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Sociology - Families And Households > Functions of the family (theories) > Flashcards

Functions of the family (theories) Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is a household?

A

A group of people living together, they don’t have to have kinship ties.

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2
Q

What is a family?

A

A group of people who live together, who are related/are kinship.

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3
Q

What is a nuclear family?

A

2 generations living together.

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4
Q

What is a traditional extended family?

A

3+ generations living together.

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5
Q

What is an attenuated extended family?

A

Nuclear family that don’t live together, but they keep in regular contact.

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6
Q

What is a lone-parent family?

A

A single parent and dependent child(ren).

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7
Q

What is a reconstituted family?

A

Step-families brought together from previous families.

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8
Q

What is a same-sex family?

A

2 parents/people of the same sex living together with children.

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9
Q

What different perspectives on the family are there?

A
  1. Functionalist.
  2. Marxist.
  3. Feminist.
  4. Personal life.
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10
Q

What do functionalists say the function of the family is?

A
  1. To meed the needs of the sub-systems.

2. Performs positive functions both for wider society and all it’s members.

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11
Q

Who are the 2 main functionalists?

A
  1. Murdoch - 1949.

2. Parsons - 1955.

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12
Q

What does Murdoch say the family does for society?

A
  1. Stable satisfaction of the sex drive =

controls the sexual relationships of it’s members.

  1. Reproduction of the next generation =

provides new members of society.

  1. Socialisation of the young =

primary socialisation of children, they fit into societies shared norms and values.

  1. Meets it’s members economic needs =

provides resources and shelter for all it’s members.

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13
Q

What criticisms are there for Murdoch?

A
  1. Marxists =

it only meets the needs of capitalism, not all it’s members.

  1. Feminists =

family meets the needs of men, and oppresses women.

3 Both Marxism and feminism =

functionalists neglect conflict and exploitation in society.

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14
Q

What did Parsons propose?

A

Functional fit =

the structure and purpose of a type of family ‘fits’ the society in which it is found.

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15
Q

What is an example of the functional fit that Parsons uses?

A
  • Pre-industrialisation =

extended families met the agricultural needs of society.

  • Industrialisation =

the new society had different needs, the nuclear family met theses needs.

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16
Q

What are the needs of the industrial society?

A
  1. A geographically mobile workforce.

2. A socially mobile workforce.

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17
Q

How are nuclear families more geographically mobile?

A

Nuclear families are easier to move in order to find jobs, they have to move to get work.

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18
Q

How are nuclear families more socially mobile?

A
  • Pre-industrialisation =

rewarded the oldest male the highest status (ascribed).

  • Industrialisation =

rewarded skills with the highest status (achieved), so the nuclear family avoids the conflict of the males.

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19
Q

How has industrialisation replaced the functions that the family performs?

A

1). Extended families performed many functions (education, nursing, etc), but industrialisation built institutions to do this.

So, the nuclear family only performs 2 main functions;

  • Primary socialisation = equip the next generation with skills and value consensus.
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities = return from work to relax, allows more efficient workforce.
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20
Q

What are the criticisms of Parsons?

A
  1. He overlooks negative aspects of the family (domestic violence).
  2. The extended family may not have been dominant in pre-industrial society.
21
Q

How are the proletariat exploited by the bourgeoisie?

A
  • Bourgeoisie =

own the means of production (land, factories, etc).

  • Proletariat =

own their labour, but sell it to the bourgeoisie for wages –> capitalists can exploit them in order to gain a profit.

22
Q

What do Marxists say the function of the family is?

A

It’s an oppressive system that performs several important functions for capitalism.

23
Q

Contrast the Marxist perspective with functionalists?

A

Both are structural views;

  • Functionalists = family maintains the social system, whilst socialising the young.
  • Marxists = family maintains societies exploitation, whilst legitimising inequality.
24
Q

Who are the 3 main Marxists?

A
  1. Engels.
  2. Zaretsky.
  3. Poulantzas.
25
Q

What does Engels say the purpose of the family is?

A

Inheritance of property =

family developed so men could be certain that they would have children to pass their wealth onto.

  • Also meant mean had full control over women’s sexuality.
26
Q

How does Zaretsky say the family legitimises inequality?

A

Family allows people to be ‘themselves’, distracting their attention from exploitation.

27
Q

How does Poulantzas describe the family as part of the ISA?

A

Family is controlled by the bourgeoisie and used to create values, attitudes and beliefs which support the capitalist system and the position of the ruling-class.

28
Q

How is the family a unit of consumption?

A

Capitalism needs consumers to buy its products. The family is an important market which are subjected to adverts, promoting consumerism, gaining a profit for capitalists.

29
Q

How does David Cooper support Poulantzas?

A

Sees the family as an ‘ideological conditioning device’ =

children learn to conform to authority so they will become cooperative and easily exploited workers.

30
Q

What are the criticisms of Marxism?

A
  1. They assume the nuclear family is dominant in society –> ignores other forms of the family.
  2. Some families are anti-capitalist and socialise their children into the beliefs which are critical of capitalism.
31
Q

How do feminists criticise Marxists?

A

Neglect the exploitation of women =

say the family serves the interests of men rather than capitalists.

32
Q

How do functionalists criticise Marxists?

A

Argue that Marxists ignore the benefits that the family provides, such as; intimacy and mutual support.

33
Q

How do Postmodernists criticise Marxists?

A

Say they ignore the varieties of family types in society (diversity).

34
Q

What is the fundamental principles of feminism?

A

There is a conflict in society between men and women.

  • Women are exploited by men.
  • Society is patriarchal, men have more power than women and shape how society is run.
35
Q

How does the principles of feminism apply to the family?

A

1) . The family is patriarchal –> so oppresses women.
2) . They point out domestic violence which mainly affects women.
3) . They see the family having clear gender inequalities.

36
Q

Name a liberal feminists?

A

Somerville (2000) =

believes women are still disadvantaged in the family, but accepts that progress has been made.

37
Q

What type of view does liberal feminists take about the family?

A

‘March of progress’ =

there has been gradual improvement for gender inequality.

  • Women have much more choice about whether to marry.
  • Greater equality within marriages.
  • Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
38
Q

What do liberal feminists believe about the family?

A

Believe the family is democratic, but full gender equality is yet to be achieved.

39
Q

How do other feminists criticise the liberal feminist view?

A
  1. Say they fail to challenge women’s oppression.

2. Say that they shouldn’t believe policies have led to greater equality.

40
Q

What do Marxist feminists believe the cause of women’s oppression is within the family?

A

Capitalism =

women serve the needs of capitalism.

41
Q

What functions does women’s oppression perform for capitalism?

A
  1. Reproduce labour forces =

through unpaid socialisation of the young (next generation of workers).

  1. Women absorb men’s anger =

women soak up men’s anger from exploitation and alienation from capitalism, that would over wise be directed at the capitalist system.

  1. Women are a ‘reserve army’ of cheap labour =

when not needed, women return to their domestic role.

42
Q

What do radical feminists believe the cause of women’s oppression is within the family?

A

Patriarchy =

family is male dominated, and this oppresses women.

43
Q

What do radical feminists believe about the family?

A
  • Men are the enemy; source of oppression and exploitation.
  • Men benefit from unpaid domestic labour and sexual services.
  • Men dominate women through violence, or the threat of it.
44
Q

What does Germaine Greer say about the solution to this patriarchy is?

A

Political lesbianism =

women should separate from the enemy –> resulting in the family being abandoned.

45
Q

What do difference feminists argue about the family?

A
  • Most feminist perspectives come from a white perspective.

- Not all women experience the same oppression in the family, and some don’t experience oppression at all.

46
Q

What do difference feminists say about black families?

A

The black family is positive =

it’s a source of support in a racist society.

  • Many white feminists neglect the racial oppression of black women.
47
Q

How is feminism criticised?

A
  1. Assume the nuclear family is dominant =

ignore the increasing diversity of different family types.

  1. They are all structural theories =

assume that family members are ‘passive puppets’ manipulated by the structure of society to perform certain functions.

48
Q

Do personal life perspective…

A

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Sociology - Families And Households (15 decks)

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