THEORIES OF THE FAMILY Flashcards
Who are the functionalists sociologists when looking at the perspectives of the family?
Murdock
Parsons
What is Murdock’s perspective on the family?
Nuclear family performs 4 functions: Socialisation of the young Meeting economic needs Reproduction Satisfy sex drive
How can you criticise Murdock?
Feminists: family serves the needs of men
Marxists: meets the needs of capitalism not society as a whole
What is Parsons ‘functional fit’ theory?
The functions that the family performs depends on the type of society they are in:
Pre-industrial society=extended family
Modern society=nuclear family
According to Parsons ‘functional fit’ theory, what has there been a shift in family structure overtime?
Industrial society has different needs to pre-industrial society:
A geographically mobile workforce= nuclear family is easier to move
A socially mobile workforce= individual status isn’t ascribed, its based on effort and ability, avoids raised tensions with rivalling jobs
According to Parsons, what are the new functions of society?
Primary socialisation of children: basic skills for society
Stabilisation of adult personalities: relax and ease tensions
How can you criticise Parsons functional fit theory?
Willmott and Young: the preindustral society was nuclear, short life expectancy and late childbearing meant grandparents were unlikely to be alive very long
The extended family is still important today, rise in women working, better housing. Grandparents help out
Who are the Marxits sociologists when studying the perspectives of the family?
Englels
Zaretsky
What is Engels perspective on the function of the family?
The family exists so men can pass their private property to their biological offspring, notably a son
What is Zaretsky’s perspective on the family?
There is an ideological function- that the family provides a haven from the harsh exploitative world of capitalism. This is an illusion, the family cannot meet the members needs
According to Marxists how is the family a unit of consumption?
Exploits the labour of the workers
Its a market for consumer goods: ads to encourages families to buy items, media target children to buy the must have items
How can you criticise the Marxist perspective?
Assumed the nuclear family is dominant
Feminists argue they ignore women’s issues
Functionalists argues they ignore the benefits the family has
What is the liberal feminisist perspective of the family
March of progress view- gender inequality is gradually being overcome through reform, policies and attitudes. Family encourages males and females to have similar high aspirations
What is the Marxist feminisist perspective on the family?
Capitalism is the main form of women’s oppression in family, the family, this is done through;
Women reproducing the Labour force
Women absorb anger, soak up the frustration of their husbands
Women are cheap labour, only used when extra workers are needed
What is the Radical feminisists perspective on the family?
Family is the key division in society, must be abolished.
Men benefit from women’s unpaid work and sexual services and dominate them through abuse
