SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE FAMILY Flashcards
Define Household
Household:
A person living alone or group of people living together
Define Family
Family:
Individuals related by kinship, law and subjective feeling who share a common residence, relationships and perform specific roles and share responsibilities
Define Kinship
Kinship
Relationships based on blood ties
Define Nuclear Family
Nuclear Family
A married couple with their own blood / legal children – at least one aka cereal packet family / ‘ideal’ family
Define Extended Family
Extended family
Three or more generations of the same family living in the same residence
Define Modified Extended Family
Modified extended family
A family who do not share the same residence but live nearby and maintain close links
Define Reconstituted Family
Reconstituted family
Previously divorced/separated adults in a new marriage with a child(ren) from the previous marriage aka step-families or blended families
Define Lone Parent Families
Lone(single) parent family
One parent raising a child(ren) on their own
Define Same Sex Families
Same sex family
Families based on homosexual/lesbian relationships
Define Cohabitation
Cohabitation
Two adults living together without being married
What is socialisation
process whereby we learn the norms and values of our social group and society as a whole
What is social control
forcing and/or persuading an individual to conform to the norms and values of our social groups and society as a whole
Define Role
The function and purpose
Difference between MACRO and MICRO
Macro= for society as a whole
Micro= For individual
What is the key debate
Is the family a positive (beneficial) and/ or negative (harmful) social institution?
FUNCTIONALISM
What is the overall Functionalist view of the family
- Family is the ‘basic building block’ of society
- Performs crucial function of socialising the young and meeting emotional needs of members
- family provides psychological security and security
FUNCTIONALISM
Criticism of func view
Being out of date
- Blurring of gender roles meand men and women take both expressive and instrumental role
Ignores exploitation of women
- Gender roles socially constructed and usually involves oppression of women
FUNCTIONALISM
Describe Parsons Functional Fit theory
Family types and structures evolve to meet the needs of society
-> as society changes so does the family –
->there is a functional fit between society and
the family.
->nuclear family (NF) is best suited to modern
industrial life.
NF educates children and provides emotional support and helps husband to cope with stressful demands of the workplace in a competitive labour market:
- Primary Socialisation
-Stabilisation of adult Personalities
- Warm Bath Theory= NF provides comforting
and relaxing environment
FUNCTIONALISM
Criticism of Parsons Func Fit theory
- Laslett found only 10% of households contained extended kin before industrialisation which suggests nuclear family existed before indrustialisation
FUNCTIONALISM
What is Murdock’s 4 Basic Functions of the family
Sex Drive/Monogamy- pevents sexual jelaousy
Reproduction- pf next gen so society can continue
Economic- producing food and shelter
Socialisation- teaching of the young
FUNCTIONALISM
Criticism of Murdock’s theory
- Feminist Sociologists argue that arguing that the family is essential is ideological because traditional family structures typically disadvantage women
NEW RIGHT
What family types are there an increase of according to New Right theorists
increase in ‘other’ family types:
Lone parents
Increase in divorce rates
Cohabitation
New Right Theorists
What is the reason for increase in other family types?
Breakdown of traditional family values
Over generous welfare benefits system
Influence of feminism
Greater tolerance of sexual preferences
NEW RIGHT THEORISTS
What is Murray’s ‘under class’?
‘under class’ made up Single Parent Families who are reliant on welfare benefits.
MARXISM
What is the marxist perspective on the family?
include theorists
Engels (1884) argues that the modern nuclear family developed in a capitalist society. E.g. the monogamous family provided the answers for things such as how property could be passed directly to heirs. This gave men greater control over women. Within a nuclear family a man could be fairly sure he had legitimate children with clear rights to inherit his wealth.
Althusser (1979) – the family is an ideological apparatus which brainwashes people into accepting and taking on capitalist norms and values
Zaretsky(1976) the family acts as a unit of consumption of capitalist goods. Keeps families trapped in the exploitative capitalist system.
MARXISM
Criticisms of the Marxist theory of the family
It’s too deterministic – it assumes people passively accept socialisation and family life, and that the future is pre-determined. There are plenty of families who reject the consumerist lifestyle and many families bring their children up to be independent thinkers.
ignores family diversity in capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the main type of family. In fact, family breakdown may be better for Capitalism – as divorce is expensive and more money has to be spent on maintaining family relationships and later on forming new families.
Feminists argue it downplays the role of patriarchy, which is the real source of female oppression.
Marxism ignores the benefits of nuclear family e.g. both parents support the children. The New Right point out that this is the most functional type of environment in which to raise children, and the nuclear family is found in most societies around the world, suggesting it is something people choose.
FEMINISM
What is the feminism perspective of the family?
Feminism: A patriarchal model of society - argue that in society men have the power and that culture is male dominated
Patriarchy: Families are male dominated in that men are in positions of power and control
Gender is a social Construction: social and cultural expectations of what is masculine and feminine
Gender Role Socialisation: process whereby boys and girls are bought up with different roles and expectations starts in the family
Triple shift/burden: Feminist idea that working mothers still carry out most domestic and emotional duties within the home
FEMINISM
What is Liberal Feminist Somerville’s view of the family?
Family life and relationships have become more equal and fair because of political and legal equality for women
Women now have economic dependence so no longer rely on men for financial support - no longer have to in empty shell marriages
Women therefore have greater choices and more power in the family
FEMINISM
What is Marxist Feminist Ansley’s view of the family?
Family supports capitalism because women perform unpaid work within the home
Housewives help reproduce labour power - getting husbands ready for work at no cost to the capitalists
Family promotes the values of capitalism – work hard, be obedient etc…
FEMINISM
What is Radical Feminist Delphy’s view of the family?
Family leads to control and oppression of women by men, for example domestic abuse and violence
Women perform domestic and emotion work
Working women have a triple burden - paid work / emotion work / domestic work
FEMINISM
What is Postmodern Feminist Smart’s view of the family?
Must acknowledge that the experiences of women are different - cannot generalise
Women have greater choices
Masculinity and femininity and now blurred
FEMINISM
What is Black Feminist Mirza’s view of the family?
Experiences of black ethnic minority women were largely ignored by Feminism
Ethnicity means that family experiences and relationships vary
Some Ethnic cultures have matriarchal families
PLP
What theory does PLP criticise?
Functionalist and Marxists
PLP
What is the PLP Perspective of the family?
- Nuc fam has lost its significance as fewer ppl get married and have kids
- UK and society today now has diverse types of family
- Looks at the family from a ‘bottom up’ perspective
FEMINISM
Criticism of each of the Feminist theory of the family
Lib Fems
Difference Feminists argue that Liberal Feminism is an ethnocentric view – it reflects the experiences of mainly white, middle class women.
Marx Fems
One limitation is that this sounds very dated for the 2020s: women today are just as likely to be in paid work as men, and so they no longer act as a ‘reserve army of labour’ for example.
Radical Fems
women are much less likely to suffer from the dual burden and triple shift, for example
PLP
Criticism of the PLP theory of the family
1) Too broad of a view, they ignore what is special about blood and marriage relationships.
2) It recognises that relatedness isn’t always positive, for example someone may be trapped in a violent relationship where they cant leave due to being related.
PLP
State a supporting PLP theorist
CALHOUN (1997)
PEOPLE LESS TIED TO KINSHIP NETWORKS AND FAMILIES NOW MORE A MATTER OF CHOICE DUE TO INCREASE IN INDIVIDUALISM
