family and households topic 3 - theories Flashcards
according to functionalists, society is based on a _____
value consensus
define value consensus
a general agreement among members of a society on shared values, norms, and beliefs
what is the organic analogy
functionalists believe society is a system made up of different parts that depend on each other and work together to fulfill societal needs much like the human body and the different organs
What are society’s 4 essential functions
According to Murdock:
-Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
-Reproduction of the next generation
-Socialisation of the young
-Meeting members’ economic needs
What does Murdock argue
The nuclear family is found in all societies due to the practicality of it as a way of meeting society’s essential functions
Criticise Murdock
Marxists and Feminists reject his ‘rose tinted’ harmonious view that the family meeds the needs of both its members and wider society
True or False: Parsons claimed that the nuclear family is found in all societies
False, it was Murdock
Who said the functions which the fmaily perform are dependent on the society it is found in i.e. the functional prerequisites
Parsons
What will determine the family’s structure and give examples
The functions it performs which is influenced by the society it is found in
Give an example of Parson’s claim that the structure of a family will fit the needs of the society it is found in
- the nuclear family is found in the modern industrial society
- the extended family is found in pre-industrial society
When and why did the nuclear family start to emerge
When Britain began to industrialise in the late 18th century
-emerging industrial society needed a geographically and socially mobile workforce
What is a geographically mobile workforce and why was it needed?
-refers to workers who are able and willing to move locations for employment opportunities
-industrialisation led to the growth of factories and businesses in new urban centers, meaning people needed to move from rural areas to cities where work was available
What is a socially mobile workforce and why was it needed?
-refers to workers who have the ability to move up or down the social hierarchy based on their skills, education, and achievements rather than being restricted by their family background or social class
- in industrial society meritocracy replaced ascription, there was a need for skilled and educated workers, and jobs came more diverse so there was a need for role differentiation
why the nuclear family is better suited for the modern industrial soc
smaller size so
it is easier to move for work
why the nuclear family is better suited for the modern industrial soc
independent from extended kin so
no reliance on local family ties
example of why a nuclear family is better suited for a socially mobile workforce
- in an extended family the father and son will live in the same households
- at home the father has the ascribed status but at work the son may have higher achieved status than the father
- == conflict if they live under same roof
what functions did the extended family perform
- members worked together on the farm
- unit of consumption
- met economic needs of members
when society industrialises…
the family loses many of its functions to other institutions e.g. healthcare or schooling
as a result of the loss of functions, what does the nuclear family specialise in
it specialises in performing two irreducible functions
what are the two irreducible functions
- the primary socialisation
- the stabilisation of adult personalities
one evidence against parsons is and explain it
the family did not become nuclear in early industrial society
- Anderson’s study of mid 19th century Preston uses exchange theory to explain the presence of the popular W/C extended family
- harsh conditions of the time = benefits of maintaining the extended fam>costs
how do marxists see society
society is based on an unequal conflict between the capitalist class and the working class
the functions of the family are performed….
purely for the benefit of capitalism
what are the three main functions that the family perform which fuel capitalism
- inheritance of property
- ideological functions
- a unit of consumption
explain inital stages of the inheritance of property
-Engels
- earliest classless society = primitive communism, where are members of society communally owned means of production
- no family = promiscuous horde
explain the creation of private property
- FoPs developed = wealth of soc increased = development of private property by a group of white men
- therefore monogamy became essential due to the inheritance of property (had to be certain of their paternity)
explain ideological functions
functions which help to maintain a set of beliefs such as capitalism
how does the family perform ideological functions
- socialising children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable (parental power)
- Zaretsky believes the family offer an apparent haven from the harsh expolitative nature of the capitalistic world, however even this is an illusion
how does parental power reinforce hierarchy and inequality
parental power of children accustoms them to the idea that there alwaus has to be someone in charge usually the man
the family prforms a major role in generating profits for capitalists by…
how is the family a unit of consumption
- advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Jonenses’ by consuming all the latest products
- media targets children who use ‘pester power’ to convince their parents
Therefore, the family perdorm several functions that maintain capitalist society, not…
the family
criticise the marxist perspective of the family
- assumes nuclear fam is the dominant so ignores fam diversity
what are the four feminist perspectives of the family
- liberal
- marxist
- radical
- difference
what are liberal feminsts concerned with
how gradual adjustments to policies and societal expectations leads to an improvement to women’s position, so they take a march of progress view
what do liberal feminists use to show there have been improvements to women overcoming their oppression
policy changes like the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act
what is the liberal feminist perspective of the family
- hold a similar view to other amrch ofprogress sociologists such as Young and Willmott
- full gender equality has not been achieved, but there has been gradual progress, e.g. more men are doing domestic labour
what do marxist feminist argue the main cause of women’s oppression is
the main cause of women’s opperssion in the family is capitalism
what are the functions of women’s oppression
- reproduce the labour force: socialising next generation of docile workers
- women absorb angerof frustrated men due to alienation = more productive at work
- reserve army of cheap labour
therefore marxist feminist believe,
the family must be abolished at the same time of a socialist revolution which replaces capitalism w a classless society
what are radical feminists key beliefs
- men are the enemy: the source of women’s oppression
- the family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchal sociey and only benefit men drom women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services
how can the patriarchal system be overturned
through separatism/political lesbianism
outline political lesbianism
the idea that heterosexual relationships are oppressive because they involve ‘sleeping with the enemy’
- Greer: creation of matrilocal households as an alternative to the nuclear family
criticise radical feminists using liberal feminists’ perspective
- Somerville: radical feminists fail to recognie the changes that have been made
- heterosexual attraction means separatism is not likely to work
- instead there must be more family friendly policies which promote equality
what do difference feminists argue
We cannot generalize women’s experiences, as factors such as sexuality, race, and social class shape their unique perspectives. For example, lesbian and heterosexual women, Black and white women, and working-class and middle-class women may face different challenges and experiences.
explain an example of why women’s experiences cannot be generalised
- Black women see the family as a source of support and resistance against racism
- if white feminists regard the family purely negatively then they are neglecting Black women’s racial oppression and how the family helps them through this
criticise difference feminists
difference feminism neglects the fact that all women share many of the same experiences e.g. they all face a risk of domestic violence or low pay
two weaknesses of functionalism, marxism and feminism according to the personal life perspective
- assumes nuclear family is the dominant famliy type
- they are structural theories which assume that families are simply passive puppets manipulated by the structure of society
instead what is the personal life perspective
-they emphasise the meaning individual family members hold and how these shape their experiences
