Family🎀 Flashcards
functionalists
- family is one of the cornerstones of society and it performs essential functions which support social stability and social cohesion
- murdock says that the nuclear family exists all over the world and is the best family type
- social institutions are the structures in society which influence behaviour such as family, education, media and religion
functions (murdock):
-sexual - ensures that adult sexual relationships are controlled and socially acceptable (stable monogamous ones)
- reproduction - bio reproduction of next generation - without which society cannot continue
- socialisation - of the young = teaching basic norms and values so that the next gen are fully integrated into society
- economic - meeting its members economic needs e.g. producing food and shelter
functions (parsons):
-socialisation - basically agrees with murdoch
- stabilising adult personalities - refers to the emotional security which is achieved within a marital adult relationship. parsons says working life in IND society is stressful and a family is a way for a man to come home and be ‘de-stressed’ by his woman = warm bath theory stabilising = through bio determined roles - expressive and instrumental
internal criticisms: structural differentiation - some func identified by murdock have moved to other institutions e.g. econ func taken by welfare state and nhs
evaluation:
- down plays role of conflict - women are oppressed and domestic violence exists
-out of date - women now go to work an bio roles by parson no longer apply
- family is a heterogenous concept
marxism
- tool of capitalism with main func being to maintain it and reinforce social ineq
- econ base means - base comprises forces and relations of production into which ppl enter to produce necessities of life
- cushioning effect - family provides a haven from the harsh oppression and exploitation of capitalist world
- ISA
key thinkers
- engels (inheritance of wealth) isolated nuclear fam = men able to confirm when a child is theirs and can ensure wealth stays within family through private inheritance = maintain capitalism - keep wealth within private fam
- zaretsky cushion effect - family = comfort from stresses and strains in society but also allows man to feel in control which isnt felt at work = maintains capitalism since makes man not realise oppression and turn to revolution
- zaretsky unit of con - workers paid less than the amount charged for products they create and then targeted by advertisers to buy products they have created to remain zeitgeist (trendy)
-althusser socialisation - agrees with func that family is key for socialisation but says family socialises next gen into the ruling class ideology and the unequal social hierarchy = maintains cap since makes next gen accept capitalism as normal
evaluation:
- ignores family diversity
- deterministic - overemphasise maintaining cap and ignoring maintaining patriarchy (shhhhhh)
feminists
- tool of female oppression and in particular serving needs of men by issues such as unequal div of domestic labour and dom violence
- triple shift - three roles women are expected to perform - emotional work, domestic labour, paid work
- dual burden - same as above just not paid work
- male steam sociology - apply data about men to women’s lives
lib fem
- fam becoming slowly more equal through laws, social attitudes etc. not complete equality but on the way
- parents socialise kids in gender neutral ways with similar aspirations and chores not dependant on gender
- women still have triple shift
- (criticism) fail to challenge underlying causes of women’s oppression
radical
- men are enemy, fam and marriage = key institutions that create patriarchy
- overturn patriarchy to get equality by abolishing family and system of separatism introduced
-(criticism) Sommerville - rad fem fail to see improvements in women’s exp. - better access of divorce but also separatism is impossible - heterosexual attraction
marx fem
- fam = tool of capitalism and that it is reason for oppression not men
- women reproduce workforce and socialise them into social hierarchy
- women absorb men’s anger due to exploitation - ansley = takers of shit
- (criticism) women are no longer a reserve labour force as they have equal rights at work
personal life perspectives (PLP)
definition of fam
- beyond the ties of blood and marriage
- e.g. one may not feel close to their sibling but for a friend
PLP view on fam
- focus on meanings on the meanings behind relationships, suggests that we choose the families that we want and need, but based on past exp rather than open choice.
evaluation
- can be accused of taking too broad a view
- including a wide range of fam types it it possible to overlook what is special about relationships which are based on blood and marriage ties
postmodernist - giddens and beck, stacey
- individualisation thesis
- traditional social structures have lost a lot of the influence they had over people’s actions and decisions
- past - ppl defined by ascribed roles based on class, gender religion = prevents choosing own life course of fam type
- we are disembedded from these traditional roles and structures = choose fam that meets needs
- Giddens - this transformation = cause of advancements e.g. availability of contraception and female indep
stacey
- greater freedom of choice benefitted women enabling them to free self from patriarchal oppression and shape their family arrangements around what works for them and their needs
- noted a new type of fam she called divorce-extended fam whos key members are ex-in laws, ex partner and their new partner. no longer connected by blood or marriage - help each other financially
evaluation
- exaggerates how much choice ppl have about family
- argue traditional structures have weakened but still exist and influence people
- vanessa may - “beck and giddens view of the indiv is simply an idealised version of white MC man”
social policy and the fam
definition - laws made by gov which aim to improve society or deal with a social policy
types - providing material support for the family, such as cash benefits through tax credits and child benefits. Helping parents to balance working life and family life, policies such as maternity pay, early years childcare and child protection laws
1980-1990s - conservative policies
aim: new right had lots of influence during this time so the main aim of policies were to strengthen the trad nuclear fam, emphasising the self help and reliance
examples: estab child support agency 1993, children’s act 1989, married men’s tax allowance
1997-2010 - new labour policies
aim: silva and smart - favoured dual earning fam but emphasises the hetero nuclear fam and for parents to take responsibility for their kids
examples: parenting orders, the new deal, sexuality discrim laws
2010 onwards - coalition policies
aim: inconsistent policies on the fam due to conflict between two camps of MPs
examples: removed couples penalty, shared parental leave
other important ones
beverage report - outline = intro the welfare state including housing benefit and NHS. impact on fam - removal of some func of family
divorce reform act 1969 - outline = divorce easier to obtain, women can divorce with no need to prove adultery, abuse etc. impact - increase in fam diversity especially single parent
views on social policy
marx - way of ruling class to maintain capitalist control
ronald fletcher - health ed and housing policies have led to the welfare state which supports the fam in completing its funcs
family diversity
definition: differences between families in terms of organisation, structure and roles
murdock: doesnt believe in family diversity and nuclear is natural and universal
wilmott: family diversity exaggerated but fam structure has changes to a dispersed extended fam
anderson: fam diversity has always been present not just in structure but power and roles
rappaports 5 types of diversity (CLOGS)
- cultural - cultural diff in both family structures and organisations. asians tend to be extended and afro-caribb matrifocal
-life course - hareven 1978 - family structures and organisation change as we go through our lives matching the time of life we are at and our needs at that time
- organisational - refers to how fam is structured in terms of members and power structures. e.g. who has most power
- generational - shared historical exp that a group has which will shape their family structure and organisation e.g. intro on contraceptive pill or WWI
- social class - inequalities in lifestyle possibilities have increased since 80s, wealth and income have impact on housing, financial problems etc.
causes of diversity (explained on next flashcard)
- changes in role of women
- secularisation
- changes in laws
theories
- parsons (func) functional fit theory - not diversity but changing of structures to meet needs of society
- explanation: FFT where the fam structure is constantly changing and adapting to meet the needs of society at the present time
- murray (NR) - diversity is the cause of society breakdown
- explanation: only one correct fam - patriarchal nuclear with clear cut division of labour (instrumental and expressive role)
- postmod - diversity is increasing and a result of growing choice in modern world
- explanation -society has become individualised due to dev of medicine tech and female equality
-stacey (fem) - growing diversity = positive move for women
- explanation: has allowed women to break away from trad roles and create fam arrangements which meet their needs
cohabitation, marriage, divorce
cohabitation
- 2 ppl living in same residence whilst being part of a intimate romantic relationship
- trend: cohabiting couples rising particularly 1534 age range
marriage
- legally or formally recognised union of two people as partners in a personal relationship
- trend: generally in decline but blips in baby boom eras, num of remarriages rising, age of first marriage rising too
divorce
- legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body
- trend: rate in recent years has been in decline but increase in the over 60’s
LAT(living apart together)
- couples who are in a committed relationship or marriage but live at separate addresses
causes of trends
- changing roles of women - women become more indep and gained equal rights and no longer need financial security + no longer feeling trapped in a falling apart marriage
- secularisation = divorce is accepted more + ppl no longer feel like they need religious marriage ceremony
- legal changes - divorce reform act = easier for both partners in marriage to dissolve it
- econ reasons - women more econ indep = no need of marriage for security. rising house prices = ppl will cohabit to buy a house before marriage, average wedding = 30k
impact of trends
negative
- wilson and stuchbury 2010 - cohabitation is less stable than marriage
- murphy- children of cohabiting parents are disadvantaged
- fem - divorce laws let women gain freedom, indep, and equality
positive
- fem- cohabitation has led to more negotiation and equality in roles
- jon bernades 1997 - divorce is less damaging than a negative marriage
childbearing
total fertility rate - average num of children a woman will have during childbearing years (15-45)
general fertility rate - total num of live births per 1k women of reproductive ages
birth rate- number of live births per year per 1k of the pop
average family size - dep on num of kids in house
average household size - num of people in one residence
first num from 1900, 2nd from 2012
TFR 4.3, 1.83
GFR 115:1k, 64:1k
family size 6,1.7
household size 4.6,2.4
reasons for above stats
- contraception
- role of women
- value change - back in the day, not wanting kids is frowned upon, now np
impact
- reduction in labour force - less ppl born = gaps no people to fill gaps by the retiring
- immigration - becomes more important with declining births as this will fill gaps in labour market
- decrease in full time mothers - less and less women are choosing to be a full time stay at home mothers (not working till child has left home) since many child care options
domestic div of labour
topic means the chores completed around the house e.g. cleaning, laundry
march of progress view: wilmott and young = fams are becoming more democratic/ equal, there is a move away from separate conjugal roles
McIntosh and barret - men gain more from women’s unpaid domestic labour and in allowance situations men do not give adequate financial recompense
edgell - very important decisions are made by men , important by both, day to day decisions by women
feminists - decision making is not linked to money but but cultural expec of a patriarchal society and gender role socialisation
why are roles changing
- econ active women
- weakened gender identities - rise of gender neutrality in terms of roles and jobs there is less pressure to conform to trad roles
to what extent is domestic div of labour exaggerated
- (NO) wilm and young - 7/10 women of working age were in jobs, 36% of couples say the man is the carer
- (YES) hochschild et al - in dual career fams women had majority of responsibility for domestic tasks
- (YES) oakley - jointly does not mean equally, men taking part in domestic tasks are ‘helping the wives)
cons of inequality
domestic abuse - incident of physical or sexual abuse by a current or prev partner
stats
- 1 incident of domestic violence per min
- for every 3 victims, 2 female 1 male
impact of triple shift on women
- green - women tend to see their free time as time away from work and family, whereas for men it is time away from work
- oakley - women felt similar feelings of boredom as those in line work in factory
issues with stats on dom violence
- cheal - state agencies are reluctant to get involved in family as they assume people are free to leave as they wish
- victims often dont report the abuse due to: believe they are to blame, fear of reprisals
theories on causes of dom violence
radical fem
-dobash and dobash - dom violence is evidence of patriarchy and this can be linked to crisis of masculinity
- evaluation - elliot says that not all men are violent and they can be victims too
new right
- murray - dom violence is in dysfunc fams e.g. teen parents and divorce over a stable marriage. high levels of DV in lower classes due to low moral standard
- evaluation - DV is not limited to working classes
childhood as social construct
SC = social phenomena is not naturally occurring but instead is created by society
(NO)
separateness: pilcher
childhood is a clear and distinct life stage: laws, dress, activity etc
psychological dev: continues in mid 20s
(MID)
sensible analytical approach
def: diff stages of dev are more likely to be a social construction than others
evidence:
- toddlers = not SC due to complete dependency on others to survive
-5-12 age groups = could be seen as SC since then we start to see differences appear both intra culturally and inter culturally
(YES)
cultural relativity
benedict - childhood varies from culture to culture
inter cultural diffs - responsibilities and freedom
changing to status of children
march of progress: over past few centuries position of western children has been steadily improving and today better than ever
evidence
- legal: work restrictions, compulsory ed, safeguarding in schools
- rights of the child: United Nations = every child has basic fundamental rights e.g. protection from violence, education, express opinion
- child centeredness - families less kids to ensure best possible for ones they have, decisions made in favour of child
conflict view: children still exp conflict, diff children diff exp, = some better than others
intra - child conflict and inequality
- gender - hillman - boys and girls diff exp, boys more freedom from young age and girls have bedroom culture
- ethnicity - brannen - ethnic minorities have diff exp e.g. asians families typically stricter
future of childhood
toxic childhood: rapid tech change and cultural changes have damaged children’s health, emotional dev
CC: children become the centre of decision making in family
info hierarchy: division between who can access info and those that can’t
disappearing childhood thesis
neil postman
overview: childhood disappears at rapid rate due to info hierarchy collapse
evidence: growth of tech gives more access to info and activities of the adult world, children same rights as adults, committing ‘adult’ crimes
evaluation: opie - not disappearing but changing, still evidence of separate children’s culture of unsupervised games
toxic childhood
sue palmer
overview: childhood damaging to physical and emotional dev (evidence: substance abuse, mental health probs), UNICEF survey 2013 uk = !6 from 29 for children’s well being
why: unhealthy food, poor sleep, little fam interaction
evaluation: ethnocentric - only focus on western ideas which cannot be applied to many dev nations, more info availability = dangers more well known = paranoid parenting
universal childhood
overview: western notion of childhood is spreading around the world
evidence: charities focused on helping street children and preventing child labour
demographics 1
birth rate
- def: number of live births per year per 1k of the pop
- trend: general decline
- reason: availability of contraception, changing roles of women, econ, growth of child centeredness
total fertility rate
- def: average num of children a woman will have during childbearing years (15-45)
- trend: decline
- reason: contraception, women leaving pregnancy later in life,
death rate
- def: number of deaths per 1k of the pop per year
- trend: decline
- reason: improved nutrition, medical care, decline in dangerous occupations
IMR
- def: num of deaths of children before first first bday per 1k live birth per year
- trend: decline
- reason: improved housing and sanitation, nutrition, improved health of mother nd knowledge of hygiene
life expec
- def: average num of years a person is expected to live within a specific culture and gender
- trend: increasing
- reason: decreased IMR, better health care, social care facilities
aging pop
-def: extent to which a pop is living longer but are not matched by new num of births
- trend: increasing
- reason: increased life expec, declining IMR
migration
-def: movement of peoples from one place to another, in same country or to another
- trend: increasing
- reason: push factors - war, poverty, lack of jobs. pull factors: welfare state, ed systems, weather wtc.
- impact of trend: cultural diversity, duel heritage and hybrid identities
impact of trend for the rest except last:
- smaller families
- fewer schools needed
- children = more precious
- aging pop
- bigger strain on pub health services
- increasing single parent households
net migration - diff in num of people leaving compared to num of people coming in
