Family theories and policies qs Flashcards
Identify three functions that families were stripped of due to specialisation and structural differentiation
Education acts as a form of socialisation for children taking the sole focus of socialisation away from the family
Healthcare and welfare takes away the families traditional role of caring for the sick
In pre industrial societies families were units of economic production with members working together on small scale crafts. Industrialisation led to wage Labour outside the home reducing the families role in economic production and making it more geographically mobile
What family problems do functionalists ignore in their analysis
Functionalists assume the nuclear family is the ideal and most functional family type which ignores the rise of same sex families, cohabitation and single parent households
How, according to Marxists, does the family support capitalism
Engels argued that the nuclear family developed to ensure private property and wealth was passed down through generations
Wealthy families keep their assets within the ruling class, maintaining class division and preventing wealth redistribution
Identify two criticisms of the Marxist perspective of the family
Marxists focus on maintenance of capitalism and overlook its positive aspects. They fail to recognise the families role in providing support, stability and socialisation.
Engles idea of property inheritance assumes that the nuclear family is the dominant model and fails to recognise family diversity
Explain why marxist feminists are critical of the family
Women are exploited by capitalism and patriarchy in the family by their unpaid domestic labour supporting capitalism. Benston argues that women’s unpaid domestic work helps to sustain the workforce without pay. By raising caring for the next generation of workers at no cost women are providing cheap Labour that benefits capitalism
Explain why radical feminists are critical of the family
Radical feminists highlight domestic violence as tools used by men to control women within the home
Dobash and Dobash found that marriage legitimated male violence against women as traditional gender roles give them power over their wives
Contrast the New Right with the postmodern views on family
The new right support traditional family structures seeing it as an ideal for stability in society.They are particularly critical of lone mother households arguing boys need a positive male role model in order to avoid delinquency
However postmodernists emphasise family diversity and see individuals as disembedded from traditional norms. Stacey argues families are now fluid and shaped by personal choice
Outline two examples of Conservative policies from the 1980s-90s that affected family life
Child support agency 1993 aimed to make absent parents (usually fathers) financially responsible for their children rather than relying on welfare
The married tax allowance encouraged marriage by giving the incentive of giving a portion of personal tax allowance to a spouse
Outline two criticisms of feminist views of the family
Feminists focus too much on gender inequality as the main source of oppression and ignore other factors of class, ethnicity and sexuality
They overgeneralise women’s experience in the family and fails to recognise that many families are symmetrical
What was New Labour’s attitude towards family diversity
New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had a pragmatic and inclusive approach to family diversity. While they upheld traditional family values they also recognised and supported increased family diversity.
Identify two policies that reflect New Labour’s attitude
Civil partnership act 2004 gave same sex couples legal recognition and many of the same rights as heterosexual couples
Adoption and Children Act 2002 allowed unmarried couples, including same sex couples to adopt children
Outline the Coalition’s attitude towards marriage
The coalition government supported marriage as an institution strongly and made policies focused on promoting it l. For example the Marriage tax allowance encouraged marriage by allowing married couples to transfer a portion of their personal tax allowance to their spouse
Suggest one policy that promotes a traditional view of families and one that endorses diversity
Marriage Tax Allowance 2015 promoted traditional views of the family by encouraging marriage through the incentive of being able to transfer a portion of personal tax allowance to a spouse
Same sex couples marriage act 2013 legalised same sex marriage encouraging family diversity
