FAMILY THEORIES Flashcards
What are the theories for family? (6)
- Functionalism
- Feminism
- Marxism
- PLP
- New right
- Radical psychiatry
List all the types of family? (11)
Define the nuclear family?
1)
- Cereal packet family
- privatised nuclear family
- nuclear family
- Classic extended family
- Modified extended family
- Empty nest household
- Lone parent family
- Cohabitation
- Same sex family
- Bean pole family
- Reconstituated family
2) Two generation family consisting of a man, woman and their children
FUNCTIONALIST
What do functionalists believe about the family?
How do functionalist see the nuclear family?
1) Functionalist see the family as a universal institution that performs essential functions for society as a whole + all its members.
2) Functionalists believe the NF is the heart of society + the basic building block of society as they produce the next gen + socialise children.
FUNCTIONALIST
What does Murdock believe about the nuclear family?
What were the 4 universal functions Murdock believed the NF performed?
1) He believes the NF is universal - found in all societies.
2)
- Sexual (stable satisfaction of sex drive)
- Reproductive (essential for society to continue)
- Economic (family provides for essential needs)
- Socialisation (create stable society through value consensus)
FUNCTIONALISM
What is Parson’s ‘functional fit theory’ based on?
What are the 2 family types Parson speaks about?
1) Functions that the family performs depends on the type of society it’s in + this will affect the shape/size of the family.
2)
- Nuclear family
- Extended family
FUNCTIONALISM
What society does the NF fit?
What society does the extended family fit?
1) The NF fits into the needs of a modern industrial society.
- easier to move (for jobs) as 2 generations.
- NF helps people be socially mobile mobile (no need to depend on extended family’s ascribed status).
2) The extended family fits into the pre-industrial society.
- extended family required to help on the land/babysit.
- extended family was multi-functional as family members would perform health functions/socialisation functions.
FUNCTIONALISM
What are the 2 functions the nuclear family performs according to Parsons?
1) Primary socialisation of children
- socialisation that takes place in early years of childhood - learning society norms + values
2) Socialisation of adult personalities
- emotional security provided for each other, to reduce the effects of stress from work.
FUNCTIONALISM
Strengths? (2)
Weaknesses? (2)
1)
- highlights practicality of the NF / how it helps keeps society stable.
- Highlights that the family is the foundation / building block of society.
2)
- oppresses + exploits women
- doesn’t consider any form of diversity.
RADICAL PSYCHIATRY
What does it focus on?
Focuses on how the family causes mental illness. They see the family as ‘pathological’ to society.
RADICAL PSYCHIATRY
What does E.R. Leach believe about family?
What does R.D. Laing believe about family?
What does D. Cooper believe about family?
1) E.R. Leach claims the NF is too isolated from wider family ties, which causes frustration that parents take out on their children.
2) R.D. Laing argues that the family can cause mental illness; ‘emotional pressure cookers’
- family spends too much time with each other - parents emotionally suffocate children with their high expectations.
3) D. Cooper argues that children are ‘trained’ to be obedient.
- when they go to work they are easy to control because they have been socialised (brainwashed) to respect authority.
RADICAL PSYCHIATRY
2 Criticisms of radical psychiatry?
1)
- offers a negative / bleak view of the NF.
- tends to ignore positive aspects (extended family support).
NEW RIGHT
What is the new rights view on family? (include 4 examples the NR dislikes)
The new right opposes the rise of other family types and favours the traditional NF
- believes lone parents are unnatural + harmful (burden on welfare state).
- disapproval of women working.
- disapprove of cohabitation.
- believes divorce creates family instability.
NEW RIGHT
What is the new rights solution to decline in family values? (3)
1) Cut welfare benefits (reduce dependency culture).
2) Offer tax incentives to married couples (encourage family traditions).
3) return to traditional family values.
MARXISM
What do marxism beliefs about family?
What are 3 functions family performs according to marxists?
1) believes the NF performs important function to support the capitalist system.
2)
- inheritance to property
- ideological functions
- unit of consumption
MARXISM
explain ‘inheritance of property’?
explain ‘ideological functions’?
explain ‘unit of consumption’?
1) Marxists believes before capitalism everyone lived as ‘promisciuous hordes’ and everything was shared.
Whereas in capitalism people had commitments and they own means of productions - they also pass their property onto their heirs.
2) Marxists believe the NF teach a set of R.C. beliefs which help justify capitalism + inequality - they cushion the effect of capitalism.
3) Marxists believe the family provides an important source of profit for business as they buy + consume lots of factory products.
- advertisers create false needs + encourage a materialistic/consumerist attitude - brainwashes families into buying good so that they become wealthier + their hard earned wages goes back into the R.C.
MARXISM
2 Criticisms of marxism?
1) Marxists ignore diversity of family structures in society, only focus on NF.
2) Functionalist would argue that marxists ignore the benefits the family provides.
PLP
What is the PLP approach to family?
What do Badger + Luckmann believe about the family?
What does Morgan suggest?
1) Believes in family diversity, and that family has a wide definition. It focuses on the meanings people give to relationships.
2) Badger + Luckmann believe that the family is a product of social construction but it can actually be anything we want it to be.
3) Morgan believe there’s a wide definition of family. Family brings us a sense of security + belonging.
PLP
What is the PLP approach?
What does PLP count as family? (5)
Criticism? (1)
Strength? (1)
1) They argue we must focus on the meanings people give to relationships.
2) - friends
- fictive kin (mums bsf = auntie)
- gay/lesbian ‘chosen families’
- dead relatives
- pet
3) too broad of a view (anything can be family)
4) recognise biological relationships aren’t always positive.
FEMINISM
What is the feminist perspective on family?
Define the term ‘dual burden’?
Define the term ‘triple shift’?
1) Feminist see the family as perpetuating patriarchy + women suffer exploitation in the family.
2) refers to the idea that women are responsible for 2 jobs:
- paid work
- domestic labour
3) refers to the idea that women are responsible for 3 jobs:
- paid work
- domestic labour
- emotional work
FEMINISM - LIBERAL
What do liberal feminists believe about the family?
What did Sue Sharpe find?
Weakness? (1)
Strength? (1)
1) There is a ‘March of Progress’ in both the family/society - there has been gradual progress for women. Men do more domestic labour due to women working. Children are being socialised more equally.
2) Sue Sharpe believes women/girl’s ambitions have changed + they’re more interested in education + employment. This has led to ‘feminisation of the economy’.
3) fails to challenge underlying causes of women’s oppression.
4) highlights improvements.
FEMINISM - RADICAL
What do radical feminists believe about the family?
What did Dobash + Dobash conclude?
1) Radicals believe men in the family benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour + sexual services + men dominate through domestic and sexual violence.
- believe the family must be abolished as this is the root of women’s oppression.
2) They concluded that women were often victims of rape/murder/assault. Men were often resorted to violence when they felt their authority was being challenged.
FEMINISM - RADICAL
What did Pahl + Volger believe?
Strength? (1)
Criticism? (1)
1) believe men control women through finances - women cannot leave their husbands for fear that she has no way of financially supporting herself.
2) they gain attention + are aggressive.
3) fails to recognise women’s position in society has improved.
FEMINISM - MARXISM
What is the marxist feminist beliefs about the family?
What are the 3 main functions women perform for capitalism?
1) They believe women’s oppression stems from capitalism not men. They believe women perform 3 main functions.
2) - women produce the labour force
- women absorb the anger/frustration of men
- women are a reserve army of cheap labour
FEMINISM - MARXISM
Explain ‘women produce the labour force’?
Explain ‘women absorb the anger of men’?
Explain ‘women are a reserve army of cheap labour’?
1) Women have children + socialise them into values of hierarchy + obedience - creates the next gen of capitalist workers.
2) Fran Ansley says women are ‘takers of shit’ as men are exploited at work, when they return home, they can regain their authority by exploiting their wives.
3) When extra employee’s are needed, she can be employed cheaply + let go when not needed.
