theories of the family

Question 1

murdock

Answer 1

argues the family performs 4 essential functions
1. stable satisfaction of the sex drive
2. reproduction of the next generation
3. socialisation of the young
4. meeting its members economic needs

Question 2

parsons

Answer 2

the functions the family performs depends on the kind of society it is found in. industrial society needs a geographically and socially mobile workforce which is fulfilled by the nuclear family. the family in industrial society performs 2 functions: socialisation of children, stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 3

marxist theory of the family (3)

Answer 3

1. inheritance of property
2. ideological functions
3. unit of consumption

Question 4

engels

Answer 4

monogamy became essential as the forces of production developed because men needed to pass on their property to their legitimate sons

Question 5

zaretsky

Answer 5

the family acts a an ‘oasis’ from the exploitative world of capitalism

Question 6

liberal feminists

Answer 6

they take a march of progress view and argue that their is gradual progress towards equality in the family eg sullivan

Question 7

marxist feminists

Answer 7

womens oppression serves several functions in capitalist society such as reproducing the workforce, absorbing anger and acting as a reserve army of labour

Question 8

radical feminists

Answer 8

see the family as the main source of womens oppression. men benefit from womens unpaid domestic labour and their sexual services and the family needs to be abolished for women to achieve equality

Question 9

difference feminists

Answer 9

they argue that we cannot make generalisations about womens experiences with the family because they are all unique