part 1 sociologists Flashcards
what does functionalist murdock say about how the nuclear family has replaced the extended family?
MURDOCK:
based on his study of the 250 societies, he assumes that;
1. families share the same household
2. families work together and pool resources
3. families reproduce
4. families have an adult male and an adult female who have a sexual relationship that is approved by wider society
However, AO3 criticism:
- people living in a commune aren’t related through kinship or marriage but they live together and share the same beliefs
- people in the Nayar tribe, which is a pre 19th century indian tribe that live in a matrifocal society where the women were entitled to 12 sexual partners and the brother had to raise the children
what does willmott and young say about how the extended family still does exist?
- there are dispersed extended families because relatives remain in frequent contact
what sociologists talk about the extended family?
CHAMBERLAIN:
- extended families still provide support which is seen through multiple nuclear families
FINCH AND MASON:
- did a study of reciprocity in 1993 (helping each other)
- found that 90% of their sample received financial help and that 50% from their sample did care for their “sick” or “elderly” kin
- but more was expected from females than males
CHEAL:
- found that the help that was offered was gendered
- women helped with the care roles
- men helped with the financial roles
what are the functions of the family according to functionalists?
MURDOCK:
1. stabilisation of the young
2. stable satisfaction of the sex drive
3. socialisation of the young
4. meeting its members economic needs
PARSONS:
1. the primary socialisation of children
2. the stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)
[ Parson’s Functional fit theory]
- the family has shifted from extended to nuclear
- the extended family was needed pre industrial times but the nuclear family better fits industrial society due to:
- a geographically mobile workforce - families move to cities for jobs so its more practical to move into smaller nuclear families
- a socially mobile workforce - achieved status and social mobility through jobs
what are the functions of the family according to marxists?
ENGELS:
1. inheritance - those who mastered the means of production were ordained by God and couldnt just let it go to ruin when they passed, so had to pass it on to maintain their wealth
- Ideology - the family justifies inequality and maintain the capitalist system
- consumption - capitalism exploits the labour of its workers and the family helps generate profit for capitalists by buying these products
ALTHUSSER: - ideological state apparatus - the family make up the ideological state apparatus as norms and values are taught to make it seem like inequality is normal which helps maintain a false class consciousness that teaches working class families that exploitation and inequality is natural
HENDERSON:
- norms about family life is presented by the media which causes parents to judge the actions of other parents, which leads to self surveillance
ZARETSKY:
- the family act as a safe haven where men can have control over their lives and reduce opposition to capitalism
what are the functions of the family according to radical feminists?
WALBY; maintain patriarchy in six ways:
1. domestic labour - triple shift
- paid work - gender pay gap = 13.1%
- the state - create policies that idolise the traditional nuclear family
- physical violence - 96% of victims of DV are women
- women and girl’s sexuality are limited - through double standards
- the media - sexualisation and objectification
OAKLEY:
1. gender socialisation: family teach gender socialisation through canalisation (gendered toys that channel interests) and manipulation (parents deter/encourage behaviour from their children to learn their gender)
what do liberal feminists say about the family?
WILKINSON:
women have more opportunity to work due to:
1. feminisation of the workforce - 1975 Equal pay Act
- changing aspirations (sharpe)
2. gender quake
- more women in typically masculine roles
SOMMERVILLE:
there has been a lot of progress made for women:
- better jobs
- access to divorce
- control over their fertility
what are the functions of the family according to marxist feminists?
- women reproduce the labour force
- women are a reserve army of cheap labour
ANSLEY:
- women absorb anger
- “women are takers of shit”
DELPHY AND LEONARD:
- women provide a “safety valve”
- women release tension and pressure that men experience to keep the family together
what are the functions of the family according to the new right?
new right conservative view of the family include:
1. The division of labour should be biological, e.g, men performing the instrumental reol and women performing the expressive role
2. Families need to be self reliant e.g, not depending on the welfare state
what are some family policies that the new right criticise?
- Same sex marriage - as it undermines the traditional nuclear family
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act - as it makes it easier to end a relationship, undermining stability
what new right sociologist criticises family policies?
CHARLES MURRAY:
- argues that many social policies rewards anti social behaviour because they offer perverse incentives (reward for ant social behaviour)
- argues that it breeds a dependency culture
- argues that there is a new “underclass” who are welfare scroungers
- fathers are more likely to abandon their responsibilities as they know mothers will get help from the state
- discourages work ethic
- lone parents will claim the most benefits
what are some social policies to do with the family
Cons - Thatcher and Major
1. CHILD BENEFITS = payment to support families in poverty
2. 1991 MARITAL RAPE ACT = made it illegal to have sex with your partner if they don’t consent
3. BACK TO BASICS CAMPAIGN = targeted lone parent families to reduce state dependency
New Labour
1. EVERY CHILD MATTERS = increases safeguarding and child protection services
2. NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
3. WORKING FAMILY TAX CREDIT = money from the gov that you dont taxed on for both working parents that you can help to pay for childcare
coalition gov
1. CAPPING CHILD BENEFITS = only 2 children
2. MARRIAGE TAX ALLOWANCE = personal allowance is transferred to the partner and whoever earns more transfers, saving the family on tax
3. SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE = enhances gender equality
contemporary
1. DIVORCE ABUSE ACT 2022 = more funding for domestic violence victims
2. DIVORCE< DISSOLUTION AND SEPARATION ACT 2022 = made divorce quicker
3. UNIVERSAL CREDIT = a monthly benefit you can claim if you have low income , but also lead to a lot of cuts in benefits
what do feminists say about family policies?
policies are patriarchal
LAND:
- many state policies promote the patriarchal nuclear family
LEONARD:
- even policies that appear to be supporting women are just controlling them
what do marxists say about family policies?
exploits working class women at work ( 15+ hrs childcare) and upholds capitalism (increasing retirement age)
what do functionalists say about family policies?
the policies enable society to function, maintain social cohesion and organic analogy
FLETCHER:
- the development of the welfare state enables the family to perform its functions effectively
what do new right say about family policies?
dont like the dependency culture and moderniser policies such as equal pay act and same sex marriage act
