family pt 1 Flashcards
most common type of family
2 generational heterosexual nuclear family
types of extended family include
vertical- 3 generations
horizontal-children with spouses
attenuated- close proximity, strong contact, moral support, duty obligation
non family household example
single person
students sharing
commune kibbutz Israel
describe the functionalist account of family
family exists family must have a purpose
nuclear family is universal, and important for stability and social order in society
name relevant functionalists
murdock
tacott parsons
name murdocks arugument
universality of family argument
explain universality of family argument
nuclear family is universal and has 4 basic purposes
-reproductive
-sexual regulation
-economic - parents take responsibility of children
-educational - parents socialise children of norms
criticism- fails to take into account increasing diversity of family, assumes heterosexual orientation in central to family
what does talcott parsons argue
socio economic change associated with industrialisation and modernisation shaped family structures and and relationships
who argues pre industrial societies composed of extended families and why
list the functions
talcott parsons
functional for farming and hunting gathering
pre industrial families were multi functional units
functions-
- meeting basic needs of extended family
-education of children in whatever family specialised in
- responsibility of health, absence of universal healthcare system,
-responsibility of elderly disabled
-pursuing vendettas to seek revenge absence of criminal justice system
what did parsons say about the decline of extended family and growth of nuclear family
5 fundamental changes
- geographically mobile workforce, because industrial jobs
-social mobility, improve materially oldest male was ascribed head, but not suitable here, most skilled is head, meritocratic
-individuals more independent less prone to social pressure, ascribed roles conflict with role required for competitive industry
-wage earners saw distinction in work life and home life, more institutions like hospitals, insurance came to take role of family
-industrialisation encouraged the development of the bureaucratic state which took responsibility in regulating relationships
argues extended families would hinder industrial growth
the two irreducible functions of the nuclear family
and according to whom
primary socialisation of children and stabilisation of adult personalities
parsons
explain primary socialisation of childrens as per parsons
children should be socialised into core cultural values of industrial capitalist societies like
-achievement
-competition
-equality of opportunity
-respect for private property
this encourages value consensus and social solidarity
explain parsons stabilisation of adult personality
to cope with stressful modern life family acts as warm bath breadwinning man.
provides emotional security and therapeutic need to be able behave in a childish manner not accepted in formal workplace
roles of males and females according to parsons
male - instrumental leader
head of household, wage earner, protection
female - expressive leader
mother wife socilaise children, provide emotional needs care for family
2 appreciation of functionalist theory of family
first to point out universality of 2 generational nuclear family
many state policies initiatives aimed at regulating family life in industrial societies have functionalist origins
9 criticism of functionalist theory of family
- ronald fletcher- parsons wrong to suggest loss of functions, nuclear family despite losing production is unit of consumption that motivated workers to earn more. other roles like education, healthcare still are performed, the gov only supplements it
- failed to recognise, migration and increasing diversity of families, nuclear family no longer as dominant
- interactionists argue parsons neglected free will, children are not empty vessols, socialisation is a 2 way street. parsons is overdeterministic
- industrialsation in different places was different for example in japan loyalty to company and value like extended family was emphasised,
isolated nuclear family was nor prevalent - industrialisation took off due to nuclear family and not vice versa
- industrialisation and global migration increased the need for extended family support
- parsons was too positive, femenists agrgue families can often be dysfunctional, places of abuse
8.theory is ethnocentric, assumes American experience is universal. not relavent in multicultural societies. religion wealth or poverty aslo determined whether women worked or not, how big a family was
9, femenists argue that theory is patriarchal and justifies misogyny and sexism
who argues against parsons loss of functions in nuclear family
ronald fletcher
name marxists that theorised on family
eli zaretsky
freidrich engels
explain friedrich engels theory
family, bourgeoisie and private property- he speculated that-
humanity can be divided into era of primitive communism and capitalism
in the era of primitive communism humans lived in promiscuous herds, no concept of private property
era of capitalism
nuclear family is based on monogamy, to ensure private property and wealth is passed on to legitimate offspring. advantageous to the bourgeoisies
appreciation of engels
anthropologists suggest primitive societies like chimpanzees lived in promiscuous herds
criticism of engels
feminist point that is simply speculation
strong evidence that nuclear family existed pre capitalism
explain eli zaretsky
nuclear family part of superstructure as an ideological agency to reproduce and legitimise inequality and capitalism to benefit bourgeoisie
4 key points of eli zaretsky
1.family as an agent of socialisation socialises children into passively accepting capitalism turning them into falsely conscious worker uncritically accepting inequality and conformity
- critical of parsons stabilisation of adult personality theory. it is rather sinister, men take out frustration from alienation on wives and children, worker also unlikely do things threatening income
ford in 1980 hired only married men - extended family deliberately discouraged to reduce mutual support and eliminate socialist ideas
- family as an unit of consumerism supports capitalism, materialism distracts workers from unjust capitalism
who said capitalism stripped workers of dignity
fran ansley
who said profitability capitalism depends on families spending money on false needs
neo marxist herbert marcuse
strengths of marxist theories
questioned notion that family is always good for society, unit of consumption necessary for capitalism
criticism of marxists theories
interactionists argue marxists are overdeterministic do not account for free will. marxists do not consider that some working class parents may resist capitalism
fails to consider how individuals interpret families many find it very emotionally satisfying
feminists point out economic reductionism, see women experience solely based on class fail to consider patriarchy, ethnicity religion on women’s experience of family
feminists say marxism is an outdated theory not talking account women progress in education and industry
