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sociology YEAR1 > SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE FAMILY > Flashcards

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE FAMILY Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Define Household

A

Household:

A person living alone or group of people living together

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2
Q

Define Family

A

Family:

Individuals related by kinship, law and subjective feeling who share a common residence, relationships and perform specific roles and share responsibilities

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3
Q

Define Kinship

A

Kinship

Relationships based on blood ties

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4
Q

Define Nuclear Family

A

Nuclear Family

A married couple with their own blood / legal children – at least one aka cereal packet family / ‘ideal’ family

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5
Q

Define Extended Family

A

Extended family

Three or more generations of the same family living in the same residence

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6
Q

Define Modified Extended Family

A

Modified extended family

A family who do not share the same residence but live nearby and maintain close links

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7
Q

Define Reconstituted Family

A

Reconstituted family

Previously divorced/separated adults in a new marriage with a child(ren) from the previous marriage aka step-families or blended families

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8
Q

Define Lone Parent Families

A

Lone(single) parent family

One parent raising a child(ren) on their own

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9
Q

Define Same Sex Families

A

Same sex family

Families based on homosexual/lesbian relationships

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10
Q

Define Cohabitation

A

Cohabitation

Two adults living together without being married

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11
Q

What is socialisation

A

process whereby we learn the norms and values of our social group and society as a whole

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12
Q

What is social control

A

forcing and/or persuading an individual to conform to the norms and values of our social groups and society as a whole

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13
Q

Define Role

A

The function and purpose

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14
Q

Difference between MACRO and MICRO

A

Macro= for society as a whole
Micro= For individual

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15
Q

What is the key debate

A

Is the family a positive (beneficial) and/ or negative (harmful) social institution?

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16
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

What is the overall Functionalist view of the family

A
  • 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
17
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

Criticism of func view

A

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

18
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

Describe Parsons Functional Fit theory

A

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

19
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

Criticism of Parsons Func Fit theory

A
  • Laslett found only 10% of households contained extended kin before industrialisation which suggests nuclear family existed before indrustialisation
20
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

What is Murdock’s 4 Basic Functions of the family

A

Sex Drive/Monogamy- pevents sexual jelaousy
Reproduction- pf next gen so society can continue
Economic- producing food and shelter
Socialisation- teaching of the young

21
Q

FUNCTIONALISM

Criticism of Murdock’s theory

A
  • Feminist Sociologists argue that arguing that the family is essential is ideological because traditional family structures typically disadvantage women
22
Q

NEW RIGHT

What family types are there an increase of according to New Right theorists

A

increase in ‘other’ family types:

Lone parents
Increase in divorce rates
Cohabitation

23
Q

New Right Theorists

What is the reason for increase in other family types?

A

Breakdown of traditional family values

Over generous welfare benefits system

Influence of feminism

Greater tolerance of sexual preferences

24
Q

NEW RIGHT THEORISTS

What is Murray’s ‘under class’?

A

‘under class’ made up Single Parent Families who are reliant on welfare benefits.

25
Q

MARXISM

What is the marxist perspective on the family?
include theorists

A

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.

26
Q

MARXISM

Criticisms of the Marxist theory of the family

A

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.

27
Q

FEMINISM

What is the feminism perspective of the family?

A

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

28
Q

FEMINISM

What is Liberal Feminist Somerville’s view of the family?

A

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

29
Q

FEMINISM

What is Marxist Feminist Ansley’s view of the family?

A

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…

30
Q

FEMINISM

What is Radical Feminist Delphy’s view of the family?

A

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

31
Q

FEMINISM

What is Postmodern Feminist Smart’s view of the family?

A

Must acknowledge that the experiences of women are different - cannot generalise

Women have greater choices

Masculinity and femininity and now blurred

32
Q

FEMINISM

What is Black Feminist Mirza’s view of the family?

A

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

33
Q

PLP

What theory does PLP criticise?

A

Functionalist and Marxists

34
Q

PLP

What is the PLP Perspective of the family?

A
  • 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
35
Q

FEMINISM

Criticism of each of the Feminist theory of the family

A

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

36
Q

PLP

Criticism of the PLP theory of the family

A

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.

37
Q

PLP

State a supporting PLP theorist

A

CALHOUN (1997)

PEOPLE LESS TIED TO KINSHIP NETWORKS AND FAMILIES NOW MORE A MATTER OF CHOICE DUE TO INCREASE IN INDIVIDUALISM

sociology YEAR1 (2 decks)

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