sociology family key theorists Flashcards
what is the postmodernism theory about
the perspective believes that there is no dominant family and that traditional structures have broken down
list the postmodernists
Rapoport, Giddens, Stacey, Weeks, Beck & Chester
what does Giddens discuss
Couples are free to define the relationship themselves rather than acting out roles that are defined by laws and traditions, they are based on freedom rather than bound by traditions
‘pure relationship’ exists to meet the partners needs, couples stay together because of love and happiness or sexual attraction
Rapoports
Family diversity rather than nuclear family: CLOGS - cultural, life stage, organisational, generational, social class
cultural: Asian families are more likely to be an extended family (3 or more generations in one household) bcos their culture believes it’s important to take care of your parents.
Social class: socialisation differs from the middle class with the m/c more likely to influence a pro school culture. M/c more likely to have shared conjugal roles. W/c more likely to maintain family relationships.
Stacey
Divorce extended family- members are connected by divorce rather than marriage e.g. ex in laws or former husbands new partner.
Women are the driving force behind changes in the family - women rejected traditional housewife role and have chosen varied paths
Greater freedom 4 women & can shape family to meet their needs and free themselves from patriarchal oppression
Beck
Increasing individual choice within families & relationships.
Individualisation theory: traditional structures e.g. class, family, gender have lost their influence over us - in the past peoples lives defined by fixed roles preventing them from selecting their own life course.
Pos+ ~ greater freedom has benefited women freeing them from patriarchal oppression as they are free to shape their family arrangements to meet their needs.
weeks
‘fictive kin’ - family is who you have a trusting bond with, people regarded as family even without being a blood relative e.g. pets
Chester - evaluation
Functionalist
The neo-conventional family } dual-worker families where both parents have jobs outside of the home.
The nuclear family still seemed as the best type of family and what most people aim for in their family type.
Other evaluation
ethnocentric & focused on Western ideas
Functionalists argue that postmodernists ignore the fact that the nuclear family is the most common family type therefore family may not be as diverse.
what is personal life perspective about
people are free to construct their own families and there is no specific definition of ‘the family’. PLP is about the networks that connect people e.g.
fictive kin - close friends treated as family e.g. mums friends as aunty
Gay & lesbian ‘chosen families’ - supportive network of close friends, ex partners and others non biologically related
relationships with dead relatives - memories that continue to shape identities and affect actions
life course definition:
how a family changes over time e.g. nuclear > lone parent > reconstituted > cohabiting
factors affecting this : finances, parental relationship, culture/location, sexuality,
What does Smart discuss
sociology of family is ethnocentric - focused on white m/c family
sociologists should focus research on how people can develop meaningful relationships with those outside of biological family such as friends
- she prioritises bonds between people, importance of cultural heritage, memories, emotions and how family secrets work and change over time
Smart & Nordgvist - lesbian families x donors
researched donor conceived families and found that the idea of blood and genes raised a range of feelings for members of those particular families.
Bott
-segregated conjugal roles~ division of labour is split between partners traditionally
- joint conjugal roles ~shared division of labour e.g. women cooks man does dishes
Dunscombe x marsden
triple shift - paid work, emotion work, housework
