Scholars Flashcards
All scholars mentioned in the Families and Households module.
Kroulek (2018)
UK family structure typically nuclear, elsewhere have more extended structure.
Karl Marx
First Marxist, created the theory of an inherent conflict in society between the upper and lower class, the bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Firestone (1972)
Radical feminist, argued that womens biology is a basis for their inequality and domination by men. Women menstruate, give birth, breastfeed so are dependant on men, allowing men to gain power and control.
Nancy Holmstrom (2002)
Marxist feminist, focuses on an emancipatory, critical framework that aims at understanding and explaining gender oppression in a systematic way.
Anne Oakley
Considered one of the first liberal feminists, believe that gender equality comes through having equal opportunity in the current societal system.
Greer (2007)
Supports that ‘all men are bad’, arguing that relationships between men and women in all aspects of society are highly patriarchal and exploitative. Believe that change in law will never be enough to end oppression.
Believes that women are oppressed in the family in three ways: as wives (seen as trophies, subservient to husbands, have to keep husband happy, do all housework and childcare),
as mothers (mother is not a career option, must also get in shape, find a job, keep young and beautiful if they want to be loved. Discriminated against in 5 ways: through childbirth, not welcomed in society after, must return to work shortly after, regain the feminine ideal body, and also take the blame if their children turn out ‘bad’.)
Also as daughters, likely to experience sexual abuse from fathers, step fathers, other male relatives, particularly horrendous form of patriarchy and exploitation. Also socialised from when theyre young to accept their position, dream of being married and having children.
Walby
Theorized the six structures of patriarchy, evaluated liberal feminists arguing that they provide no exact explanation for the overall structures of gender inequalities.
Also evalued black and difference feminists, stated that women are still oppressed by objective social structures- namely Patriarchy.
Emile Durkheim
Functionalist, made sociology a science, believes that society shapes the individual. Created the theory of Anomie: when individuals have too much autonomy, society breaks down.
Talcott Parsons
Functionalist, expands on the Organismic analogy, originally created by Spencer. This theory states that society runs as a human body, with each social institution a vital organ each needed for the system to work.
Also believes in value consensus, where society has shared values.
Also created/expanded upon the ‘Warm bath theory’, stabilisation of adult personalities, and instrumental and expressive roles.
Erving Goffman
‘Life is a stage’, created the dramaturgical analogy: when we are born we are thrust onto a ‘stage’ and our socialization consists of learning how to play our assigned roles from other people. We enact our roles in the company of others who in turn act out theirs.
Becker (1960s)
Stated that agents of social control often work in narrow stereotypes: those alike to them are good, unalike are bad. For example, a middle class white teacher labels their ‘ideal pupil’ as a middle class, well spoken, polite, quiet, well dressed student who respects authority. Working class, energetic, scruffier children viewed as inferior.
Rosenthal and Jacobsen
‘Self-fulfilling prophecy’ an individual accepts the label given to them and acts accordingly. If working class children labelled negatively, often act out. Thus the social structure emerges out of social interaction.
George Murdock
1949 study ‘Social Structure’, studied 250 societies providing a definition of the family and stating the nuclear family was a universal social unit.
Also argued there are 4 functions of the family; sexual (stable monogamous satisfaction of the sex drive), reproduction of the next generation, socialization of children into the norms and values of society , economic (meeting its members economic needs eg food and housing).
Steel and Kidd
Expanded upon the warm bath theory with the stabilisation of adult personalities, stated that family provides stress relief by acting as a warm safe environment where adults can ‘act out’ childish parts of their personality by playing with their children, acting as a safety valve to prevent stress from overwhelming the family.
Jennifer Somerville
Liberal feminist, critical of Greer stating that she does not take into account the progress women have made in terms of family life in recent years. Provides a less radical critique of the family, suggests proposals that include modest policy reform. Argues that many young women do not feel sympathetic to feminism yet still feel some sense of grievance. Argues radical feminists ignore the massive progress society has made.
States some men are voluntarily committed to sharing in family responsibilities, but ‘women are angry, resentful, above all disappointed in men’ as many men do not take on their full responsibility. Argues that to improve this policies need to be created to help working parents eg increased flexibility in paid employment.
Delphy
Radical Feminist
Leonard
Radical feminist
Diane Feeley (1972)
Marxist feminist, believes the family is an authoritarian unit dominated by the husband in particular and adults in general. The authoritarian ideology of the family teaches passivity, not rebellion, children learn to submit to parents so thereby learn to submit to their place in hierarchy of power in capitalist society.
Margaret Benston (1972)
The amount of unpaid labour performed my women is very large and very profitable. To pay women for their work, even at minimum wage, would involve a massive redistribution of wealth. At present, the support of the family is a hidden tax on the wage earner- his wage buys the labour power of two people.
Fran Ansley
Marxist feminist, womens are the takers of shit. Women take on the expressive role and become emotional punching bag for men, safety valve for frustations. ‘They often absorb their husband’s legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness and oppression’.
David Morgan
Evaluates Marxist feminists, states that the traditional nuclear family is becoming less common so their theories are less applicable. They also ignore the fact that women have made progress in family life, life is better within family life today for women.
April Few
Black and difference feminist, says there are four ways they contribute to family studies.
1) Debunking stereotypes of black women’s lives.
2) Identifying gaps and misrepresentations of black subjectivities in the literature of respective disciplines,
3)Interjecting black consciousness into family studies that represents the unique experience of black women and families in the United States,
4) Transforming their work into a social justice agenda that improves the wellbeing of black women and families.
Friedrich Engels
Instrumental marxist, believes family is a mechanism through which private property is passed on to heirs. Monogamous nuclear family made it apparent who a child’s parents were, ideal mechanism for proof of paternity. ( You can see how women were viewed as second class citizens in the Victorian period, married to achieve economic security in exchange for sex and providing heirs)
Engels looked at a time before Capitalism, where traditional tribal societies practiced a primitive form of communism (property collectively owned and family reflected this, no families but tribal groups existed in a ‘promiscuous horde’ with no restrictions on sexual relationships)
Confucius
An ancient chinese philosopher, wrote that women were meant to be ‘subservient, like they were in the past’ and compared them to servants, ‘Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult.. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility’. Feminists use this to criticise marxists stating that gender inequality clearly preceded Capitalism.
