Family Perspectives

Question 1

Murdock

Answer 1

The family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members which are sexual, reproduction, socialisation and economic

Question 2

Murdock evaluation

Answer 2

Murdock accepts that other institutions could perform these functions however he argues that the nuclear family meets these needs in the most practical way
Critics argue that other family structures meet these functions and question the ‘rose tinted’ consensus assumption that all nuclear families carry out these functions

Question 3

Parsons functional fit theory

Answer 3

The particular structure of a given family type will fit the needs of the society in which it is found. Reflecting this he argues that when a society changes from a traditional one to a modern one the family changes on two levels:
Structure changes from extended to nuclear
Loses many of its functions

Question 4

Needs of industrial society

Answer 4

A geographically mobile workforce: parsons argues that it is easier for the compact two generational nuclear family to be mobile and move around the country for work than it would be for a large three generational extended family
A socially mobile workforce: tensions and conflicts would emerge if a socially mobile younger generation achieving a higher status than their parents lived at home

Question 5

What are the two ‘basic and irreducible functions’ of familt according to Parsons

Answer 5

The primary socialisation of children: families are factories which produce human personalities. He claims children’s personalities are structured through the internalisation of their society’s culture. Children absorb the norms and values of society
Stabilisation of adult personality: once the personality is established it must be kept stable. Adults need emotional security and this is seen as being best achieved through marital relationships and parental roles

Question 6

Young and Willmott ‘mum centred’ working class extended families

Answer 6

Extended families did not cut ties following industrialisation. The hardship of this time gave rise to ‘mum centred’ working class families where mothers and their married daughters relied on eachother for financial, practical and emotional support.

Question 7

Functionalist criticism

Answer 7

Issues of conflict, violence and exploitation of women are ignored
They assume that all families and their members are passive puppets manipulated by society to perform certain functions

Question 8

Zaretsky (warm bath theory variation)

Answer 8

In a capitalist society work is alienating and exploitive and this leads to feelings of discontentment. The family is therefore put on a pedestal as it satisfies the need for control and fulfilment that cannot be gained elsewhere. The workers can then return to work happy feeling the relief of exercising control over the family

Question 9

Family as a unit of consumption

Answer 9

Before the emergence of capitalism the family was a unit of production, however it is now a unit of consumption. Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by consuming all the latest products. The media targets children who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to buy more

Question 10

Inheritance (Engles)

Answer 10

Family have an economic function to keep wealth within the bourgeoisie by passing it on to next generation as inheritance
Because of inheritance there was a rise in monogamous nuclear family. Men needed to be sure that the children his wife raised were his own. This brought female sexuality under male control

Question 11

Evaluation of Marxist perspective

Answer 11

Marxists assume that the nuclear family is dominant in a capitalist society, ignoring the wide variety of family structures found in society today
Functionalists argue they ignore the real benefits of family
Assumes family members are passive puppets and that men are the breadwinners

Question 12

Liberal feminism

Answer 12

The two most effective ways to promote gender equality is to change attitudes through socialisation and pass legislation to outlaw discrimination
They believe full equality hasn’t been achieved but but they acknowledge progression holding the view of ‘March of Progress’

Question 13

Liberal feminist criticism

Answer 13

Criticised by other feminists for failing to challenge the underlying causes of women’s oppression and believing that changes in law or in attitudes will be enough to bring equality. Marxist and radical feminists believe far reaching changes to deep-rooted social structures are needed

Question 14

Marxist feminism

Answer 14

The main cause of women’s oppression is capitalism
Women serve capitalism by reproducing the labour force through their unpaid domestic labour and act as a safety valve by absorbing the anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism

Question 15

Ansley

Answer 15

Wives are ‘takers of shit’ who soak up legitimate frustration and anger that their husbands feel because of exploitation they suffer at work. This explains domestic violence against women

Question 16

Mitchell

Answer 16

Women are a reserve army of cheap labour that can be exploited depending on the needs of the economy. Full gender equality in the labour market can only be achieved if women are freed from their domestic responsibilities

Question 17

Radical feminists

Answer 17

Patriarchy causes women’s oppression. Key divisions in society are between men and women arguing:
Men are the enemy
The family and marriage are patriarchal institutions- men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services and they dominate women through domestic violence or the threat of it

Question 18

Dobash and Dobash

Answer 18

Widespread domestic violence as an inevitable feature of patriarchal society arguing that it serves to preserve the power that men have over women

Question 19

Pahl

Answer 19

The legitimisation of domestic violence by wider society is clear in the denial that it’s incidence is rare, that it is confined to certain groups etc

Question 20

Political lesbianism

Answer 20

Heterosexual relationships are inevitably oppressive as they involve ‘sleeping with the enemy’
Radical feminists believe that the family needs to be abolished as it is at the root of oppression

Question 21

Difference feminism

Answer 21

Believe it is wrong to generalise in the way liberal, Marxist and radical feminism do arguing that all women have different experiences depending on social class, ethnicity and sexuality