family diversity (done) Flashcards
what is a norm?
a standard of behaviour that is shared by a group and accepted within it
what is a value?
a belief that something is good or desirable. These represent general guidelines to behaviour in a society
what is a role?
the part that an individual acts or plays in society
what is status?
an individual’s social position in society. This can relate to the job an individual has. Two types of status; ascribed - status fixed at birth and achieved status - gained through own efforts
what is socialization?
the learning of the norms and values of society. This process occurs within the family
what is culture?
a way of life in a social group. This leads to accepted ways of behaviour from members of that social group
what is social control?
the maintenance of order in society. This is vital if society is to function properly. It’s underpinned by shared norms and values. Two types of controls; informal controls like parents and formal controls such as police and legal systems
what is the definition of a family?
A social institution consisting of a group of people who are related by kinship ties; relations of blood, marriage and adoption
what is a consensus?
agreement, cooperation, social unity, shared norms and values and harmony
what is conflict?
conflict of interest, some benefits more than others, norms and values not freely agreed by everyone, exploitation
what is Structure (macro)?
constrained, structured, social force, external forces, moulding, directing and controlling
what is Social action (micro)?
individual and conscious thoughts, awareness and negotiation
what is functionalism?
Emphasize integration and harmony
Sees family as a vital organ
Interested in the contribution the family makes to satisfying the functional prerequisites or basic needs
murdock?
Offers a traditional view of the family and is seen as nuclear
Perform 4 basic and essential functions; sexual reproduction socialising and economic.
Believe marriage and nuclear family provide best opportunity for social control
Unit of production and unit of consumption
Emphasis practicality of nuclear family
parsons?
2 basic functions of the family found in every society; primary socialisation of children, stabilization of adult personalities (place where the adults can relax
“ warm bath theory”- woman perform the expressive role (caring and loving) men perform the instrumental role (breadwinner)
The family are like a ‘warm bath’ husband arrives home from a stressful day at work and sinks into the ‘warm bath’ which family provides
what is the functional fit thesis?
Parosn argues family will ‘fit’ needs of society
Bell and vogel?
Children act as scapegoats but this is functional as families cam vent frustration at home rather than wider society
Is a micro- sociological theory
Highlights some of the dysfunctional aspects of the family
give a summary of functionalists?
Family meet the needs of society by socialising children into shared norms and values, leading to harmony and stability
Family social institution providing security for the conception
Sexual division of labour in the family; woman performing expressive role and helps maintain stable society
Family is a supportive and generally harmonious and happy social institution.
give some criticisms of functionalists?
Murdock and parsons downplay conflict
Children may become scapegoats causing harm
Parsons view of ‘instrumental’ and ‘expressive’ is very old fashioned
Ignores family diversity
Leach - privatisation as a destructive
Laing- family as a destructive and exploitative institution
Feminist would criticise expressive and instrumental roles
what is the personal life perspective?
Influenced by interactionism and postmodernist approaches Bottoms up approach Meaning Individuals Negotiation Thought and feeling
Stacey?
Accepting of family diversity and the divorce-extended family
Focus on meaning to the individual ‘fictive’ kin
clarke?
Focus on how people feel about their relationships
How does it feel to be married
Focus on the interactions, roles and meanings
Nordquist and smart ?
(donor-conceived family)
Found that issue of blood and genes raised a range of feeling for members of those families
leach?
Wrote the book ‘a runaway world’
Pessimistic view of the family
Nuclear family is isolated from kin and wider community
Stress is too much and this results in conflict
Describes the family as a ‘Overloaded electrical circuit’’
laing?
Schizophrenia should be viewed in context of the family, not madness but a coping strategy.
give some criticism of personal life perspective?
Some of the views can be seen as extreme
Ignore wider social factors such as class and gender
Is this view to broad?
simple marxism?
A macro, structuralist, conflict
Society is made up of two classes
Bourgeoisie (upper class)
Proletariat (poor people/ lower class)
The idea of the superstructure being the top with the family and the legal systems and the infrastructure being the base with capitalism who run the means of production
Rich people own the means of production, capitalism = exploitation
whats is marx’s prediction?
Marx argued that in the future the world would become aware of our own exploitation and join together and implement communism
More equal society
Marxism is the rich vs the poor
Way of creating a fairer society
engels?
The monogamous bourgeois nuclear family is developed to help solve the problem of the …. Inheritance of private property
Men need to know who their children where in order to pass on their inheritance
Family is therefore designed to control woman and protect property
Bourgeois nuclear family emerged with capitalism
It is patriarchal
Designed to guarantee and perpetuate male power through the inheritance of property
Servers interest of capitalism
Engels suggested that a housewife position is one of a ….. Glorified prostitution
althusser
Family is an ideological state apparatus which is a tool past on by the government to pass on ideas and beliefs
according to Zaretsky what 4 functions of the family serve capitalism ?
Family socialises children thereby reproducing both labour power and an acceptance of capitalism (false class consciousness) Women's domestic work is underpaid which benefits capitalism Family acts as a safety value for the stresses and frustration of working class men Family as a unit of consumption buys the good and services provided by capitalism
what did Zaretsky say?
Claimed the family ‘props up’ capitalism
Family is one place where male workers can feel they have power and control
Helps them accept their oppression in wider society
It is a heaven
Criticisms of marxist view?
Anthropologists have suggested that the emergence of the nuclear family didn’t actually coincide with the emergence of capitalism
Marxist view ignore family diversity
Economically deterministic - sees nuclear family as being simple determined by economy
What is feminism?
Feminism comprises a number of social, cultural and political movements, theories and moral philosophies concerned with gender inequality and discrimination against women
It is also described as an ideology focusing on equality on the sexes
Often differ in opinion over the sources of inequality
Feminist today commonly campaign from woman rights such as: abortion, conception, prenatal care
Protected from domestic violence: against sexual harassment, rape, workplace rights, equal pay
History of feminism?
Title of suffragette was given to members of women’s suffrage movement
Members of women’s social and political by emmeline pankhurst
Women got the vote in 1918 but only married over 30 but was the same as men in 1928
who are the Strands of feminism liberal?
Changing society through laws and social policies
An optimistic theory which concerned with campaigning against sex discrimination through laws and policies
Mary wollstonecraft- commented on society view (1759- 1797)
who are radical feminist?
Separatism promote same sex partnership
See patriarchy as the main obstacle to women freedom
what did rich say?
compulsory sexuality
what did firestone say?
separatism
what did Delphy and leonard say?
57 varieties of unpaid labor
what are maxist feminists?
Looks at the role of women and capitalism (the economy)
Argue that the main cause of women’s oppression is capitalism
what did oakley say?
women are economically dependant
what did beechy say?
women are semi-proletarianised workers
what did bregual say?
reserve army of labour
what did Benston say?
women’s unpaid labour aids capitalism
what did Ansley say?
women act as a safety valve and are takers of shit
who are the black/different feminists?
Black women have to deal with racism and sexism
Not all women have similar experience
Argue all women are different through locality, sexuality, class and ethnicity
what did Amos and parmar say?
black women may have to deal with racism as well as sexism and their family may act as a support
criticisms of feminists ?
Some contradict each other
Patriarchy is universal
Feminist writers assume women share a common position of exploitation but there are many divisions between women
Postmodernists argue traditional notion of 2 sexes with one dominating the other is to simple
Numerous different sorts ‘male’ and ‘female’ behaviour
Does radical feminism go to far and liberal no to far?
Different types of feminism different over the cause of women oppression and the solution to it
Focus on the nuclear family still although there is diversity
what is domestic violence?
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling or threading behaviour, violence or abuse between the age 16 or over who are or have been intimate parents or family members regardless of gender or sexuality
Can include psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional violence and abuse
what is yanshire explanation on domestic violence?
On average a women will suffer 35 assaults before making an report
what are radical feminists explanation on domestic violence
Argue domestic abuse is widespread and due to patriarchy, culture values and institutions
what are what are radical feminists explanation on domestic violence explanation on domestic violence?
Found that violent incidents occurred when husbands felt that their authority was challenged
domestic violence statistics?
99% incidents against women are committed by men
1 in 4 women
1 in 7 men
what does cheal think about domestic violence?
Police and prosecutors are reluctant to investigate or prosecute because they make 3 assumptions about family life;
Family is a private sphere
Family is a good thing so it ignores darker side
Are free agents able to leave an abusive relationship
what are cheal 3 assumptions about family life?
Family is a private sphere
Family is a good thing so it ignores darker side
Are free agents able to leave an abusive relationship
who are most at risk of domestic violence?
Most people are risk are Children/ young women Lower social class Rented accommodation low income High level of alcohol Long term illness
what Wilkinson explanation on domestic violence?
Uses a material explanation
Explains violence as a result of stress on family members caused by social inequality eg; money, job, housing
Lack of money restricts people’s social circles and support networks.
what are conjugal roles?
Roles performed by men and women in marriage or cohabiting relationship
what do willmoot and young say ?
Functionalists who have traced the development of the family back to pre-industrial times
They argue the family is now symmetrical
what does oakley say?
Found that there is some evidence that men are helping out more in the home
No evidence of symmetry
what does Richard reeves?
Gender roles in the family will continue to improve and terms like “stay at home dad’ are becoming normalised
what does duncombe and marsden say?
Woman have the responsibility or arranging ‘quality time’ together
