family 1 - theories

Question 1

what are the 4 functions of the family according to murdock?

s…
r…
p… s…
e…

Answer 1

1. sexual
2. reproduction
3. primary socialisation
4. economic

Question 2

how has the nuclear family dveloped according to parsons?

functional…
pre industrial…
industrial…

Answer 2

1. pre industrial: extended families
-farming
-functions eg no nhs no education
-no need to be geographically mobile
-ascribed status

2. industrial: isolated nuclear families
-units of consumption
-structural differentiation = loss of functions
-geographically mobile
-achieved status

Question 3

what are the two irreducible functions of the family according to parsons?

p…
s…

Answer 3

1. primary socialisation of children
2. stabilisation of adult personalities (SOAP)

Question 4

what are the two biological gender roles according to parsons?

e…
i…

Answer 4

1. instrumental role - males
2. expressive role - females

Question 5

what are the 4 functions of the family according to marxists?

private…
transmit…
unit…
safe…

Answer 5

1. passing on private property - engles
2. transmits ruling class ideology - althusser
3. act as a unit of consumprtion - zaretsky
4. act as a safe haven (illusion) - zaretsky

Question 6

what are the 4 ideas of the family according to marxist feminists?

slave…
takers…
reserve…
fam…

Answer 6

1. slave of the wage slaves - benston
2. takers of shit - ansley
3. reserve army of labour - bruegel
4. familialism - barret and mcintosh

Question 7

what are the 2 key studies about radical feminism

dobash and…
delphy and…

Answer 7

1. dobash and dobash - heterosexual marriage legitimates violence
2. delphy and leaonard - heterosexual marriage is patriarchal

Question 8

what are the 5 main points about postmodernism?

pure…
risk…
families of…
negotiated…
postmodern…

Answer 8

1. the pure relationship - giddens
2. risk society - beck
3. families of choice - giddens
4. the negotiated family - beck
5. postmodern families - stacey

Question 9

how could it be said that the family has lost its functions?

e…
w…
the n…
world of…

Answer 9

1. education system - has taken over the education function of the family
2. welfare state- has taken over role of the extended family
3. the nhs - family are no longer involved in this area as we have specialist medical knowledge
4. world of work - family is no longer a unit of production with all family members working together

Functionalism - parsons believes the family has lost some of its functions, but the remaining ones (eg, SOAP and primary socialisation) are more important

Question 10

how could it be said that the family has not lost its functions.

primary…
health…
unit…

Answer 10

1. primary socialisation of children
2. health and wellbeing of family
3. unit of consumption

Marxism - still functional for capitalism, ideological state apparatus, protect private property, unit of consumption,
Feminism - marxist feminists= unpaid housewives, reserve army of labour and familialism. radical feminists = helps maintain patriarchy and patriarchal ideology