Family and Households - Theories of Family Flashcards
How do Functionalists view the family?
- Positively
- Serves the role of primary socialisation
- Teaches norms and values
- Forms a stable society
How do Marxists view the family?
- Maintains the class system
- Correspodence principle (Bowles + Gintis)
How do Feminists view the family?
- Patriarchal
- Power imbalance
Men take the dominant role
What did Murdoch (1949) say about families?
Functionalism
- The family serves 4 functions
- Sees the family very traditionally
- Says the nuclear family structure is the most beneficial for society
What are Murdoch’s 4 functions of the family?
(1949) Functionalism
1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
2) Reproduction of the next generation
3) Socialisation of the young
4) Meeting the family members needs
What is a criticism of Murdoch?
Functionalism
- Single parent and single-sex families work just as well as a nuclear family
- It is an outdated perspective
What is a Marxist criticism of Murdoch?
- Ignores the exploitation and conflict within society
- Says Murdoch has a ‘rose-tinted’ approach and fails to see the family unit as serving the needs of capitalism
What is a Feminist criticism of Murdoch?
- Ignores that women are largely disadvantaged in the family unit
- Women are oppressed
What is Pre-Industrial Society?
- Traditonal
- Farming, bakers, etc
- Children would work with the family and continue in that type of work
What is Industrial Society?
- Modern
- Factory and office work
- Children are encouraged to pursue their own ambitons
What is a Nuclear family?
2 generations under one roof
(Parents and their children)
What is an Extended family?
3 generations under one roof
(Grandparents, parents, and their children)
What is Parson’s functional fit?
Parsons believed that particular family structures fit better into certain types of society because the needs of these societies changed over time
What type of family fit into Pre-Industrial society?
(Parsons) Functionalism
- Extended family
- More hands available to work
- Each generation could be assigned to different jobs
What type of family fit into Industrial society?
(Parsons) Functionalism
- Nuclear family
- Geographical mobility
- Social mobility
Why is Geographical Mobility useful in an Industrial society?
Functionalism
- Factories and industry pop up in various different locations
- The economy is dependent upon the family to provide mobile workers who can move to where they are needed
Why is Social Mobility useful in an Industrial society?
Functionalism
- People can climb up the social ladder
- It prevents inter-generational conflict
Crticisms of Parsons - Extended Family
Functionalism
- Young and Willmott (1973) say the pre-industrial family was in fact nuclear, with parents and children working together
- Peter Laslett’s (1972) study of English households from 1564-1821 found they were almost always nuclear
- Late childbearing and short life expectancy meant grandparents weren’t around for long after the birth of their first grandchild
Crticisms of Parsons - Nuclear Family
Functionalism
- Young and Willmott argue the hardship of the early industrial period gave rise to the mum-centered, working-class extended family
- Mothers and married daughers relied on eachother for financial, practical, and emotional support
- Harsh conditions meant extended families were highly beneficial for looking after eachother
Support of Parsons - Nuclear Family
Functionalism
- Young and Willmott argue from 1990 the nuclear family emerged as a result of social changes (better living standards, married women working, welfasre state, better housing)
- Yet the extended family hasn’t dissaperaed as studies show it continues to exist
What does Parson’s believe the roles of modern families are?
Functionalism
- Primary socialisation of children
- Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)
What do Marxists say the 3 roles of the family are?
1) Makes sure the inheritance of the powerful stays in the hands of the powerful
2) Teaches us that heirarchy is natural
3) Buys products made by the bourgeoisie
What did Engles say about socities?
Marxism
- Many years ago socities existed in a classless society
- These socities were called ‘primitive communism’, small communities who shared all of their resources
- As people began to gain wealth, Engles saw the creation of the family as a way of protecting private property
How would monogamy help to protect private ownership?
Marxism
- More likely to have children, so its easier to pass on private property
- Creates powerful families, such as the Royal family
How does the family correspond to the workplace?
Marxism
- The hierarchy of parents vs children and bosses vs workers
- This instills the idea of hierarchy from a young age
How is the family seen as a Unit of Consumption by Marxists?
Within society we all buy essentials and luxuries, which Marxists see as oppourtunities for the bourgeoisie to create profits
What does ‘Planned Obsolescence’ mean?
Marxism
Companies make good products with the intent of rendering them useless when they release their next, better product shortly after (for example, iPhones)
What is ‘The Nag Factor’?
Marxism
- When children beg their parents for things until they give in and buy them
- Companies know this works so they advertise to children more
What do Marxists ignore about family structures?
- They assume the nuclear family is dominant in a capitalist society
- They ignore the wide varieties of family structures in society today
Why do Feminists criticise Marxism?
- Argue Marxists emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities
- The family primarily serves the interests of men, not capitalism
Why do Functionalists criticise Marxism?
They argue that they ignore the benefits the family provides for its members
Which type of Feminism focuses on changing legislation and what law is an example of this?
- Liberal Feminists
- The Equality Act 2010 included the equal pay act, protection from discrimination in the workplace, made companies report their gender pay gap, etc…
What have Young and Willmott found about men in the family?
Feminism
- In recent times, men have been more involved with traditonally women’s roles
- This will encourage changes in the socialisaton process of children and create a gradual change towards equality
Why are Radical Feminists critical of Liberal Feminists?
Feminism
They argue that the legal systems are patriarchal and will resist any change to them
Why are Marxist Feminists critical of Liberal Feminists?
Argue that capitalism is the problem and if we get rid of it there will be less oppression of women
What do Marxist Femininsts say are the 3 roles of women in the capitalist system?
1) Reproduction of a work force
2) Absorb men’s anger
3) Serve as a reserve labour force
How do women reproduce the work force?
(Marxist Feminism)
Their unpaid domestic labour socialises the next generation of workers while also maintaining and servicing the current one
How do women absorb men’s anger?
(Marxist Feminism)
- Fran Ansley (1972) describes women as ‘takers of shit’ who soak up the frustration their husbands feels because of the alienation and exploitation they suffer at work
- For Marxists, this explains domestic violence against women
How do women serve as a reserve labour force?
(Marxist Feminism)
- They can be taken on when extra workers are needed
- When no longer needed, they go back to their primary role as unpaid domestic labour
What do Radical Feminists say is the solution to the patriarchy?
To exists seperately from men
What is Separatism?
(Radical Feminism)
When women organise themselves to live independently of men
What is Political Lesbianism?
(Radical Feminism)
- Abstaining from heterosexual relationships as they are inheriently opressive as they involve ‘sleeping with the enemy’
- Germaine Greer (200) argues for the creation of all female households as an alternative to the heterosexual family
What are some criticisms of Radical Feminism?
- Its an unrealistic solution
- Sommerville argues they ignore heterosexual attraction that makes separatism highly unlikely
- Ignore the changes in society that have improved women’s positions
- Domestic violence still happens in lesbian relationships
What type of approach is Personal Life Perspective?
- Interactionalist approach
- Individuals affect the institutions of society
What does the Personal Life Perspective take into consideration?
- Family structures other than the nuclear family
- Ficitive kin
- Chosen families
- Relationships with friends and pets
What did Smart and Nordqvist’s (2014) egg-donor study find?
- Some parents emphaised the importance of social relationships over genetic ones in family bonds
- One egg-donor concieved mother defined being a mum in terms of the time and effort she put into raising her child
- Differences in appearance led parents to wonder about the donor’s identity
- Questions around who counted as family, such as the donor’s parents as grandparents
What are the criticisms of Personal Life Perspecitve?
- They take too broad a view
- By including a wide range of personal relationships, we ignore what is special about blood relation or marriage
- Ignores the influence of powerful institutions
