Theoretical Perspectives of Families and Households

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

Structural Consensus

Question 2

Durkheim

Answer 2

• Organic Analogy, compares the human body to society because every institution has a role to keep society going.
• Value Consensus leads to Social Solidarity which leads to Social Order (maintained by Socialisation and Social Control)

Question 3

Murdoch

Answer 3

4 Functions:

• Sexual, need to regulate sexual urges to keep society stable, should be done in marriage
• Reproductive, nuclear families need two children
• Economic, provide economic necessities for the family
• Education, primary socialisation teaches value consensus

Question 4

Parsons

Answer 4

• Primary socialisation, structuring personality by values, internalisation of culture
• Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath - expressive role)

Question 5

Fletcher

Answer 5

• Child bearing and rearing
• Caring for older family members
• Physical and emotional home
• Sexual regulation

Question 6

Young and Wilmott

Answer 6

Moving towards symmetrical family:

• Economic, expansion of welfare state cuts kinship ties

-Mobility, moving away from family often to council estates

• Smaller Families, reduction in fertility rates gives women a chance to work
• Living standards, as houses improve husbands are more likely to stay at home and do home improvement

Question 7

The New Right

Answer 7

• Structural Consensus
• Conservative politicians and right wing sociologists
• Increases of new family types is problematic for social order
• E.g. single parents are a burden on the state and sons need a male role model

Question 8

Margret Thatcher

Answer 8

• Introduced right to buy council houses at a lower price
• Family should care for itself
• Idolises nuclear family

Question 9

Charles Murray

Answer 9

• Underclass rely on welfare state
• Welfare policies offered ‘perverse incentives’ which reward irresponsible behaviour
• Easier to end marriages and form lone parents families
• Teenage pregnancies are for financial reasons
• Boys grow up with a lack of male models leading to criminal underclass

Question 10

Criticism of Functionalism + New Right

Answer 10

• ‘Victim blaming’ of poverty, children most likely to live in poverty
• May not be meritocratic, status and position come from being in strong positions in society
• Certain groups gain at others expense

Question 11

Marxism

Answer 11

Structural Conflict

Question 12

Marxism Features

Answer 12

• Capitalism vs Communism
• Economy is the most important thing that shapes all social institutions and relationships between social groups

Question 13

Karl Marx

Answer 13

• Bourgeoisie own the means of production, ‘ruling class’