Families and Households

Question 1

define households

Answer 1

a group of people who live together who may or may not have family or kinship ties

Question 2

define family

Answer 2

type of household where people living together are related

Question 3

name the main types of family

Answer 3

1. nuclear
2. traditional extended family
3. attenuated extended family (nuclear family living apart from extended family but keep in close contact)
4. lone-parent family
5. reconstituted family

Question 4

what are Functionalists views on the family?

Answer 4

biological analogy (every institution plays an important part in making sure society runs smoothly), Murdock- cant avoid having a nuclear family as its universal.
primary socialisation and provides emotional stability.

Question 5

what does Murdock say are the 4 functions of a nuclear family? (functionalist)

Answer 5

sexual, reproductive, economic and educational

Question 6

what does Parsons say are the 2 vital functions the family has? (functionalist)

Answer 6

primary socialisation and support (stabilises personalities through emotional relationship between the parents)

Question 7

what are some criticisms on Functionalists views on family life?

Answer 7

they ignore the negative aspect eg abuse

Question 8

what are Marxists view on the family?

Answer 8

the family meets the needs of the capitalist system. Marxists believe the family is an important part of a functioning society but it only benefits those in power (bourgeoisie) and disadvantages those not in power (proletariat).

Question 9

what does Engels say about inheritance within the family? (Marxist)

Answer 9

the family had an economic function of keeping wealth within the ruling class through inheritance

Question 10

what does Zaretsky say about the family?

Answer 10

he argued the family is the one place the proletariat can have power and control- when the working man gets home he is in power which relieves some frustration workers feel about their low status

Question 11

why is the Marxist view on the family criticised?

Answer 11

too negative, only focusses on the benefit to the economy-ignores benefit to individual and society. they assume that workers are male and women are housewives. ignore alternative families

Question 12

what do Feminists believe about the family?

Answer 12

family exploits and oppresses women, the family maintains the existing social order. the family reinforces patriarchy.

Question 13

what do Marxist feminists believe about the family?

Answer 13

sees the exploitation of women as essential to the success of capitalism. women have the triple shift and dual burden.

Question 14

what do radical feminists believe about the family?

Answer 14

sees the exploitation of women as being down to the domination of men in society-men benefit most from the family.

Question 15

what do liberal feminists believe about the family?

Answer 15

the cultural norms and values being reinforced by the family. believe big social change is possible eg legal system and the government

Question 16

why has the feminist view on family been criticised?

Answer 16

don’t acknowledge that power may be shared in the family, they fail to mention households that don’t include a man and a women eg lesbian and gay families.

Question 17

what does the New Right believe about the family?

Answer 17

based on the traditional nuclear family. they believe social policies on family, children, divorce and welfare undermines the family. believe that more family diversity means a breakdown in traditional values which causes conflict in society

Question 18

what does Murray say about the traditional nuclear family? (NR)

Answer 18

welfare benefits are too high and create a culture of dependency

Question 19

what do postmodernists say about family diversity?

Answer 19

there is much more diversity within the family now because of social and cultural changes. there will never be one dominant family type (Judith Stacey)

Question 20

what are the stages that Willmott and Young say families have developed?

Answer 20

1. family works together as a economic production unit
2. extended family is broken up as individuals-men leave home to work and women have strong extended kinship networks
3. family based on consumption not production, the ‘symmetrical family’-the husband and wife have joint roles.

Question 21

who identified the two conjugal roles and what are they?

Answer 21

Elizabeth Bott. segregated conjugal roles-husbands and wives lead separate lives with distinct responsibilities, the man goes to work the women stays at home and looks after the children and provides emotional support. joint conjugal roles-husband and wives roles are more flexible and shared, leisure time and decision making is shared

Question 22

what did Willmott and Young say about conjugal roles?

Answer 22

that the increase of the nuclear family meant that joint conjugal roles would develop. they predicted equal and shared responsibilities would be the future norm

Question 23

why could joint conjugal roles still be unequal?

Answer 23

Oakley pointed out that men do few things around the house but this still qualified as joint conjugal roles as they did do some housework-this isn’t fair on the women who do the majority of the housework. Oakley also said that women had the dual burden as many were getting paid jobs. Diane Bell said that women were responsible for the emotional stability in the household.

Question 24

What did Edgell find about decision making and sharing of resources in the family?

Answer 24

men had more decision making control over what they both saw as important. the women had control over minor decisions- this is linked to the fact men brought higher earnings into the house.

Question 25

how do Functionalists explain the inequality in the family?

Answer 25

they say that the men and women perform different tasks and roles because its the most effective way of keeping society running smoothly

Question 26

how do Marxists explain inequality in the family?

Answer 26

they interpret the fact men and women have different roles as evidence of the power of capitalism to control family life. through the media the ideology of these roles are presented

Question 27

how do Feminists explain inequality in the family?

Answer 27

inequality in the household roles demonstrates inequality in power between men and women. patriarchal society produces unequal conjugal roles because society’s values will benefit men at the expenses of women.

Question 28

how do radical feminists see domestic violence?

Answer 28

see it as a form of patriarchal control. they say violence against women is treated differently to other violent crimes (Dobash and Dobash-police didn’t usually record violent crime by husbands against their wives)

Question 29

what is a criticism of the radical feminist theory on family?

Answer 29

overemphasises the place of domestic violence in family life. it presents all men as powerful and all women as powerless. postmodernists say the individual has more choice and control to avoid or leave the situation. functionalists say families often operate harmoniously.

Question 30

what are the two biggest increases in family types?

Answer 30

single person households and lone parent families (mostly headed by women)

Question 31

what are two overall patterns to family diversity?

Answer 31

an increase in the diversity of families. the nuclear family is still the most common type of family

Question 32

what have happened to marriage rates and why?FLIRTS

Answer 32

they have fallen-fewer getting married. more are cohabiting instead, people are getting married later, less stigma around it, men tend to die before women-the population is ageing.

Question 33

what have happened to divorce rates and why? FLIRTS

Answer 33

rise in divorce rates. more than 40% of marriages end in divorce. more divorces are from those who have been married and divorced before. divorce is now easier, more socially acceptable, women have better employment opportunities.

Question 34

what do Functionalists think about the growth in diversity?

Answer 34

its been exaggerated. Chester believed there has bene some growth but the nuclear family is still dominant.

Question 35

what do the New Right think about the growth in diversity?

Answer 35

it is caused by falling moral standards. believe family diversity means the decline in moral standards- this is a threat to society as a decline in the nuclear family means an increase in conflict and crime. Murray suggested single mothers are the main cause because of the lack of a male role model at home. they believe state benefits should be cut to prevent this.

Question 36

what do postmodernists say about family diversity?

Answer 36

many people can choose who to include in their family.

Question 37

what do personal life perspective say about the family?

Answer 37

people see ties beyond blood and marriage. people now have significant relationships with people other than the family e.g dead relatives, “aunties” that are family friends, pets etc.

Question 38

what are some examples of social policies that have had an impact on family life?

Answer 38

welfare state, divorce reform act,compulsory schooling, abortion act

Question 39

who believes there are specific roles for men and women in the family and what are they?

Answer 39

Parsons- women=expressive and men=instrumental

Question 40

what is the ‘symmetrical family’ and who are some sociologists who believed in it?

Answer 40

Willmott and Young; family life is gradually improving for its members. the roles are becoming more similar in a relationship.

Question 41

what are segregated and conjugal roles and what sociologist identified them?

Answer 41

Bott; segregated; traditional expressive and instrumental roles. men go to work, women look after the children. leisure time is spent apart. conjugal; roles are similar. women may work and men help with childcare and housework. leisure time is spent together.

Question 42

why are joint conjugal roles increasing within the family?

Answer 42

changed position of women in society. higher standards of living. geographical mobility.

Question 43

what are some Feminist views on the roles in the family?

Answer 43

Oakley. Family is still patriarchal and little has changed. Willmott and Young exaggerate the change in roles- washing up once a week is seen as a ‘good husband’. Men only do housework when the women is not around to do it. women still have the dual burden and triple shift. men have their own leisure time but women’s are disrupted by the children.

Question 44

what are some changes to the family in the past 50 years or so?

Answer 44

cohabitation is more common (trial marriage). same sex relationships have become more stable. increased singletons (choosing to be single) and single person household. increased lone parent families because of increase in divorce rates.

Question 45

what are some trends in ethnic families?

Answer 45

50% of black families are lone parent families. majority are female headed and lack male role model. Asian families are commonly nuclear families with family living nearby