Perspectives Flashcards
(Functionalism) = What kind of perspective is functionalism?
- A structural consensus theory
- Society shapes the individual and based on the value consensus of a shared set of norms and values
(Functionalism) = What is family in society?
- Functionalists regard society as a system made up of different sub-systems
- Family is a vital organ in society acting as a building block of society
(Functionalism) = What is social solidarity and how does it occur?
- Social solidarity must occur for society to functional which is the connectedness of individuals with one another to meet it’s members needs
- This occurs through social institutions and is one of the key ways it is formed
(Functionalism) = What is a functional prerequisite?
- Functionalists believe that societies have functional prerequisites which are basic needs which need to be met in order for society to survive
(Functionalism) = What is the organic analogy?
- Talcott Parsons argued that society was much like the human body, social institutions all have their own unique functions that contribute to the maintenance of society
- If one becomes dysfunctional, it would have a knock on effect
- All social institutions need to fulfil societies functional prerequisites similar to the human body and organs
(Functionalism) = What is the nuclear family?
- A nuclear family is two generations of a family living together in one household with their biological children and married parents
- The parents should fulfil traditional gender and conjugal roles
(Functionalism) = What did Murdock study and what four functions did he find?
- Murdock studied 250 societies of different cultures and saw that nuclear families existed in every society
1. Stable satisfaction of sex drive
2. Reproduction
3. Meeting its members economic needs
4. Socialisation
(Functionalism) = Is the nuclear family an universal institution?
- Murdock suggests that the nuclear family is an important institution to maintain society and that it exists in every society
- Murdock suggests this is the only right type of family to raise children in
(Functionalism) = What is stable satisfaction of the sex drive?
- This prevents deviant sexual activity and promotes heterosexuality which ensures reproduction
(Functionalism) = What is reproduction?
- This ensures that society continues and reproduces the next generation
(Functionalism) = How does the family meet its members economic needs?
- This is because they are able to meet its members economic needs
(Functionalism) = What is socialisation?
- Socialisation is teaching the basic norms and values of society
(Functionalism) = What is the functional fit theory and how suggested it?
- Talcott Parsons suggests that as society changes, the type of family changes in order to fit the needs of society
- Society has moved from a pre-industrial to industrialised society meaning the family has changed into the nuclear family
- The nuclear family fits a more complex industrial society better but performs a reduced number of functions
(Functionalism) = What does Parsons about the changes in family?
- As society industrialises, the family changes its structure and loses some functions
1. Family is no longer a unit of production but a unit of consumption
2. It loses other functions due to structural differentiation
Structural Differentiation = Specialized institutions emerge to take over functions once performed by a single institutions such as health care services
(Functionalism) = What does Parsons suggest the two changes in family are?
- Primary Socialization = Gender role socialisation
- Stabilisation of adult personalities
(Functionalism) = What is stabilisation of the adult personalities?
- The pressure of industrial society threatens to destabilise adult personalities threatening the success of the family
- The family stabilises this through the sexual division of labour
(Functionalism) = What is the warm bath theory?
- Biological differences result in differences of roles such as an expressive and instrumental role
- The wife’s expressive role relieves the tension by providing love and acting as a warm bath of emotional support and security which allows the breadwinner to go back to work
(Functionalism) = How has the nuclear family changed in contemporary society?
- The functional fit theory has led to the privatised nuclear family which is self contained and spends time around the house and with one another.
(Functionalism) = What are the four evaluations of the functionalist perspective?
- Out of date = Old fashioned views of instrumental and expressive roles
- Rose-tinted view = They ignore the harmful effects of the family and the other factors such as isolation, stress and conflict
- Exploitation of women = Sexual division of labour
- Ignores darker side of the family = Downplay the darker side such as abuse
(Marxism) = Who is Karl Marx?
- Karl Marx is the founding father of Marxism who was philosophoser, economist, historian, sociologist. etc
(Marxism) = What kind of sociological perspective is Marxism?
- Structural conflict theory
- Society shapes the individual and society is divided into two groups who are in a class-based conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat
(Marxism) = What is the economic base?
- This is the infrastructure which consists of the means of production and relations of production
- This is the raw materials and ownership
(Marxism) = What is the super structure?
- This is everything other than production such as institutions including family, media and education
(Marxism) = What is capitalism?
- Marxism is a structural theory of society which sees society divided by conflict of two opposing social classes (Bourgeoise and proletariat)
- Marxists believe that social institutions serve to maintain the interests of the bourgeoise
- An economic and political system in a trade and industry are controlled by private ownership for profit
(Marxism) = How are workers exploited?
- The workers create extra value added to the products which is profit for the employer (Surplus value) Workers do not get the full value of their work and therefore being exploited
(Marxism) = What would occur if the workers are aware of their exploitation?
- The proletariat would become aware of their exploitation and would develop class consciousness to overthrowing the bourgeoise
- He believed this would lead to a revolution and turn into a communist society
(Marxism) = What does Engles argue about the nuclear family?
- The monogamous nuclear family emerged with capitalism
- Before capitalism, tribal societies were classless and property was collectively owned
(Marxism) = Is family a positive or negative thing?
- Family is seen as a negative thing as it benefits capitalism and reinforces and maintains class inequality
(Marxism) = What are the three functions the family serves for capitalism?
- Inheritance of property
- Ideological functions
- Unit of consumption
(Marxism) = What is inheritance of property?
- Engles argues monogamy became essential as they needed to ensure the paternity of their children for the inheritance of property
- Women are not much different to prostitutes as they provide sex and receive economic security
(Marxism) = What are ideological functions?
- Althusser argued that working class submit to the ruling class ideology as the family is an ideological state apparatus
- These are agencies which serve to spread the dominant ideology and justify the power
- The family socialise children into the idea that this injustice of power is unequal (hierarchy and inequality)
- They are socialised into this ideology through primary socialisation and maintain a false class consciousness
- Zaretsky states the family offers an apparent safe haven from the harsh world of exploitative world of capitalism however this is an illusion as the family cannot meet its needs
(Marxism) = What is a unit of consumption?
- Capitalists owners want to keep worker’s wages down so they can make a profit but must be able to sell workers goods. This creates demand for goods and generates profit
- This means families must keep up with material goods acquired by their peers (Keeping up with the Joneses)
- The media target children in their advertising to then persuade their parents through pester power to buy more expensive items
(Marxism) = What are weaknesses of Marxism?
- They ignore that often people marry for love rather than social obligation. Engles does not have a romantic view of marriage and that some may love each other
- It is not applicable to the 21st century as now women work
(Marxism) = What do Marxist Feminists argue about the family?
- Capitalism and patriarchy work together to exploit women
- Housewives provide free care to keep workers productive but they remain powerless (Benston)
- Families condition their kids into accepting inequalities of both patriarchy and capitalism (Morton)
- It keeps women as a reserve army of labour (Bruegel)
(Feminism) = What kind of perspective is feminism?
- This is a structural conflict theory that society shapes the individual and focuses on gender inequality
(Feminism) = What do feminists believe about society?
- Mainstream sociology has been focussed on the concerns of men which they coin as a malestream sociology
- This fails to deal with concerns about the interests of women and the unequal position they occupy within society
- They aim to create gender equality in society
(Feminism) = What are the key assumptions of a feminist?
- Inequality is embedded within the structures of society
- Gender norms are socially constructed and not determined by biology
- Patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality
- Feminism is a political movement and exists to rectify sexual inequalities
(Feminism) = What is the first wave of feminism?
- A period of activism for women’s rights
(Feminism) = What is the second wave of feminism?
1960’s =
- Equal pay
- No fault divorce
- Reproductive control
- Sanction against marital rape
(Feminism) = What is the third wave of feminism?
1990’s =
- Tackling inequalities that women face
- Access to new reproductive technology for same sex couples
- Celebrating diversity
(Feminism) = What is radical feminism?
- Power is based on female oppression
- Based on patriarchy
(Feminism) = What do radical feminists suggest for change?
- Separatism
- Political Lesbianism
- They support matriarchy
(Feminism) = What do radical feminists suggest about the family?
- Men are the enemy and source of oppression
- Family and marriage are key institutions that benefit men and disadvantage women
- Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services
(Feminism) = What is an evaluation of the radical feminist?
- It identifies how women are dependent on men through child rearing
- Not all households are patriarchal
- Not all families experience sexual violence
(Feminism) = What is Marxist feminism?
- It is due to capitalism rather than patriarchy
- Women reproduce the labour force
- The Warm Bath theory is an excuse for violence against women (Women absorb anger)
- The nuclear family becomes even more oppressive and plays important numbers for capitalism
(Feminism) = What do Marxist feminists suggest for change?
- They want a communist revolution
- They also want the family to be abolished
(Feminism) = What do Marxist feminists suggest about the family?
- Women’s oppression serves functions for capitalism
1. Women reproduce the labour force
2. Women absorb anger (Fran Ansley describes this as takers of shit)
3. Women are a reserve army of cheap labour
(Feminism) = What is an evaluation of the Marxist feminist?
- It backs up Marxist ideas of how the family serves capitalism, it identifies unpaid domestic labour
- It uncovers dark issues of the family
- It ignores the idea of women as breadwinners
- It ignores that women can abuse men within the family too
(Feminism) = What is liberal feminism?
- Gender socialisation harms men and women, there cannot be radical change yet there has been a change in society
- Nobody benefits from existing inequalities as both genders
- The inequalities lies in between culture and values
- Discrimination prevents women from having an equal opportunities
(Feminism) = What do liberal feminists suggest for change?
- There must be change within policy
(Feminism) = What do liberal feminists suggest about the family?
- Women’s oppression is now gradually changing for better access to divorce, job control and choice of marriage or cohabitation
(Feminism) = What is an evaluation of the liberal feminist?
- They have successful campaigns where legislation has been impacted
- Equal Pay Act, Gender Discrimination Act
- Ignores the point that some women choose their expressive role and part time work
(Feminism) = What is difference feminism?
- Each experience will vary between different structural factors such as class, ethnicity and age
- It is interested in language and power
(Feminism) = What is an evaluation of the difference feminist?
- It acknowledges how each individuals experiences are different
- However it is difficult to research and generalise
(Feminism) = What do women suffer within the family?
- The family is a place of work for women as they face (Oakley = Dual Burden)
- Women have to depend on mens earnings and mainly do housework and childcare
(Feminism) = What is an evaluation of all feminism?
- Gives an idea of family life through the view of women
- Uncovers dark issues of the family
- ## Identify the patriarchal nature of families
(PLP) = What are interpretivist theories?
- They aim to understand individual behaviour in everyday social situations and the meaning behind this behaviour. This can also been interactions between individuals
(PLP) = Why do the PLP criticise structural theories?
- These approaches assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family therefore ignoring family diversity
- They are all too deterministic and passive puppets of structures in society
- Therefore ignoring we have choices
(PLP) = What is the Personal Life Perspective?
- A person has free will to make their own choices without being determined by other social agencies
- People have the potential to make decisions about their life course however other influences will impact their decisions
- There is no hierarchal boundary between friends and kin
- It acknowledges other factors can influence a person other than middle class, white experiences
(PLP) = What do the PLP argue about the family?
- They take the definition of family beyond ties of blood and marriage
- We must know the meaning behind the relationship to know how someone would behave
- The family will change depending on the individuals life course
- They include different types of relationships of a family
(PLP) = What relationships are included in a family?
- Friends
- Fictive Kin
- Chosen families
- Dead relatives
- Pets
(PLP) = What do PLP believe about donor conceived children?
- PLP sociologists are interested in the meanings people give to their donor conceived children. Nordqvist and Smart conducted research on family and what counts as family. They found parents placed a greater emphasis on social relationships over genetic ones
- There may be issues with equality with parents when both knowing and not knowing the donor
(PLP) = What is an evaluation of the PLP?
- It explains how people define their own relationships of family rather than traditional sociological definitions
- It highlights the positive functions of intimate relationships
- It recognizes that relatedness is not always a positive thing within biological families
- It can be too broad and ignore relationships within family such as blood or marriage
(Post-Modernism) = What is post-modernism?
- The advancement of post-industrial societies
- Society is changing so rapidly marked by uncertainty and risk. Society can no longer be understood by metanarratives such as functionalism
(Post-Modernism) = What do Post-Modernists believe?
- They believe there is a lack of structure and greater choice
- They have an incessant choice as we are no longer bound by societal structures
- The idea of a typical family is not possible as there are so many types
- People are free to make choices about their lifestyle and images they project to others
- This involves a media saturated consumer culture where individuals can pick and mix their identities
(Post-Modernism) = Why do we have more choice?
- Movement away from religion and social institutions
- Globalisation
- Increase in education
- Change in social attitudes
(Post-Modernism) = What is diversity?
- The greater range of characteristics in society which was previously limited
- People have greater choice over their identity and how they present themselves
(Post-Modernism) = What do post modernists believe about the family?
- They believe that there is no single type of family which is dominant or the norm in contemporary society
- They do not believe a single theory of family life is possible
(Post-Modernism) = What is consumer choice?
- Diversity and consumer choice means that there has been a disintegration of traditional family
- People have come to expect choice over what goods they buy, which also applies to relationships
- People choose when or whether to get into a relationship also when they get married or breakup
(Post-Modernism) = What is the supermarket of life?
- Post modernists see these changes as reflecting individual making their consumer choices
- Individuals pick and choose relationships (mix and match) as it suits them and change these over a period of time
(Post-Modernism) = What is media saturation and how has it impacted family?
- Online dating has set up a new norm of relationships, this has led to a rise of serial monogamy where people try find the right person
(Post-Modernism) = How has there been a change to work and how has it impacted family?
- There are no jobs in factories which led to a decline in the male breadwinner role
- People spend longer training for careers and change jobs more often. There is more pressure and less time for relationships meaning more single people and relationship breakdowns
(Post-Modernism) = What did Beck and Gernsheim argue?
- We have freed traditional roles and structures which means we are able to choose the family that meets our needs and wants at that point in our lives
(Post-Modernism) = What did Gidden argue?
- Caused the availability of contraception and female independence which changed the basis of couples relationships
- This created a pure relationship which is when individuals carry on maintaining their relationship because it meets their emotional and sexual needs
(Post-Modernism) = What did Stacey argue?
- Greater freedom has benefitted women as they are able to free themselves from patriarchal oppression
- She interviewed women’s life history to show how women led the change in family structure and roles
- She discovered many women reject traditional housewife role and chosen varied life paths
- She found a new family type, the divorce extended family
(Post-Modernism) = What is an evaluation of the postmodern perspective?
- Giddens suggests that there is still a structure that shapes people decisions
- They overemphasize the amount of choice in relationships
- Many people do not choose to get divorced but life pushes them into these decisions
- Feminists disagree as they believe these gender roles still remain the norm
(New Right) = What is a summary of the New Right?
- The New Right argue the decline of the traditional patriarchal nuclear family and growth of family diversity are the cause of many social problems
(New Right) = What do they believe the correct family type is?
- The traditional patriarchal nuclear family who have a clear cut of the sexual division of labour
- This is natural and fundamental based on the biological differences of gender
- They are the cornerstone of society
- The benefits of the nuclear family are socialisation and stability
(New Right) = Is the nuclear family under threat?
- The New Right argue society is no longer functional due to the family being under threat for multiple reasons such as
- The rising rates of divorce and easier access
- Women’s careers
- Family diversity such as lone parents
- The dependency culture and underclass which promotes lone parent families (This is harmful to children)
(New Right) = What is support for the new right?
- There is evidence that families other than the nuclear family are problem such as:
1. Young people with parents who split up are more likely to become aggressive
2. Lone parent families are twice as likely to live in poverty
3. Children from broken homes are five times more likely to develop emotional problems
(New Right) = What are criticisms of the New Right?
- They exaggerate the decline of the nuclear family as most people choose to remarry
- Gender roles are not determined by biology but socially constructed to disadvantage and oppress women.
- Divorce allows women to leave unhappy relationships
- Single parents are not welfare scroungers but cannot find childcare
- Most children still spend most of their lives in a nuclear family arrangement (Chester)
