Role of Family in Society (sociologists)

Question 1

Murdock (functionalist)

Answer 1

Family performs four basic functions.

Sexual Reproductive Economic Education

Question 2

Morgan (criticism of Murdock)

Answer 2

Murdock makes no reference to alternative households to the family and problems.

Question 3

Parsons (Functionalist)

Answer 3

Argues the family has two basic and vital functions.

1. Primary socialisation
2. Stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 4

Feminists (criticises functionalists)

Answer 4

Argue they ignore the exploitation of women in the family.

Question 5

Judith Stacey (postmodernist)

Answer 5

Such a diversity of family types, relationships and lifestyles that there will never be a dominant family type in western culture.

Question 6

O’Brien and Jones (criticises Stacey)

Answer 6

Found there is less variety in family types than Stacey reported. Most individuals only experienced one or two different types of family in their lifetime.

Question 7

Engels (Marxist)

Answer 7

Family had an economic function of keeping wealth in the family by passing it on the next generation by inheritance.

Question 8

Zaretsky (Marxist)

Answer 8

Family is one place the proletariat can have power and control. Working man gets home and he is the king of his own castle. Relieved workers from their stress at work.

Question 9

Murray (New Right)

Answer 9

Traditional family is under threat. Welfare benefits are too high and create a culture dependency. When an individual takes benefits rather than work as they believe it’s easier.

Question 10

Fran Ansley (Marxist Feminists)

Answer 10

Wives are ‘takers of shit’, husbands are exploited at work and take their anger out at home.

Question 11

Benton

Answer 11

If housework were paid even at minimum wage it would damage capitalists profits hugely.

Question 12

Delphy and Leonard (Radical Fem)

Answer 12

See family as patriarchal institution in j which women do the most work and men get the most benefit.