Theories Of The Family Flashcards
Functionalists believe
Society is based on a value consensus (a set of shared norms and values) in which society socialises its members.
This enables them to cooperate harmoniously and achieve shared goals.
The family is the basic building block of society which helps maintain social order and social cohesion
Regard society to be made up of sub systems that depend on each other (like the human body and organs)
Functionalists theory
Each aspect of society depends on each other and each contributes to the overall stability and functioning of that society
George peter Murdock (1949)
The family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members:
- stable satisfaction of the sex drive
- reproduction of the next generation
- socialisation of the young
- meeting its memebers’ economic needs
Murdock (1949) 4 functions explained
STABLE SATISFACTION OF THE SEX DRIVE - preventing the social disruption caused by a sexual “free-for-all” E.G STDs, teenage pregnancy etc
REPRODUCTION OF THE NEXT GENERATION - to ensure society continues
SOCIALISATION OF THJE YOUNG - into society’s shared NORMS and VALUES
MEETING ITS MEMBERS’ ECONOMIC NEEDS - such as food and shelter. The state doesn’t have to pay
Critisisms of Murdock - now we can use other things to achieve the “4 functions of a family”
STABLE SATISFACTION OF THE SEX DRIVE - pornography, media
REPRODUCTION OF THE NEXT GENERAATION - surrogates, IVF
SOCIALISATION OF THE YOUNG - education, religion, media
MEETING ITS MEMBERS’ ECONOMIC NEEDS - independent living, cohabiting (living with friends)
George peter Murdock (1949) - his own criticism
Murdock recognises that other institutions could perform these functions but argues that the nuclear family is universal (in the 250 societies he studied) because of its ‘sheer practicality’ in performing the 4 essential functions
OTHER criticisms of Murdock
-Other institutions and family types carry out the functions
- Murdock has a ‘rose-tinted’ harmonious consensus view that the family meets everyone’s needs:
FEMINISTS: the family serves the need of men and oppresses women
MARXISTS: the family meets the needs of capitalism, not the needs to family members and society as a whole
TALCOTT PARSONS “Functional fit theory”
Parsons argues that the particular structure and functions of a given type of family will fit the particular needs of society
The nuclear family
Of just parents & dependant children
The extended family
Of three generations living under the same roof
As society changed, the ‘type’ of family that was required to help society function changed.
Industrial society has 2 essential needs which requires a nuclear family to work
- A geographically mobile workforce
- a socially mobile workforce
Geographically mobile
In pre-industrial societies people spend their time in the same village, working on the same farm.
In modern societies industries spring up and decline in different parts of the country/ world and people need to move to where the jobs are.
Socially mobile workforce
The modern industrial society is based on evolving science and technology which requires skilled workforce.
THEREFORE important that the most skilled workers (DESPITE THEIR BACKGROUND) take the most important jobs
MODERN SOCIETY individual status is achieved by their own effort and abilities not foxed by their social standing.
Parsons overall
We have shifted from extended families to nuclear families due to geographical and social mobility
PARSONS - Loss of FUNCTION
That the family in modern society has lost many of its functions as it has become a unit of consumption only (rather than also being a unit of production)
This means that is modern society, the nuclear family has just 2 essential “irreducible” functions:
- primary socialisation of children — to help the, integrate into society
- stabilisation do adult personalities — where adults can relax and release tensions allowing them to meet the demands of work (functional for the efficiency of the economy)
CRITICISMS OF PARSONS - Young & Willmott (1973) & Laslett (1972)
The pre-industrial family was nuclear, not extended
CRITICISMS OF PARSONS - Young & Wilmott
Hardship of the early industrial period gave rise to a “mum-centred” working-class extended family
CRITICISMS OF PARSONS - Hareven (1999)
Extended family not the nuclear was the structure best equipped to meet the needs of early industrial society.
There is some support for the claim that the nuclear family has become dominant, but the extended family has not disappeared
Feminism on the family - OAKLEY 1985
Some parents use gender role socialisation to teach their children that males are dominant and women are subordinate
Liberal feminisits
Are concerned with campaigning against sex discrimination and for equal rights and opportunities for women.
Argue that women’s oppression is gradually being overcome through a change in attitude and laws
SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT 1975
That full equality will depend on further reforms.
Social policies
1870 - women given the same property and inheritance rights as men
1932 - women given right to vote
1970- contraceptive pill available on NHS
1975 - women enter work force; sexual discrimination act
1972- divorce is made more accessible
1990 - rape within marriage is made illegal
Liberal feminists view on society
Should be equal between genders
Liberal feminists view on the family
There has been gradual progress (“March of Progress”) but there still needs to be improvements
MARXIST FEMENIST view on society
Men are not the cause of gender inequality, CAPITALISM is. Women’s oppression performs several functions of capitalism
MARXISTS FEMINIST view on the family
Women reproduce the work force, absorb anger and are a reserve source of labour
MARXIST FEMINISTS BELIEVE WOMEN REPRODUCE
The work force through unpaid domestic labour, socialisation next generation of workers etc
MARXIST FEMENISTS BELIEVE WOMEN ABSORB ANGER
That would be directed as capitalism Ansley (1972) DESCRIBED WIVES AS “takers of shit” because of the alienation and exploitation men suffer at work
MARXIST FEMENISTS BELIVE WOMEN ARE
A reserve source of (cheap) labour when extra help is needed
Radical feminists (the most extreme version of femenism
Men are the enemy
Family and marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society - men benefit from unpaid domestic labour and sexual services and dominate it through domestic and sexual violence
Greer (2000)
Argues for the creation of all female households as an alternative to heterosexual family
Criticism of radical feminists - Somerville (2000)
Said radical feminists fail to recognise how far women’s position has positively changed and that heterosexual attraction means separatism could not work
Difference feminists
Argue that not all women live in a nuclear family and therefore we cannot generalise ability women’s experience.
Black feminists view the black family as a positive source of support against racism
Difference feminists view on society:
Not all women are the same
Difference feminists view on the family
It should be remembered that may women do not live in nuclear families and have different experiences.
CRITISISM liberal femenists
overestimate positive change in domestic life
CRITISISM marxist feminists
ignore the role men play in oppression of women
CRITISISM radical femenists
fail to recognise any improvements in domestic life
CRITISISM difference feminists
fail to recognise that women sheer many experiences such as low pay
