Outline and discuss the view that the nuclear family is the ideal family type Flashcards
the nuclear family is the ideal family type point 1
New Right thinkers see the family as the cornerstone of society. They also see a ‘normal’ and ‘ideal’ family as the heterosexual nuclear family unit. They see the family structure changes as a concern about the state of the family.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type example 1
Dennis and Erdos (1992) identified the rise in the number of children brought up without fathers as a worrying development. These children were invariably associated with antisocial behavior, criminality, delinquency, educational under-achievement and related social problems in greater proportions than their equivalent peers brought up in two-parent households.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type counter 1
Dennis and Edros have been criticised for generally underplaying the role of poverty and overlooking /ignoring the low levels of income experienced by lone parent families.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type point 2
Functionalists see the nuclear family is the ideal institution to perform the essential functions in industrial society which are The primary socialization of children and the stabilization of adult personalities.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type example 2
Parsons identified that the nuclear family is ideal for molding the child’s personality to fit the needs of society. This is the process of primary socialization that takes place in the early years of childhood. It also provides children with economic support, provides the economy with workers and also plays a central role as consumers of the material goods and services produced by the economy. It also provides a relaxing environment for the male worker to immerse himself in after a long day at work, which links to the stabilization of adult personalities. Finally it defines what socially acceptable behavior with regard to sex is and regulates behavior such as dating, pre-marital sex, marital sex and extra-marital sex.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type counter 2
Interpretive sociologists argue that functionalists concentrate too much on the importance of the family for society and ignore the meaning family life has for individuals - for example, the way individuals make sense of the world around them through other family members.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type point 3
In general terms functionalists see the nuclear family structure as most functional for the needs of individuals and society.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type example 3
Murdock argues “No society has succeeded in finding an adequate substitute for the nuclear family, to which it might transfer its functions. It is highly doubtful whether any society will ever succeed in such an attempt.”
the nuclear family is the ideal family type counter 3
Marxists argue that society is shaped by the needs of the capitalist economy and that the nuclear family exists to service these needs rather than those of its members. It is the dominant class in capitalist societies who benefit most from the way families are organized rather than society as a whole.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type point 4
New Right thinkers have pointed to the changes in the family away from the nuclear family as an indicator of a decline in moral standards.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type example 4
Murray has suggested that single parents are at the heart of a so-called ‘underclass’ that has appeared in the inner city and which is supposedly socializing its children into a culture revolving around crime and delinquency, anti-authority, anti-work and anti-family life.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type counter 4
Chester maintains that the dominant ideology which stresses the nuclear family ideal leads to negative labeling of one parent families by social agencies such as teachers, social workers, housing departments, police and courts which may result in a self fulfilling prophecy. He rejects the New Right assertion that inferior parenting is the cause of problems with children.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type intro
The nuclear family is small and compact in structure, it is composed of a mother, father and usually two or three children, who are biologically related and who share common residence. It has very conventional values,and is often seen as the only natural way to live and as the ‘perfect’ type of family.
the nuclear family is the ideal family type conclusion
In conclusion, the view the nuclear family is the ideal family type is actually incorrect, in recent years new family types have emerged in society that are equally as able to function as the nuclear family and do not represent the death of families. For example Nicholson contrasts the nuclear family with ‘alternative’ families, she believes alternates can often be better than the nuclear family for certain people, as their values will match more
