the role of family in society

Question 1

what is a household?

Answer 1

a group of people who live together who may or may not have family kinship or ties

Question 2

how many households were there in 2010 in Great Britain?

Answer 2

25.3 million

Question 3

what is a family?

Answer 3

a type of household where the people living together are related

Question 4

what are the 5 main types of family?

Answer 4

1. nuclear family
2. traditional extended family
3. attenuated extended family
4. lone-parent families
5. reconstituted families

Question 5

what is a nuclear family?

Answer 5

2 generations living together (parents and dependent children)

Question 6

what is a traditional extended family?

Answer 6

3 or more generations of the same family living together, with frequent contact between grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, cousins etc

Question 7

what is an attenuated extended family?

Answer 7

nuclear families that live apart from their extended family, but keep in regular contact, e.g., via phone or email

Question 8

what is a lone-parent family?

Answer 8

a single parent and their dependent children

Question 9

what is a reconstituted family?

Answer 9

new stepfamilies created when parts of 2 previous families are brought together

Question 10

what do functionalists emphasise?

Answer 10

the positive role of the family

Question 11

what do functionalists see every institution as essential to?

Answer 11

the smooth running of society

Question 12

what did Murdock (1949) conclude?

Answer 12

the family is so useful to society that it is inevitable and universal

Question 13

what did Murock (1949) argue the 4 functions of the family are?

Answer 13

1. sexual
2. reproductive
3. economic
4. educational

Question 14

what does sexual mean?

Answer 14

provides a stable sexual relationship for adults, and controls the sexual relationship with its members

Question 15

what does reproductive mean?

Answer 15

provides new members of society

Question 16

what does economic mean?

Answer 16

the family pools resources and provides for all its members

Question 17

what does educational mean?

Answer 17

the family teaches children the norms and values of society, which keeps the values of society going

Question 18

what did Parsons argue the 2 basic and vital functions of the family are?

Answer 18

1. the primary socialisation of children
2. the stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 19

what is the primary socialisation of children?

Answer 19

the process by which children learn and accept the values and norms of society

Question 20

what is the stabilisation of adult personalities?

Answer 20

the family stabilises adult personalities through the emotional relationship between the parents

Question 21

what does the emotional relationship give?

Answer 21

the support and security needed to cope in wider society

Question 22

what has the functionalist perspective been criticised for?

Answer 22

idealising the family, focusing on the good bits and blanking out the bad bits. Morgan (1975) points out that Murdock makes no reference to alternative households to the family, or to problems in family relationships

Question 23

what do marxists see the family as meeting the needs of?

Answer 23

the capitalist system

Question 24

what do marxists argue the family benefits?

Answer 24

the minority in power (the bourgeoisie) and the economy

Question 25

what do marxists argue the family disadvantages?

Answer 25

the working class majority (the proletariat)

Question 26

what does Engels (1884) say the family has?

Answer 26

an economic function of keeping wealth within the bourgeoisie by passing it on to the next generation as inheritance

Question 27

what did Zaretsky (1976) argue?

Answer 27

the proletariat can have control in the family. when a working man gets home they can relieve their frustration about their low status which helps them to accept their exploitation as workers and work harder

Question 28

what is the womans role in a capitalist society?

Answer 28

'housewife' of the family

Question 29

what does this role mean?

Answer 29

workers are cared for and healthy which makes them more productive

Question 30

what kind of unit is the family household?

Answer 30

a unit of consumption with the desire to buy the goods produced by capitalist industry

Question 31

how does the bourgeoisie get the profit of the family?

Answer 31

the family buys the goods for more than they cost

Question 32

what is the marxist view criticised for?

Answer 32

being too negative

Question 33

2 criticisms of the marxist view of the family

Answer 33

1. ignores other factors such as gender and ethnicity 2. assumes that the worker is male, and that women are housewives

Question 34

what do feminists believe the family does?

Answer 34

exploits and oppresses women

Question 35

what do feminists believe the family helps to maintain?

Answer 35

the existing social order

Question 36

what do feminists call the existing social order?

Answer 36

patriarchy

Question 37

what is patriarchy?

Answer 37

systems, ideologies and cultural practices which make sure that men have power

Question 38

how does socialisation make women oppressed?

Answer 38

they're socialised to be dependent on men and to put themselves in second place to men

Question 39

what has a central role in this socialisation?

Answer 39

the family, male and female roles and expectations are formed in the family and then carried on into wider society

Question 40

what do feminists say there is an ideology about?

Answer 40

men and women's roles in the family

Question 41

what is an ideology?

Answer 41

a set of an ideas about the way things are and the way things should be

Question 42

what are the 3 main strands of feminism?

Answer 42

1. marxist feminism 2. radical feminism 3. liberal feminism

Question 43

what is the distinction between the three theories?

Answer 43

what they see as the root cause of patriarchy

Question 44

what do marxist feminists see as the root cause of patriarchy?

Answer 44

the capitalist system

Question 45

what do radical feminists see as the root cause of patriarchy?

Answer 45

the power dominance of men

Question 46

what do liberal feminists see as the root cause of patriarchy?

Answer 46

cultural attitudes and laws that allow discrimination

Question 47

what do marxist feminists see as essential to the success of capitalism?

Answer 47

the exploitation of women

Question 48

what do marxist feminists say the family produces and cares for?

Answer 48

the next generation of workers for society at almost no cost to the capitalist system

Question 49

how is the family cost-free according to marxist feminists?

Answer 49

because society accepts that housework should be unpaid. men are paid for work outside the home, but women aren't paid for work inside the home

Question 50

what do radical feminists see the exploitation of women as being down to?

Answer 50

the domination of men in society

Question 51

what do Delphy and Leonard (1972) see the family as?

Answer 51

a patriarchal institution in which women do most of the work and men get most of the benefit

Question 52

what do liberal feminists emphasise?

Answer 52

cultural norms and values

Question 53

why do liberal feminists see the family as sexist?

Answer 53

it supports mainstream culture which is sexist

Question 54

what do liberal feminists put pressure on?

Answer 54

institutions such as the legal system and government

Question 55

why do liberal feminists put pressure on these institutions?

Answer 55

to change laws and social policies which discriminate against women as they believe social change is possible

Question 56

2 criticisms of the feminist theory

Answer 56

1. portrays women as too passive. it plays down the ability of individual women to make changes and improve their situation 2. doesn't consider the household in society which doesn't feature a man and woman partnership e.g., lesbian and gay relationships and lone-parent households

Question 57

what does the new right believe is the bedrock of society?

Answer 57

the nuclear family

Question 58

what is the new right based on the idea of?

Answer 58

that the nuclear family and its values and best for society

Question 59

what does Charles Murray argue is under threat?

Answer 59

the traditional family

Question 60

what does Murray (1989) say is too high?

Answer 60

welfare benefits

Question 61

what does Murray say high welfare benefits creates?

Answer 61

a culture of dependency

Question 62

what is a culture of dependency?

Answer 62

where an individual finds it easy and acceptable to take benefits rather than work

Question 63

what are new right theorists concerned about giving welfare benefits to?

Answer 63

single mothers

Question 64

what do new right theorists think its a bad idea to have children brought up in?

Answer 64

families where adults aren't working

Question 65

what do new right theorists believe have led to a breakdown in traditional values?

Answer 65

the increase in lone-parent and reconstituted families and easier access to divorce

Question 66

what do new right theorists think a breakdown in traditional values causes?

Answer 66

social problems such as crime to increase

Question 67

how have politicians made use of the new right theory?

Answer 67

to make it harder for people to get benefits

Question 68

what has new right theory been criticised for?

Answer 68

blaming the victim for their problems

Question 69

what do postmodernists say is a good thing?

Answer 69

diversity in family structures

Question 70

why do postmodernists say there’s a wider range of living options?

Answer 70

because of social and cultural changes

Question 71

why does Stacey (1990) argue there will never be one dominant family type in Western culture?

Answer 71

there's such a diversity of family types, relationships and lifestyles

Question 72

what does Stacey (1990) describe family structures in Western society as?

Answer 72

varied and flexible

Question 73

what does this flexible living allow people to do?

Answer 73

experience lots of different types of family in their lifetime

Question 74

why do postmodernists see this diversity and flexibility as positive?

Answer 74

because individuals can choose from several options depending on what suits their personal needs and lifestyle

Question 75

what is does O'Brien and Jones (1996) conclude that questions postmodern theory?

Answer 75

there was less variety than Stacey reported, and that most indivuals actually experiences only one or two different types of family in their lifetime

Question 76

what are cultural norms and values reinforced by?

Answer 76

the family and by other institutions in society