Theories Of The Family

Question 1

Name the 5 theories and summarise them

Answer 1

1. Functionalism = a consensus perspective
2. Maxims = a class conflict perspective
3. Feminism = a gender conflict perspective
4. Personal life perspective

Question 2

What do functionalists believe society is based on ?

Answer 2

A value consensus, a set of shared norms and values into which society socialises its member . This enables them to operate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals

Question 3

What is the functionalists perspective on the family, regard society as ?

Answer 3

They regard society as a system made up of different parts or sub system that depend on each other e.g. family, education system and economy. They compare society to a biological organism like the human body.

Question 4

Functionalists see the family as a particularly important sub system, what is a sub system ?

Answer 4

A basic block of society

Question 5

What are the 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society and members?

Answer 5

1. Stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner, preventing the social distraction caused by a sexual ‘free for all’.
2. Reproduction of the next generation without which society could not continue
3. Socialisation of the young into society shared norms and values
4. Meeting its members economic needs such as food and shelter

Question 6

3 criticisms of Murdock?

Answer 6

1. could be performed by a nuclear family
2. Feminists= view neglecting the family as serving the needs of men oppressing women
3. Marxists= it meets the needs of capitalism, not family members or society as a whole

Question 7

Explain Parsons 1955 ‘Functional fit’ theory

Answer 7

• functions the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found
  1. nuclear family= parents and dependant children, fits the needs of industrial society
  2. Extended family= 3 generations under one roof, fits the needs of pre industrial society.

Question 8

What are the 2 needs of a industrial society

Answer 8

1. a geographically mobile workforce= people move to where the jobs are, easier for the nuclear family to do so
2. A socially mobile workforce= constantly evolving science and technology requires skilled workforce and is essential that the skilled workforce have a chance of promotion, thus not obligated to extended families, thus easier to form ones own nuclear family

Question 9

What are loss of functions?

Answer 9

• When society industrialises the family ceases to be a unit of production, e.g. farming
• focuses only on the primarily socialisation of children and stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 10

Criticisms of loss of functions? Young and Willmott (1973)

Answer 10

• pre industrial family was nuclear not extended
• industrialisation did not bring about the nuclear family but a ‘mum centred’ extended family which sought to maintain family ties
• extended family has not disappeared but provides financial. childcare and emotional support

Question 11

Marxists believe society is based on unequal conflict between what two classes?

Answer 11

1. capitalist society= owns the means of production
2. working class= whose labour the capitalist exploit for profit
   - functions of the family performed purely for the benefit of the capitalist system

Question 12

Explain inheritance of property

Answer 12

• all social institutions are shaped by the mode of production who owns and controls society’s productive forces
  -Engels= monogamy became essential in order to be sure of patriarchy so that legitimate heirs inherited property, thus bringing women under male control

Question 13

Explain ideological functions

Answer 13

• a set of beliefs that justify inequality and persuade people to accept capitalism as fair, natural and unchangeable
• patriarchal power teaches children that someone is always in charge (usually a man) and this prepares them for taking orders in the workplace

Question 14

Explain unit of consumption

Answer 14

• families are an important marker for the sale of consumer goods, e.g. consuming the latest products, must have latest gadgets

Question 15

What are criticisms of the Marxists perspective on the family?

Answer 15

• an assumption is made that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society
  -feminists argue that the family serves the interest of men, not capitalism
• functionalists say the benefit provided by the family are ignored here

Question 16

What is the feminist view on the family

Answer 16

• critical view of the family and oppresses women
• gender inequality not natural nor inevitable but created by society

Question 17

Liberal feminists perspective on the family?

Answer 17

• campaign for equal rights
• believe oppression is gradually being overcome by changing attitudes and beliefs e.g. gender equality
• critics argue women’s position can only be improved by change to deep rooted social structures

Question 18

Marxists feminist perspective on the family?

Answer 18

• women are oppressed in the family by capitalism
• women reproduce the labour force through unpaid domestic labour
• women absorb the anger that is directed against capitalism
• Ansley 1972 ‘takers of shit’.
• women are a army of cheap labour, when no longer needed they return to unpaid domestic labour
• family and capitalism must be abolished

Question 19

Radical feminists perspective on the family?

Answer 19

• society is founded upon patriarchy
• key division between men and women
• family must be abolished, separatism- women must organise themselves to live independently of men

Question 20

What is difference feminism?

Answer 20

• we cannot generalise about women’s experience as experiences are all different but women do share many of the same experiences, e.g. low pay

Question 21

Personal life perspective on the family?

Answer 21

• argues that functionalists, Marxists and feminists all have two weaknesses
  1. tend to assume that the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family life
  2. they are all structural theories, suggest that the family members are passive, have no choice in creating family relationships
  -need to focus upon the meanings members give their relationships, not supposed ‘functions’.

Question 22

What is the sociology of personal life perspective?

Answer 22

• influenced by interactionalist ideas
• POV individuals have and the meanings they give to relationships are the most important, ‘bottom up’ instead of ‘top down’.

Question 23

Beyond ties of blood and marriage

Answer 23

• important even though they are not defined as ‘family’
• relationships seen as significant give us a sense of identity, belonging, relatedness, e.g. pets

Question 24

Explain donor conceived children

Answer 24

• Nordquist and Smart
  some parents emphasise the importance of social relationships over genetic ones in forming bonds
• difficult feelings flare up over issues of the appearance of the child

Question 25

Evaluate the personal life perspective

Answer 25

• research into donor conceived children is useful in showing how individuals themselves construct/define relationships as ‘family.