Perspectives on the family

Question 1

Functionalist overall view on the family

Answer 1

Functionalists see the family as a particularly important institution as they see it as the ‘basic building block’ of society which performs the crucial functions of socialising the young and meeting the emotional needs of its members. Stable families underpin social order and economic stability.

Question 2

who are the key functionalists for family perspective?

Answer 2

• Murdock

- Parsons

Question 3

MURDOCKS 4 key roles of the family

Answer 3

• socialisation of the young (children are taught norms and values of family)
• Meets its members economic needs (Food , shelter)
• Reproduction of next generation( society cannot continue without)
• Stable satisfaction of sex drives

Question 4

CRITISMS of Murdock

Answer 4

• FEMINISTS argue that arguing the family is essential is ideological as the structure typically disadvantages women
• Many argue that other institutions can perform these functions

Question 5

What is PARSONS theory on the family called?

Answer 5

The functional fit theory

Question 6

Functional fit theory is that …

Answer 6

as society changes, the type of family that ‘fits’ that society, and the functions it performs change.

Question 7

How has family type changed over the last 200 years?

Answer 7

pre- industrial TO industrial

extended TO nuclear

Question 8

How has this change ‘fitted’ society?

Answer 8

The extended family consisted of everyone living under one roof or very close together. Large family’s ‘fitted’ the needs of a pre industrial society as the family was responsible for education, caring for the sick and Producing food.
The nuclear family consisted of just parents and children living under one roof. This fits the needs of an industrial society as it requires a mobile workforce, which the extended family was too difficult to move. Also less need for extended family as state now provided education and health care.

Question 9

Which TWO basic functions does PARSONS argue the family is left with?

Answer 9

1) Primary socialisation

2) The stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 10

Primary socialisation

Answer 10

Teaching children the Norms and Values of society so that they can integrate into society - creating social stability

Question 11

The stabilisation of Adult personalities

Answer 11

The family enables adults to relax and release tensions so they can return to the workplace and perform their roles effectively.
Sexual division of labour
-women takes expressive role
-men take instrumental role

Question 12

CRITISMS OF FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

Answer 12

• Ignore ‘Darker side’ to the family (Child abuse, domestic abuse)
• Outdated (gender roles, women in paid work- partners take on both)
• Parsons suggest the nuclear family is dominant and the extended family has disappeared, however research shows that the extended family can still perform important functions; emotional and financial help

Question 13

MARXIST overall view on the family

Answer 13

• Inheritance of property
• ideological functions
• unit of consumptions

he family perform the function of ‘ideological control’, or convincing the masses that the present unequal system is inevitable, natural and good.
Marxist argue that the family type generally changes with society – more specifically, the nuclear family emerges not because of the needs of industrialisation, but because of the needs of the capitalist system

Question 14

Two main Marxists for Family perspective?

Answer 14

• Engels

- Zaretsky

Question 15

What does ENGELS argue is the function of the family?

Answer 15

family had a clear economic function for capitalism, by ensuring that wealth remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie.

Family is for INHERITENCE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY and therefore when rich people die it is their children who keep hold of their wealth.

Question 16

How does ENGELS explain the emergence of the nuclear family?

Answer 16

Before capitalism there was ‘a form of primitive communism’ where society was classless and there was no private property, property was collectively owned. There were no families , instead their were ‘promiscuous tribes’ where their were no sexual restrictions.
when capitalism emerged, the bourgeoise began for look ways to pass on their wealth, therefore the monogamous nuclear family was established so property would be passed on to their son.

Question 17

What effects does ENGELS argue the emergence of nuclear family has created?

Answer 17

reproduces inequality – The children of the rich grow up into wealth, while the children of the poor remain poor. Thus the nuclear family benefits the Bourgeois more than the proletariat.

Question 18

what is ZARETSKY view on the family?

Answer 18

The belief that the family is a safe haven is an ILLUSION.

The belief that we are given fulfilment only from family life is a way of distracting us from the exploitation we face.

Question 19

How is the family an IDEOLOGICAL APPARATUS?

Answer 19

Family socialises children to believe that inequality is inevitable.
- there is a HIERACHY in most families which teaches children to accept there will always be someone in “authority” who they must obey, which then mirrors the hierarchy of boss-worker in paid employment in later life.

Question 20

How is the family a UNIT OF CONSUMPTION?

Answer 20

as the family builds demand for goods in a number of ways;

1) Family’s are pressured to keep up with the material goods acquired by their neighbours/peers (Family holidays /cars)
2) The media targets children who use “pester-power” to persuade parents to spend more
3) Children who lack the latest “must haves” are stigmatised and bullied

Question 21

CRITISIMS of the Marxist perspective

Answer 21

• Marxist look how the family serves capitalism but ignores the diversity which exists within it today
• Fems argue they ignore the gender inequalities within the family
• many ideas are outdated (most marry for love not to ensure property is passed on, also more women now work so do not need to marry for financial security)

Question 22

FEMINISMS overall view on the family and two key focuses

Answer 22

the family oppresses women

• Unequal division of labour
• domestic abuse against women

Question 23

Liberal Fem view on the family

Answer 23

Similar view to march of progress such as Young and Willmott.
Do not believe full gender equality has been achieved but there has been some progress e.g.
-men are doing more domestic labour
-parents now socialise sons and daughters in a more equal way

Question 24

Marxist Fem view on the family

Answer 24

they argue women’s oppression is the family is not men, but capitalism.

1) Women reproduce the labour force (through unpaid domestic labour)
2) women are a reserve army of cheap labour ( taken when extra workers are needed, when no longer needed employers ‘let them go’ to return back to their domestic labour)

Question 25

What does ANSLEY argue?

Answer 25

Women absorb anger.
wives are “takers of shit” who soak up the frustration their husband feels because of their alienation and exploitation they suffer at work.
Marxists say this explains domestic violence against women.

Question 26

Marxist fems argue that the family should be….

Answer 26

ABOLISHED. Matrilocal households as an alternative.

Question 27

How does SOMMERVILLE argue against Marx fem view?>

Answer 27

They fail to recognise any improvements. and heterosexual attraction makes separatism unlikely to work.

Question 28

Radical Fems view on the family

Answer 28

1) Men are the enemy

2) The family and marriage are key institutions ( political lesbianism)

Question 29

Personal Life Prospective (PLP)

Answer 29

Take a wider view on relationships. They draw attention to a range of relationships that are important but may not be conventionally defined as family.

Question 30

Examples of the relationships PLP use:

Answer 30

1) Relationships with friends
2) Fictive kin
3) gay and lesbian “chosen families”
4) relationships with dead relatives
5) Pets

Question 31

What did NORDQVIST and SMART conduct research on? (PLP)

Answer 31

Donor conceived children and found the issue of blood and genes raised a range of issues.

Question 32

What issues were raised in NORDQVIST and SMARTS research?

Answer 32

1) nongenetic parent may struggle with the fact their child does not look like them.
2) some couples know their donor, can raise questions about who is family.
3) Lesbian couples- additional problems, concerns about equality between the genetic and non genetic mother.