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Families And Households > theories > Flashcards

theories Flashcards

1
Q

What do functionalists believe about society?

A

Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus - a set of shared norms and values - into which society socialises its members.

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2
Q

How do functionalists view society?

A

Functionalists regard society as a system made up of different parts or sub-systems that depend on each other.

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3
Q

What analogy do functionalists use to describe society?

A

Functionalists often compare society to a biological organism.

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4
Q

What essential need does the family meet according to functionalists?

A

The family meets some of society’s essential needs, such as the need to socialise children.

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5
Q

What are the four essential functions of the family according to Murdock?

A
  1. Stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner.
  2. Reproduction of the next generation.
  3. Socialisation of the young into society’s shared norms.
  4. Meeting its members’ economic needs.
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6
Q

What does Murdock argue about the nuclear family?

A

Murdock argues that the sheer practicality of the nuclear family explains why it is universal, found in all human societies.

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7
Q

What criticisms do Marxists and feminists have of Murdock’s view?

A

Marxists and feminists reject Murdock’s harmonious consensus view, arguing that functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation.

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8
Q

How do feminists view the family?

A

Feminists see the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women.

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9
Q

How do Marxists view the family?

A

Marxists argue that the family meets the needs of capitalism, not those of family members or society as a whole.

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10
Q

What additional functions might the family perform according to Parsons?

A

The family may perform welfare, military, political, or religious functions.

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11
Q

What is Parsons’ ‘functional fit’ theory?

A

Parsons’ theory suggests that the functions the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found.

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12
Q

What are the two kinds of family structure distinguished by Parsons?

A

Nuclear family and extended family

The nuclear family consists of just parents and their dependent children, while the extended family includes three generations living under one roof.

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13
Q

According to Parsons, which family type fits the needs of industrial society?

A

Nuclear family

Parsons argues that the nuclear family is the dominant family type in modern industrial society.

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14
Q

What type of family structure does Parsons claim fits the needs of pre-industrial society?

A

Extended family

The extended family is characterized by multiple generations living together and fulfilling various roles within the household.

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15
Q

What essential need does Parsons identify for industrial society regarding the workforce?

A

Geographically mobile workforce

The need for a workforce that can move to different locations as industries change and jobs become available.

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16
Q

What did Young and Willmott (1973) argue about the pre-industrial family?

A

It was nuclear, not extended

They claimed that parents and children worked together in cottage industries, contradicting Parsons’ view.

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17
Q

What does the term ‘mum-centred’ family refer to in the context of early industrial society?

A

Working-class extended family based on ties between mothers and married daughters

This structure provided financial, practical, and emotional support during harsh economic conditions.

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18
Q

What is the significance of exchange theory in understanding family ties?

A

It explains the costs and benefits of maintaining family relationships

Specifically, it suggests that the benefits of extended family ties can outweigh the costs in difficult circumstances.

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19
Q

What factors contributed to the emergence of the nuclear family around 1900, according to Young and Willmott?

A
  • Higher living standards
  • Married women working
  • The welfare state
  • Better housing

These social changes made the extended family less important as a source of support.

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20
Q

True or False: The extended family has disappeared in modern society.

A

False

The extended family continues to exist and perform important functions such as providing financial help, childcare, and emotional support.

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21
Q

What does Parsons argue happens to family structure during the process of industrialization?

A

The extended family gives way to the nuclear family

This transition occurs as the family adapts to meet the needs of the emerging industrial society.

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22
Q

What is the role of adult sons in the extended family according to Parsons?

A

They live at home in their father’s house

In this arrangement, the father may have higher ascribed status while the son may achieve a higher status at work.

23
Q

Fill in the blank: According to Parsons, industrial society requires a _______ workforce.

A

socially mobile

This means that individuals can change their status based on their abilities and achievements.

24
Q

What is the primary reason adult sons leave home when they marry?

A

To form their own nuclear family

This promotes social and geographical mobility.

25
Q

What is meant by a ‘mobile nuclear family’?

A

A family that is structurally isolated from its extended kin

They may keep in touch but have no binding obligations.

26
Q

How did the pre-industrial family function compared to the modern nuclear family?

A

The pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit, serving as both a unit of production and consumption

It was more self-sufficient than the modern nuclear family.

27
Q

According to Parsons, what happens to the family structure during industrialization?

A

It changes from extended to nuclear and loses many functions

This includes the shift from a unit of production to a unit of consumption.

28
Q

What are the two essential functions of the modern nuclear family according to Parsons?

A
  • Primary socialisation of children
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities
29
Q

What is the primary socialisation of children?

A

Equipping them with basic skills and society’s values

This helps integrate them into society.

30
Q

What does the stabilisation of adult personalities refer to?

A

The family as a place for adults to relax and release tensions

This enables them to return to work refreshed.

31
Q

How do Marxist sociologists view capitalist society?

A

As based on an unequal conflict between two social classes

These classes are the capitalist class and the working class.

32
Q

What is the Marxist perspective on the functions of the family?

A

They are performed purely for the benefit of the capitalist system

This contrasts with the functionalist view of mutual benefit.

33
Q

What is one key function of the family according to Marxists?

A

Inheritance of property

This reflects the influence of the mode of production on social institutions.

34
Q

What is the term used by Marx to describe the earliest classless society?

A

Primitive communism

In this society, there was no private property and all members owned the means of production communally.

35
Q

What did Friedrich Engels call the social structure before the establishment of the family?

A

Promiscuous horde

This tribe had no restrictions on sexual relationships.

36
Q

How did the development of private property affect family structure according to Marxist theory?

A

It led to the emergence of the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family.

37
Q

Why did Engels argue that monogamy became essential?

A

To ensure legitimate heirs inherited private property.

38
Q

What does Engels mean by the phrase ‘world historical defeat of the female sex’?

A

The rise of the monogamous nuclear family brought women’s sexuality under male control.

39
Q

According to Marxists, what is necessary for women to achieve liberation from patriarchal control?

A

The overthrow of capitalism and private ownership of the means of production.

40
Q

What ideological functions does the family perform for capitalism?

A

It socializes children into accepting hierarchy and inequality.

41
Q

What concept did Eli Zaretsky introduce regarding the family?

A

The family offers an illusion of a ‘haven’ from capitalism.

42
Q

What role does the family play in consumer capitalism?

A

It is a major market for the sale of consumer goods.

43
Q

Fill in the blank: Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the _______’.

A

Joneses

44
Q

What is a criticism of the Marxist perspective regarding family structures?

A

It assumes the nuclear family is dominant, ignoring other family structures.

45
Q

What do feminists argue about the Marxist focus on class and capitalism?

A

It underestimates the importance of gender inequalities within the family.

46
Q

True or False: Marxists believe that the functions performed by the family primarily benefit its members.

A

False

47
Q

What do feminists argue about the family?

A

Feminists argue that the family oppresses women and that gender inequality is created by society, not natural or inevitable.

This perspective is critical, similar to Marxist views, focusing on issues like domestic labor and violence against women.

48
Q

What is the broad term that encompasses various approaches to gender inequality within the family?

A

Feminism

Feminism includes different types, each with distinct views and solutions regarding gender inequality.

49
Q

What are the four main types of feminism discussed in the context of family?

A
  1. Liberal Feminism
  2. Marxist Feminism
  3. Radical Feminism

Each type approaches the family differently and offers various solutions to the issue of gender inequality.

50
Q

What do liberal feminists advocate for?

A

Liberal feminists campaign against sex discrimination and for equal rights and opportunities, advocating for equal pay and an end to discrimination.

They focus on gradual change through attitude shifts and legal reforms.

51
Q

What legislation do liberal feminists cite as a significant change in addressing gender inequality?

A

The Sex Discrimination Act (1975)

This act outlaws discrimination in employment, representing a legal framework for equality.

52
Q

According to liberal feminists, what is necessary for achieving full gender equality?

A

Further reforms and changes in the attitudes and socialization patterns of both sexes.

They believe that while progress has been made, full equality is still dependent on additional efforts.

53
Q

How do liberal feminists view progress towards gender equality in the family?

A

They view it as a ‘march of progress’, noting gradual improvements in shared domestic labor and more equal socialization of children.

They acknowledge that full equality has not yet been achieved.

54
Q

What criticism do other feminists have towards liberal feminists?

A

They criticize liberal feminists for failing to address the underlying causes of women’s oppression and believing that legal changes and attitude adjustments alone will suffice.

Marxist and radical feminists argue that deeper social structure changes are necessary.

Families And Households (8 decks)

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