Theories of the Family Flashcards
According to Murdock, what are the functions of the family?
- Stabilisation of the sex-drive
- Reproduction
- Primary socialisation of the children
- Meeting the members’ economic needs such as food and shelter
Without these functions there would be anomie
How can we analyse Murdock?
AO3
NOT RELEVANT TODAY:
- Welfare State and other institutions can now perform these functions such as socialisation and meeting economic needs
- Due to changing social attitudes, extramarital sex has become normalised - the sex drive can be satisfied outside of marriage
What are the criticisms of Murdock?
AO3
- Feminists - this definition of family benfits men more than women
- Not universal - anthropological research shows that some cultures don’t appear to have ‘families’ like the Nayar Tribe who live in concubines
- Marxists - family meets the needs of capitalism and doesn’t benefits its members
According to Parsons, what are the functions of the family?
Due to structural diffrentiation the extended family is no longer needed as the family only needs to fulfill 2 functions:
1. Primary socialisation of children into early norms and values and gender roles
2. The stabilisation of adult personalities.
Mother = expressive role - nurturing, socialising, domestic, caring.
Father = intrumental role - breadwinner
These roles stabilise the family allowing the warm bath theory
How can we analyse Parsons?
- Working class families still benefit from living in an extended family for financial reasons - current cost of living crisis
- Ethnic minority families, especially when migrating, benefit from living in an extended family - solace against racism
- Not relevant - Instrumental and expressive gender roles are very old-fashioned and no longer relevant to modern families
What are the criticisms of the Functionalist view?
AO3
- Downplays conflict within the family e.g. domestic abuse, neglect, child abuse
- Feminists - ignores the exploitation of women within the family - stabilisation of adult personnalities cannot be true as patriarchal division of labour doesn’t benefit women
- Too deterministic - assumes children accept society’s norms and values transmitted by family - ignores individuality
What is a function of the family according to Engels?
Inheritence:
- The key factor shaping all social instituions in the means of production - those who own it want to pass it on to their children to keep their wealth within the family
How can we analyse Engels?
- 28% of wealth in the UK is inherited - still relevant today
How can we evaluate Engels?
- Not universal - Berlin has a huge rent culture so nothing is inherited
What is a function of the family according to Althusser?
Ideology:
- The family is an ideological state apparatus which maintains false class consciousness and teaches values that uphold capitalism
- Values = discipline, meritocratic ideals, encourage education, respecting authority, maintaining order/ routines
How can we analyse Althusser?
AO3
- Foucalt - Surveillance in the Family: the state monitor the family and pressure them to conform to social norms of what a family and good parenting is like e.g. CPS, the media, etc. Parents internalise this and families exercise self-surveillance and police their own behaviour
- Henderson - the media present ideas of ideal family - is internalised and scrutiny is risked if not conforming. Sanctions and monitoring from organisation such as social services also do this.
How can we evaluate Althusser?
AO3
- Ignores that other social institutions can perform ideological functions e.g. education
- Families can be a source of change - parents may instill radicalist/socialist norms and values to their children
What is a function of the family according to Zaretsky?
Safe Haven:
- Family provides a safe haven from the harsh exploitative world of capitalism
- You can take out your anger/emotion at home rather than at work
- This prevents a revolution from happening as anger is never directed towards capitalist society
How can we analyse Zarestky?
AO3
Similar to Parsons’ Warm Bath Theory - both Marxists and Functionalists agree that the family provides a space where pent up fustration can be released
How can we evaluate Zaretsky?
AO3
- Ignores how this safe haven can benefit ethnic minority families providing a safe haven against racism they may face
- Ignores how this safe haven negatively effects women - this pent up fustration is typically released through domestic violence - Ansley - ‘takers of shit’
What is a function of the family according to Lawton?
Consumption:
- Children possess pester power meaning they can badger their parents into buying products e.g. toys, school supplies, clothes
- Advertisers urge families to buy the latest products and ‘keep up with the Joneses’
How can we analyse Lawton?
AO3
Especially relevant today given the use of social media to promote goods to children and families and companies purposefully advertising at times where families are all together e.g. Superbowl
How can we evaluate Lawton?
AO3
Not longer due to the decline in birth rate and increase in voluntary childlessness (Hakim) - no children to have pester power
What are the functions of the family according to Oakley?
AO1
Gender Socialisation:
- Canalisation: channeling gender identity into children via primary socialisation e.g. toys, clothing, language - ‘boys will be boys’
- Manipulation: parents reinforce ‘appropriate’ gender identity
How can we analyse Oakley?
AO3
Rise in gender neutral parenting and allowing children to choose their own gender identity
What is Wilkinson’s view of gender and family?
AO1 or Eval of Oakley
Over the last 50 years women have had more oppotunity to work due to:
1. Feminisation of the workforce: values literacy and communicative skills which in turn increases women’s attractiveness to employers as their skills are needed
2. Gender Quake: shift in gender expectations - women now feel like they can choose work
How can we analyse Wilkinson?
AO3
- Gender Pay Gap still exists
- Eurocentric - gender quake has not happened in all cultures
How can we evaluate Wilkinson?
AO3
Myth of the March of Progress: low take-up e.g. joint maternity, few are eligible, working class and ethnic minority women are still often restricted to the home and their daughters are socialised to think this is their place
What are the functions of family according to Marxist Feminists?
AO1
- Women reproduce the labour force: state encourages women to have children who go on to become workers
- Women absorb anger: most likely to be victims of domestic violence. Ansley -‘takers of shit’
- Women are a reserve army of cheap labour: e.g. WW1 women took on male jobs as men went off to war, were pushed out of these jobs after the war. Benston - ‘women are the slaves of wage slaves’
