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F&H sociology > Theories > Flashcards

Theories Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is the Functionalist view of the family?

A
  • n family functions for the greater good of society
  • n family makes a massive contribution to the maintenance of social order & stability
  • n family plays a major role in the construction & maintenance of an effective economy
  • n family also benefits individual members
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2
Q

According to Functionalists, how does the nuclear family benefit individuals?

A
  • adults & children benefit from the emotional wellbeing & satisfaction associated with marriage & family life
  • the n family provides social support, identity & security - enables family members to be responsible, law-abiding citizens
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3
Q

Why do Functionals believe the Nuclear Family is crucial to society?

A
  • it’s existence is beneficial & necessary for the harmonious running of society & personal development of individuals
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4
Q

What would Feminists respond with to the Functionalist view of the family?

A
  • n family doesn’t benefit all members - it’s damaging for women
  • n family doesn’t create a harmonious society - it ensures the continuation of the patriarchy
  • Delphy & Leonard (1992) claim husbands exploit their wives & a women’s role within marriage is to flatter their husbands & provide emotional support with nothing in return
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5
Q

What did G.P. Murdock say about the family?

A

Four main functions:

  1. Reproductive
  2. Sexual
  3. Educational
  4. Economic
  • These are universal
  • These functions benefit all family members & reinforce the commitment
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6
Q

What criticisms are there of Murdock’s theory?

A
  • too ethnocentric & specific to a time + place - not representative
  • outdated - fails to take into account modern trends like secularisation & smaller families
  • very politically conservative - two parents & heterosexual clearly says there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to organise family life
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7
Q

What was the family like in pre-industrial society? (parsons)

A
  • often extended family working & living together on farms
  • extended would perform many functions:
    1. unit of production - supply their own food etc & trade with other units for what they needed
    2. the family equipped members with the basic skills necessary for the families division of labour (primary socialisation)
    3. the family maintained the health of its members
    4. the family provided welfare for its members e.g caring for elderly
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8
Q

What effects did industrialisation have on the family? (Parsons)

A

industrial rev. brought five fundamental social changes:

  1. geographically mobile workforce - extended families split up as younger members moved to cities
  2. social mobility - more opportunity to improve materially
  3. relative isolation - less frequent contract with kinships
  4. ‘specialised agencies’ - n family dependant on
    buisnesses for food, clothing etc (consumers)
  5. N family had 2 essential functions:
    a. primary socialisation
    b. the stabilisation of adult personalities
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9
Q

What did Parsons claim primary socialisation does?

A
  • creates a value consensus (shared norms + values)
  • n family = ‘personality factories’ as personalists are MADE not born
  • ensures children grow up to become good citizens
  • family is a crucial bridge connecting children to wider society
  • mothers play an important role in nurturing & socialising children correctly
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10
Q

What is Parsons ‘stabilisation of adult personalities’ theory?

A
  • the family helps members cope with the stresses of modern-day life (kinships less strong)
  • nuclear family acts as a ‘warm bath’ for the man, when he comes home from a stressful day at work the family soothes & relaxes him
  • the emotional support & opportunity to engage in childs play acts as a safety valve & strengthens social stability in wider society
  • marriage is essential to this as females are best suites to being the ‘expressive leader’ (maternal instincts)
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11
Q

How does British sociologist, Fletcher (1988) criticise Parsons?

A
  • Family still has functions - he argues the family performs three unique functions: long-term sexual & emotional satisfaction, raising kids in a stable environment & the provision of a home all family members can return to after work/school
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12
Q

How do interpretivists criticise Parsons view of the family?

A
  • inadequate because it paints a picture of children as ‘empty vessels’ being pumped w/ culture
  • Parsons fails to realise this is an ‘over-socialised’ view of children - in reality it’s a two way system
  • parents are influenced by their children & parents do not always influence their children to the extent Parson contends
  • fails to see the dysfunctional aspects of the family
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13
Q

What are the four stages of Willmott & Young’s ‘March of Progress’?

A

(agrees with Parson’s in the sense that the family had changed over time)

  1. pre-industrial family
  2. Industrial family
  3. Symmetrical family (current family type)
  4. Asymmetrical family

change took place through stratified diffusion (MC…WC)

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14
Q

According to Willmott & Young, what are the characteristics of the symmetrical family?

A
  • nuclear structure
  • ‘privatised’ - infrequent contact with extended kin
  • dual career - both spouses’ incomes essential to standard of living
  • egalitarian (shared domestic chores)
  • home centred - most leisure time spent in the home
  • child centred - children happiness a high priority
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15
Q

How did Harris et al. criticise Willmott & Young?

A
  • the idea that the family is ‘privatised’ is invalid
  • although data shows a decline in sibling contact during adulthood, this is only true for single/childless adults
  • Once children are born, parents often negotiate relationships with siblings & their parents & the extended mutually supportive family re-emerges
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16
Q

What is the Marxist view of the family?

A
  • the n family doesn’t benefit wider society like Functionalists claim
  • n family serves the interests of the bourgeoisie because it promotes capitalist ideology
  • ruling-class ideology discourages WC criticism of capitalism & the inequalities generated
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17
Q

What is Engels view of the family?

A
  • argues the monogamous n family only became popular post-industrial rev
  • this is because the ruling class encouraged this family structure to protect their property & wealth
  • argued monogamous marriage was useful for the bourgeoisie as it conferred legitimacy of children - ensures the correct offspring inherit family fortune
  • However, Engels’ speculation has no convincing historical evidence backing it up
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18
Q

What is Zaretsky main view of the family?

A

He claims that the modern nuclear family mainly benefits capitalism & the ruling class, but at the expense of other members of society

He claims this can be illustrated in three main ways…

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19
Q

According to Zaretsky, what are the three main ways his view is demonstrated?

A
  1. Primary socialisation
    - family = crucial agent in socializing children into capitalist society
    - teaches WC to accept inequality by teaching values + norms which brainwash them into thinking society is equal (conformity, obedience, respect for authority)
    - A passive workforce is created to uphold capitalism
  2. Role of family
    - rejects Parsons ‘stabilisation…’ & suggests a more sinister role
    - argues the family’s real function is to help workers manage their hatred for the capitalist workplace which oppresses them
    - n family dampens these feelings as rev would threaten standard of living & families wellbeing
    ( evidence of this is in the 80s Ford only employed married men as they were less likely to strike than single men)
  3. Consumption
    - n family = major unit of consumption (fuels capitalism)
    - materialism distracts workers from the issues with capitalism
    - Marxists argue that capitalism encourages parents to teach their children the route to happiness is consumerism
    - prevents rev as capitalism goes unchallenged as WC too focused on buying the next gadget etc
20
Q

What are the criticisms of the Marxist view on the family?

A
  • Interpretivists argue Marxists fails to consider individual experiences (as a structuralist theory) as influential - they neglect the positive emotional & social satisfaction people get from the family
  • Focuses on the benefits to the economy & the working man’s boss - ignored other benefits to the individual & society
  • Zaretsky fails to consider that some parents may resist ruling class ideology by not teaching norms + values of WC culture
  • Some people are aware of the pitfalls of capitalism but accept it as a way of life better than Communism
21
Q

What is the general feminist view of the family?

A
  • Feminists see the family as a negative environment for women & introduced the study of housework + domestic violence into Sociology
  • Challenge the idea that family life is based on cooperation, shared interests & love
  • Try to show that men obtain greater benefits from families than others
  • Different types of feminists disagree over how to overcome the patriarchy
22
Q

What are the different types of Feminists?

A
  1. Liberal
  2. Radical
  3. Marxist
  4. Difference
23
Q

How do Liberal Feminists respond to the ‘March of Progress’?

A

they agree that things are gradually improving to be more egalitarian

  • women’s oppression gradually being overcome
  • Changes in the law (Sex Discrimination Act 1975)
  • Changes in attitudes

However, they do contend that to achieve greater equality, further reforms & changes in socialisation patterns of children are necessary

24
Q

What does Liberal Feminist, Oakley, say about the family?

A

Oakley (1974-now)

  • criticised ‘malestream sociology’ pre-70s
  • “men are privileged and will not give this up” (domestic labour)
  • gender inequality in family = a product of discrimination by individuals & heads of institutions (not embedded in the social structure of society)
  • discrimination based on ignorance, prejudice & a mistaken view on the biogenetic difference in gender
25
Q

What does Liberal Feminist, Leonard, say about the family?

A

Leonard (2000)

  • argues that patriarchal ideology underpins dominant ideas about paid work & domestic labour
  • suggest that men resist change because the persistence of unequal division in labour suits them
26
Q

How have Liberal Feminists like Somerville acknowledged positive change?

A

Somerville (2000)

  • points out that women now have much more choice about marriage, paid work within marriage & divorce
  • also notes that there is now greater equality within marriage & more sharing of paid + unpaid work (childcare)
  • legislative change - Equal Pay act 1970, 2010 Equality Act
27
Q

What are the criticisms of liberal feminists?

A
  • mostly reflective of white MC women, women from poorer sections of society will have different experiences
  • Corsaro (2011): critical of gender role socialisation arguments - little evidence suggests toys are symbolically values & that much research just assumes gendered pay leads to gender experience etc
28
Q

What is the Radical Feminist perspective on the family?

A
  • men exploit women & patriarchy needs to go
  • (Millett & Firestone (c.1970) men & women constitute separate conflicting ‘sex classes’ –> ​Interaction between these classes through marriage & the family are responsible for gender inequality
  • n family functions mainly benefit straight men - teaches patriarchal ideology (a sexual division of labour is ‘natural’ & unchangeable)
29
Q

What do Radical Feminists, like Delphy & Leonard, contend about the nuclear family?

A
  • oppresses & exploited women in a range of ways
  • husbands exploit their wives despite genuinely loving them
  • argue that women’s role within marriage is to ‘flatter’ the husband & provide emotional support - with little in return
30
Q

According to Radical Feminists, what role does the family play in women’s violence?

A
  • the family is the means by which patriarchal ideology is taught & reproduced
  • leads to generations of men seeing women as second-class citizens (deeply rooted in history & culture)
  • violence is a result of this - men feel it’s okay to be violent towards women in a variety of ways
31
Q

Do Radical Feminists believe true gender equality can be achieved?

A

NO, not if current family set-ups continue to exist

  • they believe n family must be abolished or radically reformed
  • (Firestone) suggests women should use reproductive tech to exclude men from families (IVF)
  • (Greer) argues in favour of all-female households or matrifocal families
32
Q

What are criticisms of the Radical Feminist view?

A
  • fail to account for recent economic & social changes e.g educational success of women
  • they portray women as passively accepting their lot & potentially exaggerate the exploitation of women in the family
  • ignore those accounts of family life in which female experience motherhood as fulfilling & rewarding
  • overemphasises the n family & neglects the rich diversity of other family types in modern society
33
Q

What is the Marxist Feminist view of the family?

A
  • patriarchal oppression is central to women’s experiences, however, class causes major inequality
  • The family oppresses women and serves Capitalism as housework & primary socialisation is exploited by the ruling class
  • patriarchy is a deliberate ideology constructed by the bourgeoisie to reproduce & justify inequality
  • MARXIST FEMINISTS BELIEVE THAT ALL MEN (WC & MC) BENEFIT FROM PATRIARCHY
34
Q

What do Marxist Feminists argue about domestic labour?

A
  • women exploited for their housework & childcare by the bourgeoisie - benefits capitalism
  • women reproduce the complainant labour force
  • women absorb anger (male alienation)
  • women are a reserve army of cheap labour
35
Q

What do Marxist Feminists, such as Margaret Benston (1972) contend?

A
  • n family & esp women’s nurturing role within it is crucial to Capitalism
  • because it reproduces & rears the future generation of workforce and little cost to the capitalist state
36
Q

What do Marxist Feminists, such as Ansley (1972), contend?

A
  • women are the “takers of shit”
  • capitalism has stripped male workers of dignity, power & control
  • Surveys of factory workers suggest that many are bored by the tedious nature of their work
  • many are alienated - cannot identify with/bring themselves to care about the product they’re producing
  • they feel powerless –> feel their masculinity is challenged
37
Q

What are the ONS statistics on the worth of some domestic work?

A
  • 2012: estimated that laundry & ironing in the home was worth £97.2 bil
  • 2010: unpaid childcare estimated to be worth £342 bil
38
Q

How do Marxist Feminists discredit the Functionalist view on gender roles?

A
  • Parsons claimed that gender roles are ‘natural’ as women are ‘expressive leaders’
  • Marxists Feminists how gender roles within the family may be created & perpetuated by the needed of our Capitalist society.
39
Q

What are the criticisms of Marxist Feminists?

A
  • ignores the day-to-day experiences & interpretations of women who choose to live in a n family - they may gain joy from being a mother/wife…
  • their idea of family is still based on a dated model of the n family - many no longer fit into this idea and modern families are becoming more diverse
  • increasing dual-career families mean women hold more economic & cultural power (more and more men now taking part in domestic work)
40
Q

What is the New Right perspective of the family?

A
  • n family & moral character of youth are under attack/threatened by modern gov policy
  • n family crucial for shaping moral order of society (socialisation of values - respect, civility)
  • critical of New Labour policies - claim they’ve constructed a ‘nanny state’ & geared towards deviant family types
41
Q

What do New Right thinkers, such as Patricia Morgan, assert?

A

Very critical of the welfare state’s social policies

  • 2/3 of the av income of one-parent families comes from benefits & tax
  • dependency culture
  • idea that some people have children to further mooch off the state (perverse incentive)
42
Q

What do New Right thinker, such as Murray, contend?

A
  • argues that one-parent families are more likely than other family types to produce crime, drug abuse & educational failure
  • claim that the lack of positive male role models in such families means mother loses control over children
  • argue that teen boys are more influenced by deviant role models (criminals)
43
Q

What are the criticisms of the New Right perspective?

A
  • fail to consider that single parenthood may be preferable to domestic violence inflicted by parents of partner/children
  • single parenthood is rarely a permanent state, on av lasts 5 years
  • their views are classist/ethnocentric as they are overly focused on poor families - they do not criticise MC lone-parent families
  • accused of ‘blaming the victim’ for their issues
44
Q

How do Ford & Miller (1998) criticise the New Right perspective on the family?

A

Argue that the ‘perverse incentive’ argument is also flawed when the quality of life of lone parents is examined.

Many experience poverty, debt and material hardship despite receiving state benefits (benefits really are not much money)

45
Q

What is the Postmodernist perspective of the family?

A
  • there is a much wider range of living options available these days - because of social & cultural changes
  • modern outlook on things & recognised current events
  • LIFE COURSE: look at rites of passage and different experiences, rather than static family types - better reflects out diverse, fast-changing modern life
46
Q

What do Postmodernist thinkers, such as Judith Stacey (1990), claim?

A

Judith Stacey (1990)

  • they’ll never be one dominant family type in Western culture again - family structures are varied & flexible
  • in this way people are not hemmed in by tradition - they have many options

F&H sociology (5 decks)

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