Theories of the Family Flashcards
What Murdock’s 4 essential functions of family?
Stable satisfaction of the sex-drive, Reproduction of the next generation, Socialisation of the young, Meeting members’ economic need
What are the criticisms of Murdock?
Marxists and feminists rejects his ‘rose-tinted’ harmonious view that the family meets the needs of society and its members.
Feminists see the family as serving men while Marxists argue it meets capitalists’ needs.
What are the ideological functions of family?
=> Family socializes children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable.
=> Parental power accustoms them to the idea that someone will always be in charge to prepare them for work.
What is the unit of consumption?
Capitalism exploits workers by selling products of their labour to make a profit.
The family plays its role via:
=> Advertisers urge families to keep up with the ‘Joneses’
=> Children use pester power to get parents to spend more
=> Children who lack the latest clothes/accessories are mocked by peers.
What are the criticisms of Marxism?
=> Tends to assume the traditional nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society, ignoring wider family structures
=> Feminists argue it underestimates the importance of gender inequalities
=>Functionalists argue it ignores the benefits that the family has
What is liberal feminism?
=> Argues that women’s oppression is getting overcome in changes in the law e.g. the Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
=>Believes that society is moving towards equality, but this will depend on further socialization patterns
=> Hold a ‘march of progress’ view
What is marxist feminism?
Women: are oppressed as a result of capitalism, reproduce the labour force (through unpaid domestic labour and socializing the next generation of workers), and absorb anger that would be otherwise directed at capitalism.
Describe radical feminism.
Men are the enemy and benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services; all societies are founded on patriarchy.
What is difference feminism?
=> Argues that women’s experiences can’t be generalised
=> Lesbian, hetero, white, ethnic minority, M/C, and W/C women, all have different different experiences
=> By regarding family as purely negative, it ignores black women’s racial oppression
What is difference feminism?
=> Argues that women’s experiences can’t be generalised
=> Lesbian, hetero, white, ethnic minority, M/C, and W/C women, all have different different experiences
=> By regarding family as purely negative, it ignores black women’s racial oppression
What weaknesses does the personal life perspective argue that all other perspectives suffer from?
=> Tend to assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type - their is increased diversities
=> They are all structured theories - they assume that families and its members are passive puppets manipulated by society’s
structures
What are the other kinds of family relationships?
=> Relationships with friends who’re like siblings
=> Fictive Kin - close family friends who’re treated as relatives e.g., ‘auntie’
=> Gay and lesbian ‘chosen families’ made up of a supportive network of close friends, ex-partners etc
