family Flashcards
3 functionalist views of family
PARSONS
- stable and supportive family are key to successful socialisation
- men and women should have clean cut divisions in labour
- expressive female (taking care of children and emotional support)
- instrumental male (breadwinner)
- supported by warm bath theory
WILLMOTT AND YOUNG
- family becoming less involved with extended family
- previously relied on extended for healthcare and financial support
- now welfare state + geographical mobility no longer needed
WILLMOTT AND YOUNG
- families had become more symmetrical
- large scale social survey (over 2000 participants)
- both husband and wife made similar contributions i.e chores and decisions
- more common in working class families
issues with parsons view ( expressive and instrumental)
outdated + family isnt only agency of socialisation (i.e peer groups , media etc)
two -three
feminist view
DELPHY + LEONARD
- men - not capitalism- benefited most from family structure
- family is a patriarchal instutution which benefits men
- women contribute most to family life in terms of domestic work, emotional work and support + child birth and care
- exploitation of women
- men make big decisions -
ANNE OAKLEY
- even in the 70s women still had to do most housework
- study in 1974 found 70% of women dissatisfied w/ housework
- dual burden
- criticises symmetrical family
ANNE OAKLEY
- children are socialised into gender roles within the family : canalisation, manipulation, language, toys and games
two - three
marxist view
ALTHUSSER
- nuclear family is tool by upper class to teach children to submit to authority and create an obediant workforce
- parents teach kids via sanctions and instruction - listen to authority
- teach essential norms and values such as respect and listening to authority
- parents role model as they go to work
-
ZARETSKY
- families consume products of capitalism
- pester power / keeping up with the joneses
- compete for best products of capitalism
ZARETSKY
- family supports capitalism
- family performs psychological function where workers have their needs met and are nurtured and supported
- cushions damage done by exploitation and capitalism
- women work for capitalism for free - keep workers fed, clothed and produce next generation
- benefits bourgeoisie
3 global differences in childhood
- monogamy vs polygamy
- one child policy
- individualist vs collectiviust
reasons for single hood
- changing position of women ( sue sharpe)
- increase in divorce rates
- changing norms (left on the shelf)
reasons for single parents
- increase in divorce - 1969 divorce reform act
- changinging position of women ( used to rely on men 4 financial support)
- changing norms ( less stigmatized)
reasons childhood is a social construct
-historical differences (child labour)
- cross cultural difference (ethnicity / gender)
- international differences ( 21 countries use child soldiers in active wars)
childhood better now
- ARIES says we are living in century of the child
- before Parents had authority, strict discipline, children ‘seen and not heard’
- children used to be seen as mini adults
- childline and other organisations for child safety
- family sizes are smaller so more attention
- families are more ‘child centered’
childhood better then
- PALMER argeus today is a toxic childhood
- technology + fast food causing increasing obesity rates
- changing position of women - both parents working so less attention -less home cooked meals
- more safety restrictions - no freedom
3 methods of gender role socialisation
- canalisation ( i.e girls = ballet)
- manipulation ( i.e boys told off for ballet)
- ## via toys and games (i.e girls barbies boys legos)
canalisation
children being encouraged into specific intrests based on gender
manipulation
children controlled into specific behavour via sanctions and instruction
toys and games
children given gendered toys that encourage different behavoursand activities
who are Delphy and leonard
Radical Feminists - argue men benefit from capitalism
Ann oakleys research
- Feminist - research showed women still do majority housework in 70s (777)
- dual burden theory (women work both outside and inside the home)
Parsons
- Functionalist
- expressive and instrumental role
- family only has 2 main functions
Willmott and young
Functionalists - symmetrical family and loss of extended family
Zaretsky
Marxist
- nuclear family tool of capitalism to further exploit proletariat
- familyconsumesproducts of capitalism
Marxist consumer view of family
- family are consumer units for capitalism
- buy products of capitalism from ruling class ( big house , cars etc)
- keeping up with the jones’ and pester power
Benefitting the bourgeois
zaretskys theory of how family prevents revolution
- marxists believe society is unfair system that feeds into capitalism
- they believe this will lead to revolution
- Zaretsky argues this hasn’t happened due to the ‘cult of private life’
- individuals focus on family and ignore injustices of capitalism
- family also performs psychological function which cushions damage done by exploitation and capitalism
Tldr - revolution won’t happen as ppl are more focused on family
Parsons view of the family
- stable family is key to successful socialisation
- men and women have separate roles
- M - instrumental ( bread winner) W- expressive ( house & childcare)
- Supported by warm bath theory
criticisms of willmott and young symmetrical family
feminists disagree
- Anne Oakley argued concept of of symmetrical family and data from 1973 study were flawed
- men often only made small contributions to housework which willmott and young counted as shared roles
- also argued women have a dual burden
- more women were going to work but while still doing the bulk of housework and childcare
issues with marxist view
issues with feminist view
zaretsky view of the family in terms of women
- family is tool for the ruling class
- family acts as a safe haven where workers have their needs met and are nurtured and supported and feel they have control
- cushions damage done by exploitation and capitalism
- women work for capitalism for free - keep workers fed, clothed and produce next generation
- this defers workers from revolting
breadwinner
The person in the family who earns the
money, usually the male
cereal packet family
The ‘ideal’ nuclear family shown in
the media and advertising.
cohabitation
- When two partners live together in a
relationship without being married
conjugal roles
- The domestic roles of married partners- who does what in the home.
division of domestic labour
The division of tasks such
as housework and childcare in the family.
double shift
When women are in full time employment
and be responsible for household tasks.
expressive role
Traditionally a woman’s role in the
family according to Parsons, where they look after the emotional needs of the family
family diversity
This means there are a range of
families in society today e.g. lone-parent, reconstituted,
same-sex.
household
One or more people who live at the same
address but may not related e.g. university students.
instrumental role
Traditionally the male’s role within
the family to be the breadwinner and provide financially for the family.
lone parent family
A family of one parent and their
dependent children Usually headed by the mother
neo-conventional family
- A typical nuclear family but
where both parents go to work.
reconstituted family
- A family of one man and one
woman with children from previous relationships.
secularisation
A decline in religious belief and activity
symmetrical family
- Families which are equal on both
sides where partners have joint roles
has there been an increase or decrease in nuclear family type and why
decrease due to -
Secularisation
Increase in divorce
Changing position of women
has there been an increase or decrease in lone parent family type and why
increase due to -
Increase in divorce
Changing position of women
Changing attitudes
has there been an increase or decrease in reconstituted family type and why
increase due to -
Increase in divorce
Changing attitudes
Greater individualism
has there been an increase or decrease in same sex family type and why
increase due to -
Changing laws (gay marriage is legalised)
Changing attitudes
has there been an increase or decrease in beanpole family type and why
increase due to -
Increase in life expectancy
Decrease in the birth rate
has there been an increase or decrease in neo-conventional family type and why
increase due to -
Changes in law (equal pay)
Changing attitudes
Changing position of women
has there been an increase or decrease in cohabiting family type and why
increase due to -
Changing attitudes
Changing position of women
Increase in divorce
has there been an increase or decrease in one person household and why
increase due to -
Increase in divorce
Longer life expectancy
Greater individualism
what were families like in pre industrial britain
Extended families, worked as a
productive unit, families performed most functions
what were families like in industrial britain
Nuclear families, male took on breadwinner
role, government took over functions from families (welfare state)
what are families like in modern / contemporary britain
Family diversity, diversity of roles,
smaller families
how are extended families less important today
Extended families may be less important today due to:
- seeing less of each other (living far away - geographical mobility), may only see for special occasions
how are extended families still important today
day due to:
Grandparents helping with childcare, better technology
to keep in contact, still common in some cultures
trends in divorce
42% of marriages end in divorce
The divorce rate has increased compared to 30 years ago
The divorce rate
reasons for increase in divorce rate
- Changes in law – Divorce reform act (1969) widened the grounds for
divorce (to include irretrievable breakdown), waiting time for a divorce decreased from 3-1 years - Changing attitudes – More acceptable to divorce
- Changing position of women – greater financial independence
what did the 1969 divorce reform act do
Divorce reform act (1969) widened the grounds for
divorce (to include irretrievable breakdown), waiting time for a divorce decreased from 3-1 years
when was the divorce reform act passed
1969
functionalist view of divorce
- divorce can lead to fewer dysfunctional families and greater harmony.
- Divorce creates jobs to help the economy.
- Divorce shows people have higher expectations of marriage
marxist view of divorce
divorce is more common in working class families due to stress/inequality caused by capitalism
feminist view of divorce
divorce can be positive to allow women to escape patriarchal
relationships
trends of first time marriages
First time marriages
are decreasing
trends of remarriages
Remarriages are
increasing
what is happening to the age of first time marriages
its increasing
reasons for decrease in first time marriages
Secularisation / changing attitudes
Changing position of women
Increasing cost of marriage
reasons people are marrying later / age of first time marriages increasing
Changing position of women
Increasing cost of marriage
Changing attitudes
impacts of increased remarriages
More reconstituted families
Serial monogamy
reasons gender roles are more equal
symmetrical families – joint conjugal roles
The New Man
changingposition of women
reasons gender roles aren’t more equal
- Double shift/triple shift
- The New Man is myth – women still responsible (men cherry pick) for housework/childcare
- Men still make the most important decisions
- ¼ women are victims of domestic abuse (evidence of patriarchy)
the new man
man shares the domestic labour more equally, in touch with feminine side and emotions, treats women as equals, cares more about his appearance than is traditional
triple shift
when a person is responsible for three jobs, e.g. paid work + housework + emotional support = triple shift
sandwich generation
A generation of people who must simultaneously care for their children and their elderly parents.
Conjugal roles
Roles played by partners in a marriage or cohabitation ie cooking childcare etc
