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Sociology > Family and Households - Theories of Family > Flashcards

Family and Households - Theories of Family Flashcards

1
Q

How do Functionalists view the family?

A
  • Positively
  • Serves the role of primary socialisation
  • Teaches norms and values
  • Forms a stable society
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2
Q

How do Marxists view the family?

A
  • Maintains the class system
  • Correspodence principle (Bowles + Gintis)
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3
Q

How do Feminists view the family?

A
  • Patriarchal
  • Power imbalance
    Men take the dominant role
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4
Q

What did Murdoch (1949) say about families?

Functionalism

A
  • The family serves 4 functions
  • Sees the family very traditionally
  • Says the nuclear family structure is the most beneficial for society
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5
Q

What are Murdoch’s 4 functions of the family?

(1949) Functionalism

A

1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
2) Reproduction of the next generation
3) Socialisation of the young
4) Meeting the family members needs

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6
Q

What is a criticism of Murdoch?

Functionalism

A
  • Single parent and single-sex families work just as well as a nuclear family
  • It is an outdated perspective
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7
Q

What is a Marxist criticism of Murdoch?

A
  • 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
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8
Q

What is a Feminist criticism of Murdoch?

A
  • Ignores that women are largely disadvantaged in the family unit
  • Women are oppressed
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9
Q

What is Pre-Industrial Society?

A
  • Traditonal
  • Farming, bakers, etc
  • Children would work with the family and continue in that type of work
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10
Q

What is Industrial Society?

A
  • Modern
  • Factory and office work
  • Children are encouraged to pursue their own ambitons
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11
Q

What is a Nuclear family?

A

2 generations under one roof
(Parents and their children)

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12
Q

What is an Extended family?

A

3 generations under one roof
(Grandparents, parents, and their children)

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13
Q

What is Parson’s functional fit?

A

Parsons believed that particular family structures fit better into certain types of society because the needs of these societies changed over time

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14
Q

What type of family fit into Pre-Industrial society?

(Parsons) Functionalism

A
  • Extended family
  • More hands available to work
  • Each generation could be assigned to different jobs
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15
Q

What type of family fit into Industrial society?

(Parsons) Functionalism

A
  • Nuclear family
  • Geographical mobility
  • Social mobility
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16
Q

Why is Geographical Mobility useful in an Industrial society?

Functionalism

A
  • 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
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17
Q

Why is Social Mobility useful in an Industrial society?

Functionalism

A
  • People can climb up the social ladder
  • It prevents inter-generational conflict
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18
Q

Crticisms of Parsons - Extended Family

Functionalism

A
  • 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
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19
Q

Crticisms of Parsons - Nuclear Family

Functionalism

A
  • 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
20
Q

Support of Parsons - Nuclear Family

Functionalism

A
  • 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
21
Q

What does Parson’s believe the roles of modern families are?

Functionalism

A
  • Primary socialisation of children
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)
22
Q

What do Marxists say the 3 roles of the family are?

A

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

23
Q

What did Engles say about socities?

Marxism

A
  • 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
24
Q

How would monogamy help to protect private ownership?

Marxism

A
  • More likely to have children, so its easier to pass on private property
  • Creates powerful families, such as the Royal family
25
Q

How does the family correspond to the workplace?

Marxism

A
  • The hierarchy of parents vs children and bosses vs workers
  • This instills the idea of hierarchy from a young age
26
Q

How is the family seen as a Unit of Consumption by Marxists?

A

Within society we all buy essentials and luxuries, which Marxists see as oppourtunities for the bourgeoisie to create profits

27
Q

What does ‘Planned Obsolescence’ mean?

Marxism

A

Companies make good products with the intent of rendering them useless when they release their next, better product shortly after (for example, iPhones)

28
Q

What is ‘The Nag Factor’?

Marxism

A
  • When children beg their parents for things until they give in and buy them
  • Companies know this works so they advertise to children more
29
Q

What do Marxists ignore about family structures?

A
  • They assume the nuclear family is dominant in a capitalist society
  • They ignore the wide varieties of family structures in society today
30
Q

Why do Feminists criticise Marxism?

A
  • Argue Marxists emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities
  • The family primarily serves the interests of men, not capitalism
31
Q

Why do Functionalists criticise Marxism?

A

They argue that they ignore the benefits the family provides for its members

32
Q

Which type of Feminism focuses on changing legislation and what law is an example of this?

A
  • 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…
33
Q

What have Young and Willmott found about men in the family?

Feminism

A
  • 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
34
Q

Why are Radical Feminists critical of Liberal Feminists?

Feminism

A

They argue that the legal systems are patriarchal and will resist any change to them

35
Q

Why are Marxist Feminists critical of Liberal Feminists?

A

Argue that capitalism is the problem and if we get rid of it there will be less oppression of women

36
Q

What do Marxist Femininsts say are the 3 roles of women in the capitalist system?

A

1) Reproduction of a work force
2) Absorb men’s anger
3) Serve as a reserve labour force

37
Q

How do women reproduce the work force?
(Marxist Feminism)

A

Their unpaid domestic labour socialises the next generation of workers while also maintaining and servicing the current one

38
Q

How do women absorb men’s anger?
(Marxist Feminism)

A
  • 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
39
Q

How do women serve as a reserve labour force?
(Marxist Feminism)

A
  • 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
40
Q

What do Radical Feminists say is the solution to the patriarchy?

A

To exists seperately from men

41
Q

What is Separatism?
(Radical Feminism)

A

When women organise themselves to live independently of men

42
Q

What is Political Lesbianism?
(Radical Feminism)

A
  • 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
43
Q

What are some criticisms of Radical Feminism?

A
  • 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
44
Q

What type of approach is Personal Life Perspective?

A
  • Interactionalist approach
  • Individuals affect the institutions of society
45
Q

What does the Personal Life Perspective take into consideration?

A
  • Family structures other than the nuclear family
  • Ficitive kin
  • Chosen families
  • Relationships with friends and pets
46
Q

What did Smart and Nordqvist’s (2014) egg-donor study find?

A
  • 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
47
Q

What are the criticisms of Personal Life Perspecitve?

A
  • 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

Sociology (14 decks)

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