Theories of the Family Flashcards
What are George Peter Murdock’s 4 points on Functionalist views on families purpose?
Analysed 250 diff types of societies in his book and proposed universal functions of families in which every family in the world does these things:
- The sexual function: sexual gratification for spouses
- the reproductive function: makes new members for society
- the educational function: socialises members into shared values/norms
- economic function: provides members food and shelter
What does Talcott Parsons argue are the two basic functions of the family?
- primary socialsation of children into shared values and equipping then with basic skills to go into society
- stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory): mother creates warm and loving environment allowing family adults to release tensions of outside world
Suggest family provides female and males with specific roles as caregiver and homemaker
What are some criitisms of the warm bath theory?
Very patriarchal-women serve man
Outdated-doesnt consider same sex/dual earners
Dark side of the family-abuse to release tension
What is Talcott Parsons Functionalist fit on the nuclear family theory?
It has not awlays existed, family adapts itself to society.
Reason it exists now is to meet needs of industrail society as pre-industrial society it was largely extended families.
Family provided employment and education also security and healthcare being unit of production
After industrialisation roles performed by family are now done by society so move away from being unit of production to unit of consumption
What do liberal feminists believe?
They believe equality between the sexes does exist but they fight to achieve equality through legal means. laws like the sex discrimination act (1975) are making womens lives better.
What does the liberal Feminist Jenny Sommerville believe?
Feminist failed to recognisse progress women have made to equality especially in marriage. New policies should be made which provide equality in relationships, e.g many jobs are still based on idea of male breadwinner.
What are some positives of the Liberal Feminist approach?
Supporting evidence that liberal feminist ideas are in society like laws and attitudes, Sommerville also recognises changes over past few decades and suggest how to make feminism more appealing.
What are some critisms of Liberal Feminists approach?
Sommervilles ideas are largely based on review of other feminists. Radical feminists would disagree as it ignores men are inhernetly patriarchial. It also does not offer praticcal solution for future change,
What is the Radical Feminists approach to society?
They see exploitation of women as result of men dominating society. The patriarhcy leads to subordination of women and children at home, rape and sexual assualt.
What are the Radical Feminists Andrea Dworkins views on marriage?
Marriage devolped from rape as a practice and represents ownership of women (eg changing their last name)
What are the Radical Feminists Germaine Greers views on Marriage.
Men beneift from marriag more than women. 3/4 of divorces are applied for by women. Motherhood is devalued by society.
What are some positives of the Radical Feminists approach to family?
Greers work is very provocatuve and makes important points about women in society. There are also supporting evidence of family being patriarchail like domestic violence stats.
What are some critisms of the Radical Feminist approach to family?
Too deterministic make generalisations about all men, other feminists live Liberal feminists would argue it fails to acknowledge the progress women have made.
What are Marxists Feminists approach to the family?
Look at how women are exploited and how it beneifts capatalism, e.g when the man is out working women is cleaning the house (unpaid labour)
What are the Marxist Feminists Margret Benson views on the family?
The unpaid labour women do in the home supports capatalist system. If man has wife and child to support he becomes bound to his wage labour/weakens the bargaining power to ensure better working conditions.
What are Marxists Feminists Fran Ansley’s view on the family?
The emotional support provided by the wife is the safety valve for the husbands frustrtions of working in a capatalist system. “They are takers of shit”
What is a positive of Marxists Feminists approach to the family?
Illustrates the link between capatalism and male DV and the role difference in the family and how that serves capatalism (e.g women doing unpaid labour)
What are some critisms of Marxist Feminist views of the family?
Too determanistic, assumes women are passively opressed by capatalism and patriarchy, doesnt consider they do fight back agasint these opressions.
Outdated, only applies to women in nuclear familys which is becoming less common.
What are Difference Feminists views on the family?
Argue we cant generalise about womens experiences as structalist feminists do. Need to consider Lesbians, different races or ethnicities, ages, scoial classes and not just traditional hetrosexual nuclear family.
What would Black Feminists argue about the families role?
Structalist feminists placing source of opression on family ignores black women experiences of racial opression. They view family as positive and support and resitence agaisnt racism.
From a survey in 1993, how many women were victims of domestic abuse?
1 in 10 with only 28% reported it to the police.
What is the New Rights perspective on the Family?
It is a political stance that says the main reason for societys problems are single parent families and non nuclear families.
What Sociological theory is the new right closely linked to?
Functionalism as they both focus on the ‘ideal family’ which is nuclear families which has clear sets of roles and helps society function.
What are new right theorist Brenda Almond’s views on State and government policies?
She says they are fragmenting the family by undermining the nuclear family
laws like:
divorce reform law: as it now easier to get divorce and undermines marriage
civil partnerships: led to same sex family
tax allowences: one working parent taxed more than two discouraging women staying at home
