Family Theorists Flashcards
Functionalism, Durkheim
Collective Conscience = a shared sense of norms and values. We need this for society to run smoothly
Functionalism, Murdoch
4 functions of the nuclear family:
- economic support
- emotional support
- primary socialisation
- reproduction
overall meaning that the nuclear family is necessary because it was found in 250 societies across the world
Functionalism, Parsons
The family our personality factors because they supply primary socialisation.
He also said that the family provides a warm, loving stable environment, which he called warm bath theory.
The family acts as a bridge between the family and the wider society.
women play the expressive role and men the breadwinner role
Functionalism, Cheal
families have a responsibility to make sure every child grows up happy, strong, confident, smart, etc
Functionalism, Compte
Organic Analogy = society is like a human body, everything has a function in order for society to run smoothly
New Right, Murray
underclass = single mothers often socialised their children into incorrect norms and values as they didn’t have male role models for there children. Murray said they were involved in crime and drugs and were reliant on the welfare state
Marxism, Karl Marx
the family passes on norms & values that benefit the ruling class and serve to keep a status quo (existing situation). The working class is in a state of false class consciousness which means they don’t know there being exploited because the family is an ideological state apparatus because it passes on norms and values of the ruling class (capitalism)
Marxism, Engles
The family exists to pass on property down generations, It also exists to control women and protect property
Marxism, Zaretsky
The family is used to ‘prop up’ capitalism, as male working-class workers go home where they can feel powerful and have control.
They also buy consumer good which they made, so the profit goes back into capitalism
Marxism, Althusser
the family is a way of passing the ideology and beliefs of the ruling class. It is an ideological state apparatus.
Marxism Feminists, Ansley
women are the takers of shit
the emotional support that wives provide helps to support the husband’s frustration comes from the stress of working within a capitalist system
Marxism Feminists, Beechy
the housewife carries out 2 functions:
- to provide care for current and future workers
- to be a cheap reserve army of labour
Radical Feminists, Delphy & Leonard
the families role is to maintain patriarchy and the family is an economic system whereby men benefit at the expense of women
Liberal Feminists, Pantazis and Ruspini
they believe that within western societies women still do the majority of the housework, however they acknowledge there have been improvements within work and education.
Women’s health is generally worse than men’s
Postmodernists, Allan and Crow
suggest that there used to be a clear pattern of growing up, leaving home, getting married, etc. However, there is now not a clear pattern
