family Flashcards
family
a couple who are married, civil partners or cohabiting with or without dependent children who are related by blood
a lone parent with there children or child
household
one person or a group of people living together or alone who can be related or not
e.g. family, care homes, students in uni
nuclear family
a two generational family containing a heterosexual married couple with their children or child who live together
the ‘conventional’ family
cohabitation
when a couple live together but are not married
extended family (classic and modified)
a group or relatives extending beyond the nuclear family
e.g. aunts and cousins
classic : three generations live together or nearby
modified : members live apart geographically by have regular contact and support
reconstituted family
a blended or step family in which one or both partners have a child or children from a previous relation living with them
lone parent family
a family which only one parent lives with their child or children
same sex family
a family which is gay or lesbian (married, civil partners, cohabiting) live together with child or children
what were rapoport and rapoport 5 types of diversity
organisational
cultural
social class
life course
cohort
what is organisational diversity according to rapoport and rapoport
family vary in structure, the way they organise their domestic division of labour and their social networks such as their links to their extended family
e.g. nuclear family, reconstituted
what is cultural diversity according to rapoport and rapoport
families differ in their cultural values and beliefs.
different minority ethnic groups heritage illustrate diversity in beliefs and values.
these different beliefs and values can affect people’s lifestyles and ideas about gender roles, child rearing, education and paid work
what is social class diversity according to rapoport and rapoport
a family’s social class position affects the resources available to its members, role relationships between partners, and childrearing practices such as discipline
what is life course diversity according to rapoport and rapoport
the different stages of your life where your in different family types
e.g. brought up in nuclear, then parent left and became lone parent, then household at uni, cohabitation with first boyfriend
what is cohort diversity according to rapoport and rapoport
the particular period of time in which a family passed through different stages of the life cycle.
e.g. divorce has lost its social stigma
commune
a group of people who share living accommodation, possessions, wealth and property
kibbutz
consists of a group of people who live together communally, and value equality and cooperation between members
what is the functionalist approach focused on
positive functions that the nuclear family (the most functional family type) performs for individuals and for society
what perspective was murdock
functionalist
what was murdocks 4 essential functions
sexual
reproductive
economic
educational
what is the sexual function according to murdock
society needs to regulate sexual activity
the nuclear family regulates a married couples sexual behaviour and helps to maintain their relationship
what is the reproductive function according to murdock
society needs a new members if it is to survive over time
the nuclear family produces the next generation of society’s members
what is the economic function according to murdock
society need a way of providing people with financial support
economic cooperation is based on a division of labour between the husband and wife within the nuclear family
what is the educational function according to murdock
society needs to ensure that new members learn its culture
this learning takes place through socialisation within the nuclear family
what perspective is parsons
functionalist
what did parsons identify (2)
agency of primary socialisation
stabilisation of adult personalities
what is agency of primary socialisation
children learn the culture of their society, the family is vital because it socialises children so that they learn and accept society’s shared values and roles
helps maintain the stability of society
what is the stabilisation of adult personalities
everyday life outside the family can be stressful for adults and can put them under pressure
wife relieves the pressure emotionally
family is a safe haven and plays a key role in maintaining the emotional stability of adults
as well as living with children, adults can also act out their childish elements
critics of functionalism
(murdock and parsons)
1) outdated, unrealistic, sexist
2) parsons focuses on american middle class - ignores social class
3) idealisation from parsons
4) marxists are critical of the nuclear family so functionalists are criticised too
5) feminists see it as female oppression
what is the marxist approach to families
critical of the nuclear family and its role in maintaining capitalism
recreates inequalities between social classes over time
through socialisation, working class people accept their lower position in an unequal society and see the system as fair
what perspective is zaretsky from
marxism
what is zareskys account of family
before the 19th century the family was a unit of production
the rise in capitalism and factory based production led to a split between family life and work
the economy are now see the family as 2 spheres (private and public)
nuclear family has an economic function and serves economic function that severs the interests of capitalism
bourgeoise : transmits private property
proletariat : transmits public property
criticisms of the marxist approach
1) ignore people are satisfied with family life and marriage
2) feminists : marxists work with the traditional model of the nuclear family
3) feminists see female oppression as linked to patriarchy rather than to capitalism
4) focus on nuclear family as a negative whereas functionalism see it as a positive
what is the feminist perspective and focus on family
focus on gender relations, critical of the role of family in society and its negative impact on women
family actively contribute to the construction of gender differences through primary socialisation process
canalisation
the way parents channel their children’s interest into toys, games and other activists that are seen as gender appropriate, helps to reproduce gender inequalities over time
what perspective are delphy and leonard
radical feminists
what do delphy and leonard focus on
the family is patriarchal
family relationships invoke economic exploitation, men benefit from unpaid work of women within families (wives are exploited)
family is based on hierarchy - the husband at the top and other family members in subordinate positions
family maintain men’s dominance over women and children
criticisms of feminist approach
do not consider egalitarian families that share power between their members
marxism link inequality within families to capitalism rather than patriarchy
functionalist see the family as meeting the needs of individuals and society
criticisms of family : feminists
- patriarchal nature of families
- stays and foley of women in families
- family’s role as an agency of socialisation
criticisms of family : marxism
- economic function of nuclear family under capitalism
- role in reproducing social inequality over time
- the family’s role as a unit for capitalism
other criticisms of family
- decline in traditional family values
- social changes increase in marital breakdown
- unrealistic idealisation of the nuclear family
- ignore dysfunctional families in which domestic violence and abuse are found
what are segregated conjugal roles and relationships
a clear division of domestic labour - tasks are divided by gender
the couple spend little of their leisure time together and have separate interests
what are joint conjugal roles and relationships
no rigid division of household task into male and female jobs
the couples share much of their leisure time and have few separate interests
who is the instrumental role
man
who is the expressive role
women
what does young and willmotts symmetrical family study argue
the symmetrical family is typical in britain
what is the symmetrical family
where relationships are opposite but similar, spouses perform different task but make a contribution to the home
- decision making is more shared
- family members are home centred, sharing much of their leisure time
what are the reasons to move to a symmetrical family
- rise of feminism - led to rejection of the housewife role
- legal changes - more equality
- more effective birth control
- technology development
criticisms of young and willmott’s study
- feminists reject idea - women are still main responsibility for housework even with a job
- behaviour hasn’t altered - double shift for women - the new men are hard to find
what sociological perspective was oakley
feminist
what is conventional view on family oakley describes
a nuclear family consisting of a married couple and their children who live together, women are expected to do unpaid work at home while men do paid work outside the home
no longer the norm!
what else besides conventional family does oakley say
some groups are exploring other ways of living
norms change across social groups
what perspective are young and willmott
functionalist
what did Pahl find
more couples share decisions on household spending compared to before - power within conjugal roles has changed
contemporary parent-child views
- relationships are less authoritarian
- more child centred - focus on child’s needs
- young people are more financially dependent on families for longer - conflict?
- some children contribute to household tasks and childcare
what did young and willmott say on relationships with wider family
found that the extended family flourished in Bethnal Green in London during the mid-1950s and family ties were strong.
However, in later research, they discovered that the nuclear family had become more isolated from the extended family.
why might people’s relationships with family widen
geographical mobility - women now work more and in turn see family less
what is the principle of stratified diffusion
many social changes start at the top of the social class system and work downwards - changes in family life filter down
who came up with the principle of stratified diffusion
young and willmott
what are the 4 contemporary family issues
- quality of parenting
- relationships of adults and teens
- care of elderly
- arranged marriage
what is the quality of parenting
quality of parenting is associated with children’s educational achievement
what is teenage - adult relationships issue
parents cannot control teenagers - delinquents - no control
minority of teenagers are parents themselves
how is care of elderly a issue in the family
dependent family members - need care - time consuming
arranged marriage
based on 2 people CONSENTING - not forced marriage
what are the significant factors in changing family and household structures
- decrease in nuclear families
- increase in same sex families
- increase in cohabiting families
- increase in one person households
what is the reason for decrease in reconstituted families
average age at which women have their first baby is increasing - more likely to be older couples - reduce the chance of children being step children as couples are less likely to separate
what is the reason for increase in dual career families
women are in more employment - more dual careers of parents
what is the reason increase in lone parent families
increasing divorce - freedom of choice - societies values have changed - women are no longer dependent on men
why is there an increase in one person households
changing age structure - people are living increasingly longer - widows
fertility
average number of children that women of childbearing age give birth in a particular society
5 reasons for changing patterns of fertility
- economic factors
- labour market uncertainty
- later marriage
- women increasing participating in higher education and paid employment
- effective birth control methods
what are the economic factors for changing patterns of fertility
people are no longer motivated by economic factors - poor families used to be
what are the labour market uncertainties factors for changing patterns of fertility
global recessions - uncertainty in the job market - delay in children
what are the later marriage factors for changing patterns of fertility
people getting married at older ages - delay in children
what are the women increasing participating in higher seduction and paid employment factors for changing patterns of fertility
females have more options in addition to motherhood today
what are the effective birth control methods factors for changing patterns of fertility
women have greater control over their fertility
what is monogamy
being married to one person at a time
what is bigamy
marrying someone who is already married to someone else - criminal offence
serial monogamy
divorced person has a chain of divorces and marriages again and again
polygamy
more than one spouse at the same time
polygyny
man has 2 or more wives at once
polyandry
women who has 2 or more husbands at once
what are the changing patterns of marriage in the uk
- decline in annual number of marriages
- people getting married later
- intro of civil partnerships and same sex marriages
- increase in cohabitation
- increase in births outside of marriage
how is people getting married later effecting marriage in the uk
people put off marriage until their older linked to more education and jobs for women - changing attitudes to premarital sex (more common)
how is introduction of civil partnerships and same sex marriage effecting marriage in the uk
civil partnership - more socially accepted
legalisation of same sex marriage
how is increase in cohabitation effecting marriage in the uk
cohabitation - doubled
changing social attitudes - now more socially accepted
secularisation has weakened religious barrier
high cost of wedding puts people off marriage
how is increase in births outside marriage effecting marriage in the uk
number of births outside marriage in the uk has increased - births are no longer stigmatised
divorce
legal ending of a marriage
reasons for increase in divorce
- legal changes - cheaper and quicker to obtain
- secularisation has weakened religious barrier
- women are less tied to their husbands through economic dependence
- media creates high expectations which may result in in satisfaction - increase in divorce
