Theories of family - Smaller theories Flashcards
Explain the New Right’s Perspective
- Conservative political perspective, they argue that the traditional nuclear family is the only proper and normal family type
- Known as aggressive functionalists, they want to introduce state policies that force everyone to live in a nuclear family e.g. cut welfare benefit payments to young single mums to discourage women from having babies outside of marriage
- They are committed to traditional family values and roles and they are anti feminist, claiming that women’s liberation from the housewife role has contributed to the moral breakdown of society and family (women in paid work go against their natural role of mothers)
- Criticise same sex families as they don’t provide a male and female role model to socialise children effectively
- They see single parents as a moral problem and the lack of male rolemodels resuls in unsocialised boys who are more likely to underachieve at school and take part in anti social behaviour
New Right movement example
Trad wives
* Tradwife: a woman who prefers to take the traditional submissive role in the family and marriage
* They like the idea that the husband is in control
* Some women have chosen to leave their careers to focus on their families and raising children
* They agree with the New Right that a woman’s place is the home
What does Murray argue?
Overgenerous welfare benfits have led to a culture of dependency
* People are choosing to live off benefits instead of doing paid work
* He claims there is a growing underclass who think living off benefits is ok and they have no desire to work
* The underclass socialise their children into a fatalistic attitude and Murray argues that people must take responsability for their own lives and to get jobs rather than relying on the state
* The growth of single parent families is harmful to individuals in society - they are the result of over generous benefits which rewards irresponsible behaviour suh as having children without being able to provide for them
* Murray says welfare benefits must be abolished and believes it would reduce dependency culture that encourages births outside of marriage
Explain the Postmodernist theory
They argue that society has changed and we now live in a society where it’s characterised by rapid social change and uncertancies. People now question traditional values and it has become fragmented with individuals making their own chocies.
What are the key features of the family in a Postmodernist society?
- Choice,diversity and change
- Rejecting traditional ideas about the family
- Traditional nuclear family has declined, there is much more family diversity with a wide range of family types and living arrangements
- Individualism: people choosing their own, new lifestyles and relationships according to their own personal needs and desires rather than following traditional norms
What is the life course analysis?
Life Course Analysis
* Focus on the meanings people place on different events in their lives such as leaving home and retiring
* Focusing what people themselves view as important rather than what society says is important
* Hareven uses this and postmodernists would interview people and get them to talk about events in their lives
What does Giddens argue?
(Postmodernist)
The pure relationship
* Relationships are based on confluent love and couples only stay together if they are in love
* Individuals search for pure relationships that are fulfilling (fits all their needs)
* Serial monogomy is common to find the right person
* It has contributed in a rise of family diversity e.g. remarriages and step families
Families of choice
* Same sex relationships are leading the way to new family types and create more democratic relationships based on equality
* Same sex couples have developed relationships based on choice rather than traditional gender roles
* Same sex couples negotiate personal relationships to fit their own needs and they create supportive families of choice among friends, former lovers and biological kins
What does Beck argue?
(Postmodernist)
Risk society
* Greater choic means greater risk of instability - couples are more likely to break up
* Family life is no longer certain as if people feel unfulfilled in a marriage, they have the choice to divorce
The negotiated family
* Family no longer certain and gender roles aren’t clear
* Women demand greater equality in the family and there’s greater individualism - led to negotiated family
* Families now vary depending on the wishes and expectations of family members
* Negotiated family is less stable than the traditional nuclear families because people are free to leave if their needs are not met and this instability has lead to greater family diversity
What does Stacey argue?
(Postmodernist)
Postmodern families
* The greater freedom and choice has benefitted women in particular - it’s enabled them to free themselves from patriarchal oppression and to shape their families to meet their needs
* Studied p.m. familes in California and found men were the main factor of change in the family, many women she interviewd rejected the traditional housewife role and instead returned to education and improved their jobs: these women created new family structures to suit their needs
* Divorce extended family - members are connected by divorce and the key members are usually female and can include former inlaws such as mother in law and daughter in law to keep contact for benefit of children
Explain the Personal Life Perspective theory
The family is diverse and complex. We go beyond traditional definitons of family such as being blood related, and instead look at all relationships that are meaningful, such as friends and pets.
What does the Personal Life Perspective say about friends?
- Challenges the assumption that friends are chosen, while family is given
- Argues that friends can be family
- Many of us have a fictive kin - close friends who are treated as relatives like calling a family friend aunty despite there being no blood reation
- We have families of choice, we choose who we see as family
- Family is not given it is chosen, kinship bonds can be broken like stopping contact with a family member, whereas leaving a friendship can be hard due to social circles (hanging out in same places can make things difficut to avoid them)
- Connectedness thesis - all relationships are a part of a wider network: friends in same class or people who share same hobby
What does the Personal Life Perspective say about Pets?
- We see pets as family members, and they are treated as individuals as we buy them toys and food
- Pets bring people closer together like spending more time with your friend because you like their dog
- Pets can also create distance in relationships: if someone has an allergy, they might see you less often
