Families and Households - Theories of the Family

Question 1

What are the four perspectives of the family?

Answer 1

• Functionalist
• Marxist
• Feminist
• Personal Life Perspective

Question 2

What is the functionalist view of the family?

Answer 2

The family, in the same way as other institutions, is essential to society and serves certain purposes like primary socialisation.

Question 3

Murdock’s (1949) 4 functions of the family:

Answer 3

• Stable satisfaction of the sex drive to prevent sexual ‘free-for-all’
• Reproduction of the next generation to continue society
• Socialisation of the young into value consensus
• Meeting its members’ economic needs

Question 4

Give two criticisms of Murdock (1949).

Answer 4

• Other sociologists argue these functions could be equally, if not more efficiently, be performed by other institutions like welfare or education
• Murdock ignores the conflict and unfunctional nature of the family for women and the W/C.

Question 5

Parsons (1955) and the ‘functional fit’ theory:

Answer 5

The family exists to perform its functions for society - it will change shape in order to function best. As Britain began to industrialise, the extended family began to lose its function so we transitioned to the nuclear family.

Question 6

Parsons (1955) and the superiority of the nuclear family:

Answer 6

• The Nuclear family is more geographically mobile as it is much smaller, superior in a modern society where workers have to move to find work rather than stay in one place.
• The nuclear family is more socially mobile as there is no clash between a man’s class external to the family and internally, superior in a modern society where people’s status is meritocratic

Question 7

Parsons (1951) and the loss of function:

Answer 7

Industrialisation has changed what functions the family has but it has also gotten rid of some, such as the family as a unit of production. The final ‘irreducible’ functions of the family are:
- The primary socialisation of children
- The stabilisation of adult personalities (‘warm bath theory’)

Question 8

Give two criticisms of Parson (1951).

Answer 8

• Young and Willmott (1972): the pre-industrial family was also nuclear with children working with their parents
• Anderson (1980): the extended family was quite popular in early industrial society due to the benefits it provided (exchange theory) like childcare.

Question 9

What is the Marxist perspective on the family?

Answer 9

All institutions in society exist to benefit the ruling class and maintain capitalism, the ‘benefits’ of the family are:
- Inheritance of property
- Ideological functions
- Unit of consumption

Question 10

What does Engels argue the main purpose of the monogamous nuclear family is?

Answer 10

Bourgeoise patriarchs had to make sure who their children were to ensure their legitimate heirs inherited the means of production and no proletariat had any chance of rising out of poverty.

Question 11

Why does Engels’ perspective on the family appeal to feminists?

Answer 11

Engels calls the monogamous nuclear family a “world historical defeat of the female sex” as it reduces women to “a mere instrument for the production of children” and the creation of heirs.

Question 12

What are the two ideological functions of the family to Marxists?

Answer 12

• It naturalises children to the idea of unchangeable hierarchy, preparing them to join the unmeritocratic subservient labour force.
• Zaretsky (1976): the family is a fake safe haven by pretending to be separate from capitalism.

Question 13

How does the family serve as a ‘unit of consumption’?

Answer 13

• Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by buying the latest products
• The media and peer groups target children who can use ‘pester power’ to persuade their parents to spend more (£227,000)

Question 14

Give three criticisms of the Marxist perspective of the family.

Answer 14

• Marxists assume the nuclear family and ignore the existing family diversity
• Marxists ignore how the family is more oppressive for women than the W/C (wrong)
• Marxists ignore the real benefits of the family for its members and society

Question 15

What is the wider feminist perspective on family?

Answer 15

The family subordinates women as a tool of a patriarchal society that seeks to keep women subservient.

Question 16

What is the liberal feminist perspective on the family? Give evidence.

Answer 16

Although the family has been a major tool of oppression for women, such as with marrying off daughters for dowries, the family has become more equal (though there is still room to grow).
- Sullivan (2000): men are doing more domestic labour and women, less.

Question 17

Give a criticism of the liberal feminist perspective of the family

Answer 17

Other feminists argue that Liberal feminists fail to adequately challenge the structural causes behind inequality in the family
- At our current rate, it will take 134 years to ameliorate gender inequality.

Question 18

What is the Marxist feminist perspective on the family? Give evidence.

Answer 18

The oppression of women in the family exists to serve capitalism:
- Women reproduce the labour force
- Women are the ‘takers of shit’ (Ansley (1972))
- Women act as a reserve army of cheap labour, such as during WWII

Question 19

Give a criticism of the Marxist feminist perspective of the family

Answer 19

Marxist Feminists ignore changes in society like women entering the workforce
- 72% of women are in work, they are no longer a reserve army of cheap labour

Question 20

What is the radical feminist perspective on the family? Give evidence.

Answer 20

The family and marriage are key institutions in the oppression of women and must be overturned in order to create a liberated society
- Radfems like Greer (2002) argue further than political lesbianism and into the creation of solely female or matrilocal households.

Question 21

Give a criticism of the radical feminist perspective of the family