Family And Households

Question 1

Functionalist approach

Answer 1

• see family as a vital ‘organ’ to maintaining the ‘body’ of society their key function is to prepare the child to fit into adult society and to satisfy the ‘functional prerequisites’ e.g social order which enable society to survive

Question 2

Murdock (1949)- functionalist view

Answer 2

Murdock argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members.
- the practicality of the nuclear family to fulfil these roles makes it universal.

Question 3

Evaluation of Murdock (1949)

Answer 3

Conflict theorists question whether the role that families perform really benefit the whole of society or really just benefit the powerful groups within it e.g upper class. Feminists specifically argue that families exist largely to benefit men

Question 4

Talcott parsons (1951) - functionalist view

Answer 4

Parsons also agrees that one of the families basic functions is to socialise the children into society’s norms and values. Parsons says the family is the institution that has the necessary emotional warmth and security to be the factory for human personality. He also suggests that the family mediates stressors external to the home that threaten to destabilise personalities

Question 5

Parsons(1951) the division of labour

Answer 5

Male- instrumental role: the families breadwinner which leads to stress and anxiety
Female- expressive role: provide emotional support and warmth to their children and male partners. This relives the tension of the husbands instrumental role

Question 6

Talcott parsons (1955) - functional fit theory

Answer 6

The functions that the family perform depend on the needs of society e.g pre- industrial society needed an extended family as society changed so did the type of family we need therefore parsons explains this as the reason extended families have largely disappeared from society and there are more privatised nuclear families today

Question 7

Marxist approach to families

Answer 7

Similar to functionalists marxists take a structural perspective of the family. However emphasise that the family is designed to reproduce capitalism and sustain the key aspects of its framework. Social control is exerted though the family reproducing unequal relationships and preventing challenge to the dominance of the bourgeoisie who maintain ownership and drive profit

Question 8

Fredrich Engels (1884)- marxist

Answer 8

As society became capitalist, wealth and property were acquired by men and monogamous families were created as a way to pass on private property to their heirs as proof of paternity showed lineage to their heirs. Women were subject to financial arrangements where they provided sex in return for economic security provided by men

Question 9

Criticisms of Engels view of family

Answer 9

• no evidence to support his claims - based on speculation that people lived in promiscuous hordes
• He implied that once capitalism disappeared the patriarchal family will disappear but evidence from communist societies doesn’t support this claim

Question 10

Zaretsky (1976) - capitalism the family and personal life

Answer 10

Emphasises the ideological role of family in propping up capitalism:
Children are socialised into beliefs which support the ideology of the ruling class e.g blind obedience. This is essential in making power relationships normative. In contrast to the functionalist view its transmitting values that favour one class over another. Family is essential for false ‘class conciousness’

Question 11

Zaretsky - stabilisation of adult personality

Answer 11

Zaretsky agrees with Parsons that family provide an escape from oppression and exploitation at work
. However he draws attention to the families role in undermining capitalism and says that family as a haven is an illusion

Question 12

Pester power

Answer 12

Companies build demand for their products through targeted advertising to children who request expensive products from their parents

Question 13

Support for Zaretsky

Answer 13

In agreement with Zaretsky, Nikos Poulantzas maintains that the family is part of the ideological state apparatus which is used to control and create values which support capitalism. The family is nothing more than an ‘ideological conditioning device. Children learn to conform and become cooperative and exploited workers

Question 14

Critisism of Zaretsky

Answer 14

• exaggerating the extent of which the family can escape from alienating work as he ignores the fact family can be a place of cruelty neglect and violence

Question 15

Negative evaluation of the Marxist view of family

Answer 15

Marxists assume the nuclear family is dominant and ignores the wide and increasing variety of family structures in society today. The marxist perspective ignores family diversity in the capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the most common type of family. Family breakdown may even be better for capitalism as divorce is expensive and more money has to be spent on maintaining family relationships and later forming new families

Question 16

Functionalist view on family policy

Answer 16

• Parsons advocated reinforcing the nuclear family through social policies e.g tax incentives for married people.
• alternatively some also suggest limited state involvement in the running of the family as long as family is functioning correctly
• traditional views are in opposition to some of the more progressive policies e.g same sex marrige

Question 17

Marxist perspective on family policy

Answer 17

• critical that the state are trying to create social policies which benefit the elites in todays society e.g. childcare policies enable more people to work
• state can ‘police the family’ (Donzelot) by intervening when they think the family isn’t socialising children properly.
• state policies are based on ruling class ideologies and people who don’t conform face sanctions e.g. fines

Question 18

Feminist view of family policies

Answer 18

• state reinforces patriarchal control through introducing policies aimed at women in the role of the primary caregiver e.g. child benefit given to mother first.
• liberal feminist: state policy can be used to change the role of women in society e.g. equal pay act.
• state policy has helped women leave violent relationships

Question 19

Conservative family policies 1979-1997

Answer 19

• child support agency 1993 - ensured absent fathers paid child maintanence for the upbringing of their children
  -section 28- 1988 prevented local governments promoting homosexuality and schools couldn’t teach ‘the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’
  -back to basics- john major would argue his traditional family views

Question 20

New labour family policies 1997-2010

Answer 20

-working family and child tax credits
- paid paternity leave
- civil partnership act (2005)
- adoption and childrens act (2002)
- equal age of consent for same sex relationships
- repeal of section 28 (2003)
- sure start and education allowance

Question 21

Coalition policies (2010-2015)

Answer 21

• shared parental leave
• same sex marriage (2013)
• crime and education policies targeted parents in anti social behaviours or withdrawing students from school during term time
• austerity policies e.g. 2 child limit for benefits

Question 22

Conservative policies 2015-

Answer 22

• Universal credit - paid to one member of family to replace other forms of benefit
• closure of sure start centres left children and families vulnerable
• freeze on working age benefits further cuts to benefit cap to £23000 per year

Question 23

Functionalists and family policy

Answer 23

See the gov. as serving interests of society as a whole. Fletcher (1969) argues social policies such as free compulsory schooling and free health care function to assist parents in successfully reer their children

Question 24

New right and family policy

Answer 24

Murray belives the state should play a minimal role in peoples lives and some policies e.g. legislation for same sex marrige has damaged marrige and nuclear families by promoting deviant family types and lifestyles

Question 25

Feminism and family policies

Answer 25

Liberal feminists e.g. Oakley and Sharpe argues social policy relating to opportunities and equal pay have helped women achieve equality in the family. Radical feminists argue social policy has reinforced patriachy

Question 26

Drew (1995) - feminist

Answer 26

Two types of social policy across europe
- social policy that suports traditional gender regimes
- social policy that supports individualistic gender regimes

Question 27

Marxist view of families social policies

Answer 27

State wants to serve the intrest of capitalism
- social policy aims to disguise/hide capitalist exploitation
- maintain the workforce
- buy off WC opposition and prevent revolt through providing benefits e.g. welfare benefits

Question 28

Radical feminist crriticism

Answer 28

Somerville (2000) - radical feminists fail to acknowledge that woman’s positions ave changed a-lot - better divorce accsess, job opportunities. She also argues that hetero sexual attraction means political lesbianism wont work - equality will come from friendly policies e.g. flexible working