sociological perspectives on family Flashcards
Marxists view on the role of education
critical view. family keeps the working-class in a state of false class consciousness. beleiving if they look after their family they will do well in life
ENGLES inheritance of property
- suggests family unit and monogamy evolved in response to the private ownership of property
- need for legitimate heirs to pass on the property led to control of sexual behaviors and the development of monogamous relationships
- patrilineal inheritance meant that in order to be sure of a child father, people formed monogamous relationships to protect claims on their property
Engles inheritance evaluation
functionalists argue that property isn’t inherited his way anymore as life is far more meritocratic
- little historical evidence of the ‘promiscuous horde’ that Engles describe as pre-dating inheritance and monogamy
murdocks 4 essential functions
- stabilisation of sex drive. being with the same pattern prevents social disruption
- reproduction of next generation
- socialisation of the young
- meeting its member’s economic needs
criticisms of Murdock in general
feminists think Murdock sees family through ‘rose-tinted’ glasses that the family meets needs both wider society and all different members of the family and ignores the fact that the family serves the needs of men and oppresses women
parsons functional fit
- geographically mobile workforce easier for compact nuclear families to move to work in modern industry
- social mobile workforce. need to be a nuclear family as a sons achieved status may outdo their fathers ascribed status and cause conflict
parsons two irreducible functions
- primary socialization of children
- stabilization of adult personalities
criticism parsons socialisation function
STACEY- socialization of children criticized by Stacy postmodernist who says children aren’t socialized into one dominant ideology anymore
the ideological function of socialization in the family MARXISM
socializing into the idea that hierarchy between women and men and men to capitalism is inevitable
paternal power over children accustom them to this idea that one day someone else will be in charge of them in the workplace and they will therefore be submissive.
Zaretsky MARXISM on the ideological function of a haven from capitalism
family performs ideological functions by offering an apparent ‘heaven’ from the harsh exploitative worked of capitalism outside
criticism of zartesky
parsons- warm bath theory its good for society
feminists- comfort of home allows for oppression of women through housework and domestic abuse
Marxists feminists would argue this could lead to capitalism induced domestic violence
criticisms of marxism socialization function
functionalist
children and families socialized into norms and values that benefit then rather than press them socialisation needed for value consensus that keeps society functioning
unit of consumption
mercuse- capitalism makes people have false needs and increases the alienation cause by capitalism by alienting family members from each other
- families play a major role in generating profits for capitalists
keeping up with the joneses
pester power
liberal feminism on role of family
don’t beleive that full gender equality has yet been achieved in the family. they argue of gradual progress
ex. some studies suggest that men are doing more work and domestic labour, while the way parents now socilase their sons and daughters is more equal than in the past they now have similar aspirations for them
criticisms of liberal feminism
other femists aruge that lib fems fail to challenge the underlying causes of woemns oppression and for believing that law can bringequality
radical and marxist femsaruge that instead that far reaching changes to unroot social structures
marxist feminsim on function of family
main cause of female opression doesnt come from men in the family but from capitalism
women reproduce the labour force through their unpaid domestic labour, by socialising the next gernation of workers
fran ansely- wives are takers of shit who soak up husbands anger from capitalist workplace
benston the amount of unpaid labour performed by women is profitable for those who own the means of production
radical faminism on family
greer- argues for the creation of all female households as an alternate
the only way to free women from opresion is seperatism
many argue for ‘political lesbianism’ heretosexual relationships are inevitably oppressive because they involved ‘sleeping with the enemy’
criticism of radical feminism
somerville- radical feminists fail to recognise that women position has improved considerably with better access to divorce, better jobs opportunities and control over fertility
difference feminism
we cannot generalise about owmen’s expreinces. black and white, middle and working class as well as lesbian and straight women all have different experiences
ex. by regarding the family as purely negative, white feminists neglect black women experiences of racial oppression
instead black feminsts view black family positively as a source of resistance against racism
criticms of differnce feminism
outher feminists argue that this neglects the fact that all women are many of the same experiences for example how they all have a risk of patriarchal domestic violence and low pay
PLP on the family
beyod ties of blood and family
nordquish and smart- some parents emphasis importance of social relationships over gentic one forming family bonds
ex. doner conceived children define mum in terms of time and effort put in to raising the child
criticism of PLP
view is too borad mena that the end up ignoring what wakes relationships of blood and marriage special
criticism of murdocks reporductive function
engles argues that men and women dont marry for repoduction but to legally protect wealth and property to pass down to their legitimate heir
criticism of parsons functional fitt
young and willmott
extended families became more prevelant and important after indistialisation for fincial and emotional support after being exploited by capitalism
