Family

Question 1

What are the Nayar?

Answer 1

No nuclear family. A woman could have sexual relations with any man and the biological father was uncertain. The mother’s brother was responsible for looking after the children.

Question 2

What are communes?

Answer 2

Developed in Western Europe. Alternative households with emphasis on collective living, children and adults work together.

Question 3

What are the the Kibbutz?

Answer 3

Childrearing was separated from the marriage and children were kept apart from their natural parents. The children were the responsibility of the community as a whole.

Question 4

What are Murdock’s 4 functions of the family?

Answer 4

1. Sexuality - disapproval of incest, adultery
2. Reproduction - stability for reproduction.
3. Socialisation - primary socialisation of children.
4. Economic - food and shelter for family.

Question 5

What are Parson’s 2 functions of the family?

Answer 5

1. Primary socialisation of children into societies culture.
2. Stabilisation of human personalities through sexual division of labour in families. Expressive and instrumental roles.

Question 6

Who suggested the classic-extended family has changed and what has it changed to?

Answer 6

Young and Willmott and Fletcher. It has changed into the privatised nuclear family and modified extended family.

Question 7

What are 4 reasons for the decline in extended family life?

Answer 7

1. Geographical mobility due to jobs.
2. Higher rate of social mobility by moving up and down the social scale.
3. Growth in wealth and income meaning welfare state can take over functions of family.
4. Growth in meritocracy meaning elite family have less abilities in society.

Question 8

What are 4 criticisms of the functionalist perspective?

Answer 8

1. Downplaying conflict - present family as all happy and ignore domestic violence.
2. Out of date in society - woman are now bread winners too.
3. Ignored exploitation of women - feminist perspective.
4. Ignores harmful effects of family - ignores that family leads to emotional stress.

Question 9

What does Fletcher argue about the view that the family has lost its function?

Answer 9

Family now has more responsibility e.g. healthcare, social services, material factors.

Question 10

What is the new right perspective of the family?

Answer 10

They support traditional values and institutions. Nuclear family is under threat from social change and there is a dependency culture and work-shy underclass.