PFP on the theory of role of family Flashcards
What is the structural theory
Funtionalism,marxism,feminism
The society exists regardless of individuals. the society also determines individual behaviour through external forces. Focus on the functions of the family and the gender roles family imposes on family members
What is the social action theory
Interactionism and personal life perspective
Society is created by individuals when they interact with each other.
Focus on the meanings that individuals hold and how these shape family relationships
Why are other theories outdated according to plp
they all assume the nuclear family is the dominant type when, in fact, there is family diversity today
they all argue that people have no choice when it comes to creating their relationships and family types.
Personal Life perspective argues that to understand family life today we have to look at the meanings individuals hold and how these meanings affect the choices they make about the type of family they have.
What does the PLP say about family
Personal Life perspective helps us understand how individuals define their relationships as ‘family’ and argue that family ties can be defined through relationships that go beyond blood or marriage ties.This means that all relationships individuals consider as significant and that give them a sense of belonging and relatedness can be considered as their family.
What are examples of some types of family according to PLP
Relationships with friends – a friend can be ‘like a sister/brother’ to you
Fictive kin – close friends can be seen and treated as family – calling your mum’s best friend ‘auntie’
Chosen families – made up of supportive friends and ex-partners who are not related by blood or marriage
Relationships with dead relatives – they can still affect a person’s actions, e.g. becoming a doctor as that’s what your deceased parent wanted for you
Relationships with pets – Tipper found that children often see their pets as part of the family
How do Nordqvist and Smart’s research support the PLP
Nordqvist and Smart researched families in which children were conceived using a donor egg/sperm. In such families, the children are legally the children of the people who are raising them, but are actually biologically related to strangers. They found that parents of donor-conceived children emphasised the social bonds over genetic links in determining family. For example, raising a child makes you a family rather than the genetics.
However, the parents did wonder if other possible donor siblings existed and if they were also the child’s family.
In cases where the legal parents knew the identity of the donor, they had to resolve issues of who counts as the child’s family. There were also fears that the donor may be considered the ‘real’ parent.
Evaluation of PLP
Nordqvist and Smart’s research shows the importance of the meanings individuals attach to their relationships. However, they can be criticised for ignoring the special aspects of relationships based on blood and marriage.
Evaluation of PLP
Nordqvist and Smart’s research shows the importance of the meanings individuals attach to their relationships. However, they can be criticised for ignoring the special aspects of relationships based on blood and marriage.
