Family

Question 1

What would functionalists say about single-parent families?

Answer 1

That they can’t function properly

Question 2

What are criticisms about the functionalist view on family?

Answer 2

That it’s outdated

Favours men over women (feminist view)

Parson’s work was on the White middle class, not representative of today’s society

Doesn’t touch on the dark side of the family

Question 3

What is the functionalist view on the purpose of the family?

Answer 3

Families exist to socialise children into their role in society and provide essential information needed to function in society

Question 4

What is the Marxist view on the purpose of the family?

Answer 4

They believe the family exists to participate in the capitalist system

They also saw it as a tool capitalist used to pass down assets such as money or land

Also seen as a way to socialise children into the world of work

Question 5

What Is meant by the Marxist term ‘cushioning effect’?

Answer 5

Allows the effects of alienating work to be softened for working men

Question 6

What is ‘alienating work’?

Answer 6

Unskilled and repetitive work
Usaly assembly line work

Question 7

What are some criticisms of the Marxist view on family?

Answer 7

Ignores the positive side of the family

Claims family Is only for economic purpose

The views on women are now outdated as women are free to work

Question 8

What are the 3 types of feminism?

Answer 8

Radical

Liberal

Marxist

Question 9

What is the radical feminist views on family?

Answer 9

They believe that the nuclear family causes all men to actively oppress women

They support family diversity and divorce

Question 10

What is the liberal feminist view on the family?

Answer 10

They see it as an institution that specialises in socialisation

Question 11

What is the Marxist feminist view of the family?

Answer 11

They believe that society oppresses women through capitalism and the family

Question 12

What are some criticisms on the feminist view of the family?

Answer 12

Feminists completely ignore any positives that family offers

It makes huge generalizations- all families are different

Outdated views in modern-day society

Question 13

What is the New Right view on the purpose of the family?

Answer 13

They view the family as the most important part of society

However, they are very critical of anything that is not the nuclear family

They see the breakdown of the nuclear family as a terrible thing

Question 14

What are the reasons for the breakdown of the nuclear family according to the new right?

Answer 14

Break down of traditional values
Influence of feminism
Increase of society being sexually promiscuous
Less judgement
Too generous with benefits to single mums

Question 15

What is the new right view on the underclass?

Answer 15

They view them as drains on society

Question 16

What some criticisms of the New right view on family?

Answer 16

Unrealistic
Biased towards Middle class
Shows bias towards economic factors

Question 17

What is the postmodernist view on the family?

Answer 17

family is unique for everyone and family dynamics or interactions cannot (and should not) be generalised

Fluid

Question 18

What is the negotiated family according to Beck?

Answer 18

Families that vary according to the wishes and expectation of their members

Question 19

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the negotiated family?

Answer 19

They are more equal, however they are less stable as the individuals are free to leave if their needs aren’t met

Question 20

What are some criticisms of the postmodernist view on society?

Answer 20

Very pessimistic
Overestimates individuals choice

Question 21

What is the definition of Socialisation?

Answer 21

The life long process of learning the culture of any society

Question 22

What is definition of Norms?

Answer 22

Social rules which define correct and acceptable behaviour

Question 23

What is the definition of Values?

Answer 23

Beliefs of right and wrong and the important standards which are wort maintaining and achieving in any society or social group

Question 24

What are the reasons for the increase in divorce over the past 40 years

Answer 24

Changes in law
Decline stigma and changing attitudes
Secularisation
Rising expectations
Feminism

Question 25

What did Duncombe and Marsden (1995) write about regarding conjugal roles?

Answer 25

The triple shift

Employment
Domestic work
Emotional work

Question 26

What did Aries (1973) say about contemporary childhood?

Answer 26

Our contemporary notion of childhood did not emerge until 16th and 17th centuries

Question 27

What did Aries (1975) write about the 20th century and society in general?

Answer 27

Society has become child centred

Question 28

What were the historical stages of childhood?

Answer 28

Pre-industrial society (pre-1760)

Industrial society (1760+)

Childhood today (1960+)

Question 29

What did Postman (1994) say about childhood?

Answer 29

He claims that it’s disappearing at a dazzling rate

Question 30

What was Postman’s (1994) reasoning for his claims about childhood?

Answer 30

The disappearance of childhood games

Increasing similarity between adult and children’s clothing

Children committing adult crimes

Question 31

What claims that childhood is not disappearing?

Answer 31

Peter and Iona Opie (1993)

Question 32

What is causing the increase in cohabitation?

Answer 32

Change in social attitudes

Secularisation

Fear of divorce

Previous divorce

Expense of marriage

Increased career opportunities for women

Question 33

What did Mitchel and Goody (1997) about the attitudes toward divorce?

Answer 33

There has been a rapid decline in the stigma attached to divorce

Question 34

What are four agents of socialisation?

Answer 34

Religion, mass media , family , education