Theoratical perspective Flashcards
define family
a group of people who are related by kinship (blood, marriage, or adoption). This can also include cohabiting couples (couples who live together but are not married).
define household
group of people who live together, regardless of whether there are any kinship/family ties.
e.g. flatmates (such
as students/group of friends), people living on their own,
multiple-occupancy homes for migrant workers etc.
functional fit theory
-family structure changes along with society
-each type of family is created to fit society at the time
pre industrial society- extended family was common
modern industrial society- nuclear family was common
functionalists perspective on family
(Parsons)
- Primary Sociolisation ; family taught children the particularistic norms and values whilst other institutions ( school, mass media, religion etc) taught children the universalistic norms and values of society
- Stabilisation of adult personalities; family prevents adults from behaving in dysfunctional ways. Family provides emotional support to its members
Warm Bath Theory; the women destresses her husband after a stressful day at work by preparing a warm bath,
functionalists perspective
(Murdock)
-4 functions to family:
- educational
-economic
-reproductive
-sexual
evaluation of functionalists
- only view the idealistic view on family
-conflict theorists question whether the roles families perform really benefit the whole of society or just benefit powerful groups within it. e.g ; feminists say men - Marxist feminist ( ansley ; different perspective on Parsons’ warm bath theory- she describes women in the family as’ takers of shit.’
Marxists perspective on family
( Engels)
- the monogamous family arose during the emergence of capitalism
-argued that we went from ‘primitive communism’ to capitalism through the establishment of family norms ; inheritance of property:The bourgeoisie owned all of the wealth and resources and passed it down to the next generation of rich capitalists whilst the proletariat, the working masses, had nothing. The rich remained rich whilst the poor remained poor.
Marxists perspective on family
( Zaretsky)
-Ideological control in the family
argues that through the family, proletariat children are socialised to accept and embody norms and values that uphold capitalism.
Children are taught:
that the inequality between social classes is ‘normal’ and ‘natural’.
how to respect and conform to authority; hierarchy is inevitable and there will always be someone ‘in charge’.
Within the family, this is usually the father; outside the family, it is teachers and employers.
As a result, children accept the imbalances of power and control. This ‘prepares’ them for adulthood so that they can be docile, obedient workers and retain false class consciousness.
-family as a unit of consumption
Families are encouraged to constantly purchase the latest products and services to appear ‘fashionable’ and show off their ‘high’ status to their relatives, neighbours, and peers. This is also referred to as ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.
targeted advertising to children, who request expensive products from their parents. This is called ‘pester power’.
economic function is a bourgeois ideology perpetuated to ensure families spend money and create profits for the bourgeoisie. Thus, there is no material benefit for the family itself, only for the capitalist structure.
feminists perspective on family ( Marxists Feminists)
- women are oppressed in the family due to capitalism and patriarchy
-Unpaid Labour: women are used for unpaid labour ( housework, childcare ) so that current workers ( men) can continue working and being exploited by the capitalists
- reproduction : women are expected to reproduce the next generation of proletariat workers.
- Reserve labour: are prepared to work for very low wages in temporary jobs. - benefits the bourgeoisie as they continue to make profits
benston
women do not challenge their role because they have been socialised to comply and believe that this is their natural role- socialises the next generation to be this way
Ansley
-Absorption of anger: women absorb men’s anger, stress and frustration toward capitalist society. This enables men to continue working ‘ women are the takers of shit’
feminists perspective on family (radical feminists)
-main source of oppression for women in the family is patriarchy itself
No matter how many legal and social changes are made, men will continue to oppress women, as they are inherently patriarchal.
nuclear family is a key source of oppression for women in many ways:
-children are socialised into patriarchal ideology, whereby they believe that men are superior to women.
-in this ideology, they are taught to accept the division and distinction between the genders, which helps girls and women accept their place in society. This means they are likely to uphold patriarchal views and practices.
Women are objectified; before marriage, they are seen purely as sexual objects and after marriage, they are seen as housewives and mothers
Objectification leads to domestic abuse at the hands of men.
- Radical feminists believe that the nuclear family structure must be abolished
-find a new way of living that does not oppress and exploit women: remaining single or living with women.
feminists perspective on family ( liberal feminists)
-they believe that with adequate legal reforms and changes in social attitudes, family life can be made equal for both men and women.
-Gender discrimination in employment is now illegal due to the 1970 Equal Pay Act and 1975 Sex Discrimination Act
-Women now have greater reproductive control and choices, which means they can make choices about having a family on their own terms
-Marital rape was made illegal in the UK in 1991
-Changes in divorce laws mean it is easier for women to make decisions on whether to stay in marriage
-Helen Wilkinson (1994) notes that women now have more economic power because of the rise of women in the workforce, particularly in the services sector.
Somerville (2000) argues that changes in working culture and hours need to be made for parents that work so that they can equally share household and childcare duties.
-Oakley (1979) argues that gender socialisation forces us to conform to gender expectations from a young age.
hegemonic masculinity (the expectation for boys to be protectors, providers and aggressors) and
hegemonic femininity (the pressure for girls to be nurturing, supportive and appearance-focused).
Oakley argues that such forms of socialisation must be challenged to achieve gender equality within the family.
criticisms of marxists feminists
-not all women conform to the beliefs and practices of capitalist and patriarchal society
-ignores growing diversity in other family types
-Patriarchy and capitalism are not necessarily related as patriarchy has existed before and without capitalism
criticisms of radical feminists
- unrealistic that all men are patriarchal
