Family&Households: Topic 3- Theories of the family Flashcards
Funtionalists perspective on the family
What are the key beliefs of functionalisms?
- Society is based on a value consensus
- They favour nuclear family and see the family as the heart of society
Funtionalists perspective on the family
Why do functionalists compare the body to a biological organism?
Like the body, society is made of systems that depends on each other
Funtionalists perspective on the family
What does Murdock argue about the family?
It performs 4 functions to meet societies needs of society and its members:
* Stablises satisfaction of the sex drive
* Reproduction of next generation
* Socialisation of the young
* Meeting its members economic needs
Funtionalists perspective on the family
What are some critism of Murdock?
- Other family structures can perform these functions
- Marxists: Only meets needs of capitalism
- Feminist: Only serves men
Funtionalists perspective on the family: Parsons’ functional fit theory
What does Parsons argue about the ‘functional fit theory’?
Pre-industrial, extended damilies were the most dominant. They educated the young, made food, socialised them. Due to industrialisation, families needed to move without extended family to fit society as it was easier. Industrial society needed two essentials:
* A geographical mobile workforce
* A socially mobile workforce
Funtionalists perspective on the family: Parsons’ functional fit theory
How does a geographical mobile workforce lead to a nuclear family?
When society becomes industrialised, families need to move for work. It is easier for nuclear families to move rather than extended families. Therefore this leads to more people becoming nuclear families to go to places with easy work access.
Funtionalists perspective on the family: Parsons’ functional fit theory
How does a socially mobile workforce lead to a nuclear family?
- Industrial society requires skill, so its essential talented people can win promotions
- Parsons argues nuclear family is better to meet societies needs. The adult son gains status from work so do remove tension with father (man of house), he leaves to a nuclear family.
Funtionalists perspective on the family: Loss of functions
How does the modern day nuclear families lose some functions?
When society industrialises it loses many functions to schools or health services. This results in the family performing with 2 essential functions:
* The primary socialisation of children: Equipping them with basic skills and society’s values
* The stabilisation of adult personalities: The family can relax before returning to the workplace
Marxists view on the family
What are marxists perspective on the family?
A way to keep the rich rich
* Inheritance of property
* Ideological functions
* A unit of consumption
Marxists view on the family: private property
What does Engels argue about inheritance of property?
- Before there was no private property, instead all membors of society owned it
- However wealth increased and the development of private property
- Monogomy became essential due to inheritance of private property
- Men ensure their children would inherit from them, ensuring their generation stayed rich
Marxists view on the family: ideological functions
What does Zaretsky argue about ideological functions?
- Family socialises children into the idea that inequality is inevitable. Parents have power over children and prepares them for life of excepting orders from capitalist employers
- Zaretsky argues the famliy performs ideologic functions by offering a ‘haven’ from capiltalist world, but he sees it as an illusion, and the family cannot meet its members needs
Marxists view on the family: A unit of consumption
What is the explanation of a unit of consumption?
Capitalist exploits workers and are generating off of the family:
* ‘keep up with the Jonses’
* Media targets children to persuade parents to spend more
* Children lack latest trendy products may be mocked by peers
Thus marxists see the family as performing several functions that maintains capitalism
Marxists view on the family
What are some critisms against the marxist view?
- Ignores variety of family structures in society
- Feminists: it underestimates the importance of gender inequality
- Functionalists: Ignores the benefits family provides
Feminists view on the family
What are the 4 feminists?
- Liberal
- Marxists
- Radical
- Difference
Feminists view on the family
What is the liberal feminist persepctive on the family?
They believe their has been progress but not full equality. Men are engaging in more domestic labour, while parents now socialise sons and daughters more equally than before.
