Family key studies

Question 1

What are Murdocks functions of the family?

Answer 1

primary socialisation, economic ,emotional ,reproduction

Question 2

what are some criticisms of Murdock?

Answer 2

Many children are raised in households that do not contain both sexes
Feminists- families only benefit men
Marxists- meets the needs of capitalism not family

Question 3

What are Parsons family functions?

Answer 3

primary socialisation and stabilization of adult personalities (through the warm bath theory)

Question 4

What are Parsons sexual divisions of labour?

Answer 4

women has an expressive role
men have the instrumental role

Question 5

What is Parsons functionally fit theory?

Answer 5

Pre-industrial = extended family (kinship networks)
Industrialisation = nuclear family (geographically mobile and the development of other structures)

Question 6

What did Fletcher argue against Parson?

Answer 6

Family has not lost its functions
still other family types
still close to these family members even if we don’t live with them
still have kinship bonds

Question 7

What did Murray say about the family and society?

Answer 7

Welfare state undermines personal responsibility, self-help and the importance of support within families
support of lone parent households is negative.
lone parent households = gang crime increase

Question 8

criticisms of the New right?

Answer 8

they exaggerate the decline of the nuclear family
Feminist- traditional gender roles are socially determined not scientific and are oppressive to women
Most single parent households are not welfare scrougers

Question 9

What did Engels say about the family before capitalism?

Answer 9

before capitalism society was classless and practiced a form of ‘primitive communism’ = private property
property was collectively owned
no families but tribal groups existed in a kind of ‘promiscuous horde’

Question 10

What did Engels say about the family after capitalism?

Answer 10

The Emergence of Capitalism- 18th century
Bourgeoisie wanted to pass inheritance onto their children
the monogamous is the best way to ensure that

Question 11

What are some critiques of Engels?

Answer 11

Gender inequality clearly preceded capitalism
outdated- we no longer tend to work in factories and class is far more complicated today

Question 12

What did Althusser say about families?

Answer 12

capitalism can only survive as the working class submit to the ruling class
family is one of the ‘ideological state apparatuses’ (ISA) and ‘Repressive State Apparatus’ (RSA) through socialisation into this ideology the ruling class tried to maintain false class consciousness that sees the nuclear family as fair and beneficial.

Question 13

What did Zaretsky say about the family

Answer 13

the safe haven is an illusion that allows the man to feel in charge at home making them more vulnerable to oppression, alienation and exploitation rather than helping them cope with it

Question 14

What are some criticisms of Marxism?

Answer 14

Too deterministic
ignores family diversity in society
Feminists- ignores gender inequality

Question 15

What does Oakley say about the family?

Answer 15

housework is hard, routine and unrewarding.
Housework is unpaid labour- if they did this outside they would be paid
the dual burden

Question 16

What do radical feminists think?

Answer 16

men are the cause of oppression
patriarchy needs to be overturned
women have a duel burden : work + home
‘dark side of the family’
family is a patriarchal and nuclear family should be abolished

Question 17

What do liberal feminists think?

Answer 17

march of progress= society is more equal for women
men are contributing more
equal pay act/ sex discrimination act- legal protections for women
greater choice over roles

Question 18

Who is a liberal feminist?

Answer 18

Somerville- women’s position is better- but still issues e.g. stereotypes in family- but overall more equal
not representative society
less patriarchal society

Question 19

What do Marxist Feminists think?

Answer 19

oppression of women is due to capitalism
women reproduce the workforce
women are a reserve army of labour

Question 20

Who is a Marxist Feminist?

Answer 20

Ansley- women absorb anger from proletariat men to stop rising up - like Parsons warm bath theory
we need to tackle capitalism to over through patriarchy
BUT women oppressed in all societies

Question 21

What does the Post-Modernist Giddens think?

Answer 21

Choice & Equality
couples can define their own relationship based upon romantic love due to the increase in contraception and independence for women

Question 22

What does the Post-Modernist Stacy think?

Answer 22

Divorce-Extended Family
women are more likely to maintain relationships with ex-in-laws due to access to children- however divorced women are more likely to have fictive extended families to help support them.

Question 23

What does the Post-Modernist Beck think?

Answer 23

Risk Society & the Negotiated Family
more conditions based upon relationships because of uncertainty and need for romantic love rather than financial arrangements

Question 24

What does the Post-Modernist Weeks think?

Answer 24

Growth In Fictive Families
people are beginning to redefine what is meant by family and this can include friends, co-workers and even pets

Question 25

What do the Post-Modernists the Rapoports think?

Answer 25

5 different types of family diversity= CLOGS
therefore even in the nuclear family there is greater diversity between families than first suggested

Question 26

How does Chester evaluate Post-Modernists?

Answer 26

1)Neo-conventional family is the most common type. This is essentially the nuclear family redefined and therefore less diversity than thought
2)Due to the life-cycle many people will be part of a nuclear family- single parents and reconstituted families are formed from nuclear families
3) Post-Modernism can be seen as a fragmented approach

Question 27

what did Ann Oakley say about the cereal packet family?

Answer 27

conventional families = nuclear families
composed of legally married couples, voluntarily choosing the parenthood of one or more (but not too many) children
adverts use CPF as a stereotypical image that best describes life in Britain

Question 28

What did Leach say about the cereal packet family?

Answer 28

recognized the power of the image of the traditional family
cereal packet = socially constructed model laden with assumptions of how families aught to be

Question 29

What did Ballard say about Asian extended families?

Answer 29

to understand south-Asian family life in the UK in 1980
you have to look at the ideal model of family life in Asia
it’s patriarchal
based on the control of women
collectivists
(and obsessed with maintaining family honor)

Question 30

What did Mirza say about black single-parent families?

Answer 30

reflects the high-value black women place on their independence

Question 31

What did Charles say about social class diversity?

Answer 31

found that classic extended families were practically extinct even in the working class, with the exception of ethnic minorities such as south Asian families

Question 32

What did Sue Sharpe investigate and find?

Answer 32

interviewed girls about their future and goals
70s- priorities were marriage and babies
90s- girls prioritized university and careers

Question 33

What did Giddens say about the pure relationship?

Answer 33

there is a quest for the perfect relationship
could put some off from marriage if they are always imagining a better relationship
relationships are now seen as a way of exploring your identity and prefer serial monogamy

Question 34

What did Levin say about living apart together?

Answer 34

a new type of family called living apart together
these are individuals who are in a long-term relationship and define themselves as a couples but live in separate homes
sees this family as an alternative to marriage and cohabitation
not in most cases a stage preceding one or the other as most couples could live together but choose not to
she calls couples in LAT relationships ‘apartners’

Question 35

What do Duncan and Philips say about LATs?

Answer 35

found that LATs are increasingly understood and accepted by the wider public

Question 36

what does Haskey say about LATs ?

Answer 36

estimated there were exposed to the same expectations as couples that are married or cohabiting

Question 37

how do LATs compare to Giddens’s pure relationship?

Answer 37

Levin- argues LATs allow apartners to pursue the intimacy of a couple and maintain their independence
David and Philips- found LATs are exposed to the same expectations as couples that are married or cohabiting

Question 38

What does Murray say about lone parenthood?

Answer 38

generous welfare encouraged women to have more children than they can reasonably support
viewed as a major sign of nuc. fam. declining
increase in promiscuous behavior, crime, drug abuse, etc.
effects boys= no dad = gang crime

Question 39

what does the feminist Silva say about lone parenthood?

Answer 39

argues that media-fueled public concerns over lone mothers and the welfare state of children are an attempt to force women back into the trad. role of the housewife
sugg. such attacks are patriarchal as they challenge women’s rights to careers, to live independently from men, and raise children on their own.

Question 40

What does Heath say about young people?

Answer 40

they describe young people today are less likely to follow a traditional family route compared to other generations

Question 41

What does Weston say about the LGBTQ+?

Answer 41

argued that LGBTQ+ people use the term family to describe partnerships, parent-child relationships, and friendships
their social networks crossed household lines and embraced creativity, allowing individuals to define who was important to them and counted as family

Question 42

What did Eileen Drew say about gender regimes?

Answer 42

describes countries either use policies to promote or discourage gender equality- 2 types
1) Trad ‘familistic’= e.g. in Greece little state welfare or publicly funded childcare= women rely on ext. kin and trad division of labour
2) more equal ‘individualistic’= e.g. Sweden equal opportunities policies, state provisions of childcare, parental leave etc.
this is declining

Question 43

What is the Functionalist perspective on policies?

Answer 43

policies are good for society
Fletcher= intro of health, edu. , and housing policies since the industrial rev. - led to the welfare state- supports family working efficiently e.g. compulsory schooling

Question 44

Evaluate Functionalist perspective on policies

Answer 44

Fem + Marx - assume the march of progress
assume family benefits from social policy
overturning roe vs wade

Question 45

What is the New Right perspective on policies ?

Answer 45

gov. should favour nuclear fam
cohabitation should be discouraged
taxes + welfare for married couples
should keep fam self reliant
hate welfare state - makes lone-parenthood attractive
Saunders - gov should favour married couples over all other choices for raising children
Murray- benefits are a ‘perverse incentive’ causing a ‘dependency culture’

Question 46

Evaluate the New Right perspective on policies

Answer 46

cutting benefits would simply drive many poor families into even greater poverty
nuclear fam= socially constructed not natural
Bernardes = gov should not impose one type of fam - they should support all fam
Fem= poor attempt to get back to the trad nuclear fam- patriarchal

Question 47

What is the Feminist perspective on policies?

Answer 47

don’t benefit all members of society
lib fem- e.g. Somerville- society still patriarchal but march of progress- sex discrimination act
Rad Fem- Land- social pol assume ideal is patriarchal nuc fam - this view effects the kind of pol and pushes

Question 48

Evaluate the Feminist perspective on policies

Answer 48

Marxist- ignores capitalism
Functionalist- ignores the good the policies do

Question 49

What is the Marxist perspective on policies?

Answer 49

serves capitalism
social pol don’t benefit everyone equally
e.g. low levels of pension as evid. that once workers are too old to make profit - they are maintained at a low cost
no march of progress towards wel. pol. producing happier fam e.g thatcher years
Wilson= some pol maintain capitalism e.g. women aloud to work through WW2 = end of war 1450 full time nurseries were closed= women financially dependent on men and weakened their power in the fam

Question 50

What does Donzelot say about policies?

Answer 50

purpose of policies to control and spy on families
power held by the gov over fam
uses Foucault’s concept of surveillance
Condry =policies control family
through gov paid people e.g. doctors control fam

Question 51

What did Pilcher say about childhood ?

Answer 51

“Modern childhood is defined through separateness”- they argue that there is a clear distinct life stage separate from adults

Question 52

What does Aries say about childhood?

Answer 52

March of Progress
Middle Ages = “the idea of childhood did not exist”
children were ‘mini adults’
secondary research= paintings
children dressed similar to their parents
construction of childhood some time during the industrial revolution= restrictions on child labour= viewed as innocent and needing protection

Question 53

Evaluation of Aries

Answer 53

didn’t consider how childhood varies based on gender, ethnicity and class
based his conclusions on a small sample of untypical French aristocratic families
Pollock argues that there was a different notion of childhood from today but it existed

Question 54

What did De Mause say about childhood?

Answer 54

March of progress View
“ the further back in history one goes the lower the levels of childcare…”

Question 55

What did Hillman say about childhood?

Answer 55

boys are more likely to be allowed to cross or cycle on roads, use buses, and go out after dark

Question 56

What did Gittens say about childhood?

Answer 56

Conflict view
age patriarchy= inequalities between adults and children
points out that patriarchy means ‘ruled by the father’ over all other members of the household, including children and as women

Question 57

What did Jenks say about childhood ?

Answer 57

they argued that children are continually regulated and restricted by laws which control behaviour in public

Question 58

What did Postman say about childhood?

Answer 58

Conflict view
childhood is ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’
children are exposed to the same issues as adults and are no longer protected
2011 BBC News Report= 11-18 children concerned most with terrorism and climate change
the rise + disappearance lies in the right of print cultured (books + TV) and its replaced by TV

Question 59

What is Postman’s Theory on Information hierarchy?

Answer 59

Information hierarchy= adults had power to keep ‘adult’ things to themselves so they were innocent
However, as mass literacy, print media and television blurs the distinction between adults and children- so makes information available to all

Question 60

Evaluate Postman

Answer 60

Opie= childhood is not disappearing and that there is strong evidence of the continues existence of a separate children’s culture over the years which she argues is and will continue

Question 61

What did Palmer say about childhood?

Answer 61

Conflict View
‘toxic childhood’
rapid tech and cultural changes e.g. vid games are damaging and changes what childhood is
parents use these to keep kids occupied cuz of increase of demand on the parent lives = this deprives children a ‘proper childhood’
this creates a new ‘toxic’ gen will emerge with a range of social and behavioural problems

Question 62

Evaluation of Palmer

Answer 62

Children are still very protected today- this view assumes children are delicate and in need of protection rather than resilient