Sociologists - families and relationships Flashcards
What does Parsons say about the roles of men and women?
- Expressive role - women = domestic work, taking care of family
- Instrumental role - men = breadwinner/wage-earner
How does Murdock define the family?
Functionalism
-believes in traditional nuclear family - married man and woman with one or more dependant children
What does Parsons say about industrialisation and the family?
Functionalism
- industrialisation lead to an increase in nuclear family, families more geographically mobile so only needed close family
What does Young & Willmott say about industrialisation and the family?
Functionalism
Extended family didn’t decline until 1960’s when w/c families relocated to new towns
What does Benston say about the family?
Marxist-feminist
-Nuclear family benefits capitalism: rears future workforce and women maintain present workforce
What does Chapman say about gender role socialisation?
Girls learn to be the homemaker by role playing games and chores whereas boys learn to be the breadwinner and ‘manly’ by toning down emotionally
What does Allan say about state policy and the family?
Policies such as tax and welfare favour the heterosexual married couple rather than any other form of family.
What does Wilkinson say about Marriage?
‘Gender quake’ young women now want an education and economic independence THEN a family
What does Greer say about marriage?
Feminism
Decline in marriage = positive as women unwilling to accept oppression
What does Oakley say about the role of women?
Women suffer from ‘dual burden’ = responsible for paid work and unpaid domestic tasks
What does Beck & Beck-Gernsheim say about divorce?
Postmodernism - divorce rising as love & romance = less important
What does Ford &Millar say about one-parent families?
Seen as second rate and imperfect. reflect selfish choices of adults against needs of children
What does De’Ath & Slater say about reconstituted families?
In step-families where there is tension between between biological parents, children feel pulled creating a tense relationship with step parents
What does Cunningham say about childhood?
Social construction of childhood created in 19th century when it recognised that children should be separate to adults and had the right to be happy, depend on adults and be protected.
