theories of the family

Question 1

Marxist sociologists see capitalist society based on an unequal conflict between which 2 social classes?
Explain

Answer 1

Capitalist class (bourgoisie)=own the means of production
Working class (proletariat)=capitalists exploit their labour for profit

Question 2

What 3 ways do the Marxists see the family as fulfilling for capitalism?

Answer 2

-Inheritance of property
-Ideological functions
-Unit of consumption

Question 3

Explain the inheritance of property

Answer 3

-Capitalists control “mode of production”=who owns and controls societys productive forces>gets passed on via generations.
-Allows capitalists to keep their money and continue to make it in the future.
-Wealth stays within their family.

Question 4

Explain idealogical functions

Answer 4

-Idealogy=set of ideas/beliefs that JUSTIFY inequality and MAINTAIN the capitalist system by persuading ppl to accept it because it’s fair.
-E.g. parents socialising children into the idea that the hierarchy is inevitable.
-Parental power accustoms them to the idea that there’ll always be someone in control>prepares them for a working life>accept orders from capitalist employers.

Question 5

Explain unit of consumption

Answer 5

-Family plays a role in generating profit for capitalists
-They’re an important market for the sale of consumer goods:
-Children are a target for advertising “pester power”
-Advertising creates relative depravation (subjective feeling of poverty) e.g. not having the latest phone

Question 6

What are critisms of the Marxists perspective? (2)

Answer 6

-Feminists argue that the emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities.
-Marxists assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society. Ignores the wide variety of family structures in society today.(famaily diversity)

Question 7

What are difference femisnists?

Answer 7

We cannot generalise about womens experiences.
E.g. lesbian+hetrosexual, black+white, middle-class+working class women have very different experiences of the FAMILY.

Question 8

What does the personal life perspective argue?

Answer 8

Functionalists, marxists, feminists suffer from two weaknesses:
-Assume that the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type: ignores family diversity.
-All structural theories: to understand the family, we must focus on the meanings its members give to their relationships, rather than the ‘functions they carry out’.

Question 9

Strengths and weaknesses of the sociology of personal life.

Answer 9

W: Too broad of a view: by including a wide range of different kinds of personal relationships, we ignore what is special about relationships (functions) that are based on blood or marriage.
S: Recognises that relatedness is not always positive (unlike the functionalist theory) e.g. abusive relationships

Question 10

Do marxist feminist prioritise marxism or feminism first? Why?
How do they see the family?

Answer 10

Marxism, it’s capitalism that oppresses women, not men.
As a tool of capitalism.

Question 11

What do marxist feminists see the link between?

Answer 11

Oppression of women in the family linked to the exploitation of the working class.

Question 11

In what 3 ways do marxist feminists see the family as oppressing women?
Explain

Answer 11

-Women produce the LABOUR FORCE through unpaid domestic labour, by SOCIALISING the next generation (women) of workers.
-Women absorb anger, ANSLEY: describes wives as ‘takers of shit’ who soak up frustration their husbands feel. Explains domesti c violence (for marxists)
-Women are a RESERVE ARMY of cheap labour that can be taken on when extra workers are needed, then return to unpaid domestic labour “last to hire, first to fire”

Question 12

What 2 things do radical feminists believe in?

Answer 12

-Men are the enemy: the source of womens exploitation and oppression
-Family and marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society: men BENEFIT through womens unpaid domestic labour and DOMINATE women through domestic and sexual violence.

Question 13

What do functionalists believe that society is based on?
What is this?
What does this lead to?

Answer 13

Consensus
Set of shared norms and values.
Enables society to cooperate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals.

Question 14

What do functionalists believe society is made up of? 3 examples of this.
What do functionalists compare this to? Why? E.g?

Answer 14

Different parts that depend on each other e.g. family, education system, economy.
The human body because organs e.g. heart and lungs perform vital functions>FAMILY meets some of societys vital needs e.g. the need to socialise children.

Question 15

What does Murdock argue? FUNCTIONALISM

Answer 15

The family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society and it’s members:
-Sexual satisfiction with the same partner, preventing social disruption caused by a sexual “free all”.
-Reproduction of the next generation, without=society could not continue.
-Socialisation of the young into societys shared norms and values.
-Meeting it’s members economic needs e.g. food and shelter.

Question 16

Critisms of Murdock’s view? (2)

Answer 16

-The important 4 functions could be performed equally well by other institutions or by non-nuclear families.
-Marxists and feminists argue that functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation:
Feminists-nuclear family serves the need of men and opresses women.
Marxists-functionalism meets the needs of capitalism, not those of family members or society as a whole.

Question 17

What is Parson’s functional fit theory?

Answer 17

The FUNCTIONS that the family performs will:
-Depend on the kind of society in which it is found.
-Affect it’s shape or structure.

Question 18

What is Parsons two type of family structures according to the functional fit theory?
What does Parson argue about this?

Answer 18

-Nuclear family: parents and their dependent children.
-Extended family: three generations living under one roof.
The particular structure and functions of a given type of family will fit the needs of society in which it is found=everything has a function!

Question 19

What two societies are there according to Parsons?
Where does the nuclear and extended family fit between these two? Why?

Answer 19

Modern industrial society=nuclear family
Traditional pre-industrial society=extended family
When Britain began to industrialise, the extended family began to give way to the nuclear BECAUSE the emerging industrial society had different needs from pre-industrial society, the family had to adapt to meet these needs.

Question 20

What 2 essential needs does Parson see industrial society having?

Answer 20

-A geographically mobile workforce
-A socially mobile workforce

Question 21

What is the geographically mobile workforce?

Answer 21

Pre-industrial society:
-people often spent their whole lives living in the same villiage, working on the same farm.
-modern society, people to move to where the jobs are.
-it’s easier for the nuclear family to move, than 3 generational extended family.

Question 22

What is the socially mobile workforce?

Answer 22

Modern industrial society:
-individuals status is achieved by their own efforts>social mobility is possible e.g. son of a farmer can be a lawyer
-nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs of industrial society

Question 23

What does Parson argue about a loss of functions?
What happens as a result?

Answer 23

When society industrialises, the family loses many of its functions, alongside its structure of from extended to nuclear.
As a result, modern NUCLEAR FAMILY comes to specialise in performing 2 essential functions:
-Primary socialisation of children
-Stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 24

What is the role of primary socialisation of children?

Answer 24

To equip children with the basic skills and societies values>enables them to cooperate with others>integrates them into society.

Question 25

What is the stabilisation of adult personalities?

Answer 25

The family is a place where adults can relax and release tensions>enabling them to return to the workplace refreshed.
*This is also known of the “warm bath theory”, but in this case, it’s the husbands relaxing because he provides for the family, feminists do not like!

Question 26

Give and explain 4 cristisms of the Parsons functionalist theory.

Answer 26

-Too positive: ignores factors such as divorce and domestic violence.
-Idealistic: theory is too unrealistic, life isn’t as simple as this theory portrays, family life is more messy.
-Out of date: gender roles and the different types of family have changed significantly
-Functions can be carried out elsewhere (other than family): e.g. child-minders, private-nursery’s