughters of lesbian mothers were no more likely to be homosexual than daughters of heterosexual couples
What did Patterson (1995) discover?
Sexual orientation of parents made no difference to children’s gender or sexual development
What did Dunne (1997) discover?
Children of homosexual couples were more tolerant and displayed more equal approaches to relationships in their own lives
What does Hicks (2003) want to see?
Shift from investigating how gay parenting is “bad for kids” to how dominance of traditional discourse is bad for families
Describe the report Stonewall (gay rights org) carried out
Interviewed 82 people who have gay parents
Overall found child’s personal perception of their parents was positive, however not always case in context of schools. Some experienced bullying or distress around the topic at school
Describe the Sexual Offences Act
1967
Male homosexual acts were decriminalised (in private between 2 men over 21)
Describe Sexual Offences Act (amendment)
2000
Changed age of consent for homosexual men to 16
Describe Adoption and Children’s Act
2002
Allowed same sex couples and unmarried couples to adopt children
Describe the Gender Recognition Act
2004
Allows people to change their legal gender
Describe Civil Partnerships Act
2004
Allows same-sex couples to have civil partnership
Explain Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
2008
Recognises same-sex couples as parents of children through IVF
Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act
2013
Same-sex couples can be legally married
What are the possible reasons behind lone-parent families?
Divorce
Stigma
Welfare
Legislative changes
What are the three reasons for the trend of matrifocal families, particularly in African-Caribbean families?
Historical (slave trade saw families being split up, creating tradition of women heading family)
Unemployment (high compared to other ethnicities)
Positive structural response (extended families utilised effectively)
Explain Anwar and Stanistreet’s (2014) research into teen pregnancy/maternity
Motherhood is experienced largely in a positive way and any negative consequences, such as economic hardship, already existed in these women’s lives and relate to their social position in society
What are some reasons for growth in lone-living?
Less stigma
Gender shift
Marriage rates declining
Divorce rates increasing
Define sex
Biological functioning and definition of your body
Define gender
The social or cultural factors that make you male or female
Explain the functionalist theory on gender roles
Gender roles are natural and men and women are suited to different things (eg.men are stronger and so are suited to manual work, women bear children and so is logical that they are the carers)
What two roles did Parson identify?
Instrumental role (mans job to be breadwinner) Expressive role (females job to provide emotional support and comfort)
Explain New Right theory on gender roles
Uses functionalist thinking, defined make and female roles are important in child socialisation and giving everyone in society a role
Define domestic labour
Unpaid work done within the home (household chores, rising children, etc)
What are the differences between domestic labour and wage labour that Himmelweit identified?
Domestic labour is unpaid, wage labour is paid
In wage labour pay and conditions are negotiable and subject to legislation and regulation.
Domestic labour has no contract of terms
What was Anne Oakley’s criticism of Willmott’s and Young’s work?
72% of men doing housework statistic could include a man ironing his own shirt on a Saturday, and so deeper investigation is needed
‘Just because couples do things jointly, doesn’t mean they do things equally’
Define norms
Principles and guides for behaviour and attitude in a particular setting that are considered dominant, normal and acceptable
Define Breadwinner
Role of earning money and being in paid employment
Describe Boulton’s (1983) study of domestic labour
Interviewed 50 mothers in London 18% had extensive help from husbands 36% moderate help 46% minimal help 50% childcare frustrating
Describe Gershuny and Laurie’s (2000) study on domestic labour
Men taking on more domestic responsibility
Wives in full-time employment do less housework than housewives
Women still do more and not inequality proportion to husbands contribution
Describe Reynolds et al. (2003) study on domestic labour
Interviewed 37 mothers + 30 fathers
Women in paid employment doesn’t equate to equal share of housework
Women in work provide good role models
Describe Featherstone’s research into domestic labour
For dads childcare is playing and engaging in fun activities
For mums childcare is the mundane, everyday tasks
Mums often supervise childcare
Describe Warde’s and Hetherington’s (1993) study of domestic labour
Women 30 times more likely to do clothes washing
7 times more likely to cook
2 times as likely to wash up
Women do ongoing, boring tasks
Supports Allan’s research that men do more creative tasks
Describe Man Yee Kan’s research into domestic labour
More a woman learned, less housework she did
If both partners have degree, housework is more equal
Describe results of 2015 Time Use Survey
Women in paid work did 21 hours a week of domestic labour
Men in paid work did 12 hours a week
Define conjugal roles
Role played by a male and female partner in marriage or in a cohabiting relationship
How have improved living standards strengthened the relationship to the home?
Central heating, tv, dvd and the internet cause couples to become more home-centered
How has the decline of the close-knit extended family improved the division of labour
More social mobility means less pressure on married couples to retain traditional roles and is easier to adopt new roles
How has the increase of women in paid employment improved division of labour?
Increase of independence and authority within the family
Reduced time spent on housework
Explain Rutherford’s (1988) two dominant male identities
The ‘retributive man’ (traditional type)
The ‘new man’ (more emotional takes role as father as a priority)
Describe radical feminists view on gender ones
Women are oppressed and exploited within gender roles
Explain Marxist feminist views on gender roles
Women are subordinate to capitalism and the patriarchy
Describe Judith Butler’s view on gender
Gender is a performance through gesture, actions, behaviour and dress code
Describe role of children in pre industrial times (pre 1790)
No different to adults and sent out to work
High mortality rates meant children had low status and value
No public education-very few could read and write
Describe role of children in Industrial times (1760-1950)
Worked in factory and mines
Laws differentiated adults from children
Seen to need discipline and protection
Social class affected quality of childhood
Describe the role of children in modern times
1960-present
Child-centred so are valued and protected
Compulsory education 5-17
Specialist services
Describe the 1870 education act
Compulsory schooling for 5-13year olds
Describe the 1944 ‘Butler Act’
Free secondary school
School leaving age of 15
Describe 1988 Education Reform Act
National curriculum
SATs
Marketised education
OFSTED
Describe the 1989 Children Act
Outlined governmental provisions of care and duties of parents to safeguard, protect and care for children
Describe the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child Act (1989)
International policy that universalises rights and responsibilities for children (right to be equal, right to an identity, right to thought, protection from harm, access to education)
Describe the 1991 Child Support Act
Outlines duty of parents to children even if parent is absent or parents not together
Describe the 2003 Sexual Offences Act
Age of consent is 16 regardless of gender or sexual orientation
What is the UN definition of a child?
Every human being below 18 unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier
Explain Wagg’s (1992) theory of childhood
Childhood is a social construct because there is no universal definition, applicable to all people and concepts
Explain compulsory education in terms of childhood quality
Improves life quality, increases equality of opportunity and outcome
Increase of school leaving age increases a child’s dependence.
Explain the proliferation of the media in terms of childhood quality
Increased internet access means there is less censorship of information to children
Explain the labour market in terms of childhood quality
Structural changes in labour industry have altered the type of workers needed for specific labouring jobs
Explain legal recognition in terms of childhood quality
Increase in child protection laws act in best interest for children
Age restrictions mean state has defined activities and behaviours
