theories of the family

Question 1

The functionalist perspective on the family - introduction

Answer 1

In general, the functionalist perspective is seen as a structural theory because it claims that the social structures in society perform a number of ‘functions’ which shaper and influence our behaviour

Question 2

Functionalist perspective on the family

Answer 2

Positive function - functionalists argue that for society to be stale and function effectively individuals must share the same norms and values and that this is achieved with the help of the family. The family helps perform certain functions, such as socialisation, for example by teaching its members to share the norms and values that are accepted by society - brings social order and creates a society in which people can exist harmoniously, instead of one with conflicting values and norms which can lead to disorder and instability - functionalists view the family as playing a positive role in society

Question 3

George Murdock

Answer 3

Studied 250 societies and found some form of nuclear family existing in all of them - he believed it was universal to all societies. He then argued that the nuclear family was essential and said in all societies the nuclear family perform 4 functions

Question 4

A geographically mobile workforce

Answer 4

In traditional pre industrial society, people often spent their whole lives living in the same village, working on the same farm - in modern society, industries constantly spring up and decline in different parts of the country, even different parts of the world, and this requires people to move to where the jobs are. Parsons argues that it is easier for the compact two generation nuclear family to move, than for the three generation extended family. The nuclear family is better fitted to the need that modern industry has for a geographical mobile workforce

Question 5

A social mobile workforce

Answer 5

Modern industrial society is based upon constantly evolving science and technology and so it requires a skilled, technically competent workforce, so its essential that talented people are able to win promotion and take on the most important jobs, even if they come from very humble backgrounds - in modern society, an individuals status is achieved by their won efforts and ability, not fitted by their social and family background, and this makes social mobility possible. For this reason, Parsons argues, the nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs of industrial society. In the extended family, adult sons live at home in their fathers house - where the father has a higher ascribed status as ‘head of the household’ - results in the mobile nuclear family, which is structurally isolated from its extended relatives

Question 6

Loss of functions

Answer 6

Pre industrial family was a multifunctional unit and more self sufficient than the modern nuclear family, providing for its members health/welfare, meeting most individual/social needs. Parsons - when society industrialises, the family changes structure from extended to nuclear AND loses many of its functions. As a result of this loss of functions, the family comes to specialise in performing just 2 essential ‘irreducible’ functions 1. The Primary Socialisation of Children - to equip them with basic skills and society’s values, to enable them to cooperate with others and begin to integrate them into society 2. The Stabilisation of Adult Personalities - the family is a place where adults can relax and release tensions, enabling them to return to the workplace refreshed and ready to meet its demands. This is functional for the efficiency of the economy

Question 7

Household

Answer 7

a group of people who live together who may not or may have a family or kinship ties

Question 8

EXAM QUESTION PRACTISE

Answer 8

Suggest two alternatives to the family for bringing up children and how they still meet the functional needs identified by Murdock

Question 9

The Marxist perspective on the family - INTRODUCTION

Answer 9

Marxism is known as a conflict theory because it sees capitalist society as consisting of 2 main social classesThe RULING class (bourgeoise) - people who own the means of production, whose aim is making money. This group of people is often referred to as the capitalist classThe WORKING class (proletariat) - people who work for the ruling class in return for a wage. Members of the WC are often paid less than they deserve and therefore seen as being exploited by the ruling class in order to maximise their profit

Question 10

1. Inheritance of property - MARXISTS

Answer 10

Mode of production - key factor in determining the shape of social institutions As mode of production evolves, so does the family Modern society = capitalist classPrimitive communism - earliest classless society, no private

Question 11

MURDOCK criticisms

Answer 11

1. The nuclear family is not universal - the Nayor tribes of India practised having multiple husbands, women were allowed up to 12 2. Marxists and feminist is reject the ‘rose tinted’ view that the family meets the needs of both the individual members of the family and the needs of wider society 3. Feminists - family serves the needs of men and oppresses women 4. Marxism - meets the needs of capitalism

Question 12

Best fit theory

Answer 12

Nuclear family is not universal, the structure of the family changes as the needs of society changes

Question 13

Social institutions

Answer 13

The structures in society which influence behaviour such as the family, education, media and religion

Question 14

Warm bath theory

Answer 14

The family is a place where the working man can relax and be ‘de stressed’ by his wife, reducing conflict in society

Question 15

Universal nuclear family

Answer 15

A family that consists of 2 generations, parents and children and Murdock believes that this type exists all over the world and is the best family type

Question 16

Functionalist view of the family

Answer 16

The family is one of the corner stones of society - it performs essential functions which support social stability and social cohesion

Question 17

Functions of the family - MURDOCK

Answer 17

Sexual - ensures that adult sexual relationships are controlled and socially acceptable Reproduction - biological reproduction of the next generation Socialisation - teaching the young basic norms and values so that the next gen are integrated into society Economic - meeting its members economic needs

Question 18

Functions of the family - PARSONS

Answer 18

Socialisation - argues with Murdock that the family is essential in the primary socialisation process and ensuring that each generation are Stabilisation of adult personalities - refers to the emotional security which is achieved within a marital relationship between 2 adults; parsons argues that working life in industrial society is stressful and the family is a place where the working man can relax (warm bath theory) - stabilisation is achieved through the biologically determined roles

Question 19

Evaluation

Answer 19

1. Down play the role of conflict in the family - in particular the oppression of women and domestic violence, the family is not always the safe and warm place suggested by Parsons 2. Out of date - women now go out to work and the biological roles as set out by Parsons no longer apply as clearly 3. Deterministic - assumes that the members of society automatically take on the norms and values 4. Ignore family diversity - assumes that all families are best when nuclear however family structures are apparent in today society

Question 20

Capitalist society - MARXISM

Answer 20

Marxism suggests that in a capitalist society the relationship between the 2 classes is unfair. The WC demands to be paid more for their labour, the ruling class wants to keep wages to a minimum to maximise their profits and so conflict of interest occurs between the classes

Question 21

Patriarchal monogamous nuclear family

Answer 21

Argue that key factor determining the shape of all social institutions is made of production - who owns and controls societies productive forces. In modern society its the capitalist class that owns and controls these. As the forces of production developed, society’s wealth began to increase - this change brought about the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family. In Engel’s view, the rise of this type of family represented a “world historical defeat of the female sex” because it brought the women’s sexuality under male control and turned her into a ‘baby maker’

Question 22

2. Ideological function - MARXISTS

Answer 22

Contemporary Marxist COOPER says the family acts as an ‘ideological conditioning device’ - the modern nuclear family functions to promote values and ways of thinking about capitalism that ensures the reproduction of it

Question 23

Reproduction and maintenance of capitalism

Answer 23

1. Making us believe that h hierarchy and inequality are normal 2. Providing a ‘safe haven’ for workers, giving them the illusion that they are in control of their lives 3. By promoting consumption, which keeps capitalism going

Question 24

Hierarchy is inevitable

Answer 24

There is a hierarchy in most families which teaches children to accept these will always be someone in ‘authority’ who they must obey - this is the ideal preparation for obeying your boss at work

Question 25

Families are a ‘safe haven’

Answer 25

ZARETSKY sees the family as a prop to the capitalist system and argued that work under capitalism was harsh/exploiting and meant that women workers has no control over their working conditions - criticisms were that Marxists ignore the benefits of the nuclear family

Question 26

Family as a unit of consumption

Answer 26

The bourgeoise need families to consumer in order to maintain profit ^^ keeping up with the jones’ and pester power

Question 27

Althusser - the family as an ISA

Answer 27

Argues that in order for capitalism to survive, the WC must submit to the ruling class or Bourgeoise - suggested that the family is one of the ISAs along with education - media which are concerned with social control and passion on ideology of the ruling class; through socialisation in the family we come to accept and support capitalism

Question 28

Social policies - CAPITALISM

Answer 28

Policies made by capitalists are not to be trusted. They are in place to -1. Keep the workers (NHS) alive, so they work for capitalists 2. To keep people quiet and make them think capitalism has a caring face3. Benefits keep people in poverty and can be withdrawn or changed

Question 29

FOUCAULT - the family and surveillance

Answer 29

Developed the concept of observing and monitoring to describe the best way the state can excessive social control over people - surveillance is traditionally associated with external pressure through social institutions like the criminal justice system, education which watch over people and encourage them to conform to social norms

Question 30

Surveillance cont.

Answer 30

Foucault says social norms will conform for the individual what a ‘good’ family should be like in relation to things such as family life and parenting, however in post modern societies he argues that the idea of surveillance is all internalised - individuals now police themselves and follow social norms as they believe it’s in their best interest to do so

Question 31

Evaluation - SURVEILLANCE

Answer 31

1. Failing to identify clearly who benefits from policies of surveillance - for Marxists its the ruling class, for Feminists its women 2. Marxists fail to recognise the benefits of social policy for the WC and are overly critical

Question 32

Criticisms of Marxism

Answer 32

1. Too deterministic - not all families are high consumption families, not all children accept authority 2. Marxism ignores benefits of the nuclear family - the family type may be the best one for protecting children against advertising and consumption 3. Ignores family diversity in capitalist society - nuclear families are in decline, more people living alone 4. Feminists argue that the Marxist focus on class ignores the inequalities between men and women which is the real source of female

Question 33

Feminist perspective on the family - introduction

Answer 33

Feminists view the family as serving the needs of a male dominated society - they all agree that the family is oppressive towards and exploitative of women

Question 34

1. Liberal feminism

Answer 34

They believe in a ‘march of progress’ view of family which means they believe that the family is gradually changing for the better overtime by becoming more democratic and more equal - argue that men are doing greater share of domestic labour, decision making is becoming more equal and children are socialised more similarly

Question 35

Liberal feminists

Answer 35

Believe this trend has been facilitated by legal reforms, such as the sex discrimination act and by changes in social attitudes - also think adult relationships are less patriarchal than those in the 1950s and so children are less likely to learn patriarchal value - believe this trend will continue with men and women becoming more equal

Question 36

Somerville - critique

Answer 36

Provides a less radical critique of the family than Marxist or Radical feminists and suggests proposals to improve family life for women that involve modest policy reforms rather than revolutionary change - many feminists have failed to acknowledge progress for women such as the gender freedom to go to work and the greater degree of choice over whether to have children or to take part in straight or gay relationships

Question 37

Somerville - choice and equality

Answer 37

Increased choice for women and the rise of the dual earner household has helped create greater equality within relationships - argues that “some modern men are voluntarily committed to sharing in those routine necessities of family survival or they can be persuaded, guilt tripped or bullied” - many men don’t take on the full share of responsibilities

Question 38

Liberal feminists summary

Answer 38

Believe that women have been discriminated against and exploited in the family because of the inequality in the household - they aim to address such inequality by moving towards a more egalitarian, they offer practical and realistic solutions - liberal feminists played a role in changing policies regarding gender inequality

Question 39

2. Marxism feminism

Answer 39

Engles and Zaretsky acknowledge that when women are exploited in marriage and family life, but they emphasise the relationship between capitalism and the family but they see the exploitation of women as they’re key features of family life

Question 40

Ansley

Answer 40

Sees the emotional support shown and provided by men as a safety value for the frustrations produced in the husband by working in a capitalist system - agrees with Parsons that the family environment helps the husband and wife maintain their psychological well being which he refers to as the STABILISATION OF THE ADULT PERSONALITY - however she disagrees with the functionalist view that this benefits the family, believing instead that it benefits capitalism because family life and emotional support provided by the wife for the husband act as a safety value - family life prevents the husband from dealing with the real cause of his frustration of the exploitative workplace environment

Question 41

EVALUATE - “When wives play their traditional role as taker of shit, they often absorb their husbands legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness and oppression”

Answer 41

This analysis is a more critical view of Parsons “warm bath theory” - the theory of stabilisation of adult personalities. In Marxist Feminist terms this is not ‘different by equal’ roles, it a case of different and unequal and this inequality benefits capitalism

Question 42

EVALUATE - “As an economic unit of the nuclear family is valuable stabilising force in capitalist society. Since the husband/fathers earnings pay for the production which is done in the home, his ability to withhold labour is reduced”

Answer 42

For Marxist feminists, the solutions to gender inequality are economic - we need to tackle patriarchy. Softer solutions include paying women for childcare and housework - putting an economic value on ‘women’s work’, stronger solutions include the abolition of communism

Question 43

Capitalism is the main cause of exploitation and oppression of women

Answer 43

Marxists feminists emphasise capitalism is the main cause of exploitation and oppression of women in the family, not necessarily the family itself. According to Marxist feminists, th family is another institution that serves the needs of the capitalist economy - the reason for this is that the wife’s subordinate domestic role in the family serves the needs of the husband, enabling him to perform his job more efficiently

Question 44

3. Radical feminism

Answer 44

Argue that all relationships between men and women are based on patriarchy - men are the cause of women’s exploitation and oppression. For radical feminists, the whole patriarchal system needs to be overturned, especially the family, which they view as the root of women’s oppression

Question 45

Radical feminists

Answer 45

Want the abolition of the traditional, patriarchal nuclear family and the establishment of alternative family structures and sexual relations. The various alternatives suggested by Radical feminists include separatism - women only commutes and matrifocal households. Some also practise political lesbianism and political celibacy as they view heterosexual relationships as “sleeping with the enemy”

Question 46

Radical feminism - criticisms

Answer 46

• Ignores the progress that women have made in many areas - Too unrealistic due to heterosexual attraction, separation is unlikely - Ignores domestic / emotional abuse suffered by men who don’t report it

Question 47

EVALUATE - “The women must not only be seen to be at her husbands side on all formal occasions, she must also to be seen to adore him and never to appear less dazzled by everything he may say or do. Their eyes should be fixed on him and he should do his best never to be caught looking at her”

Answer 47

She argues that there is a strong ideology suggesting that being a wife is the most important female role. The wives of presidents and prime ministers get considerable publicity, but often have to be subservient to their husbands

Question 48

Family

Answer 48

a type of household where the people living together are related (often a kinship group)

Question 49

Kinship

Answer 49

being related by birth or blood

Question 50

The nuclear family

Answer 50

2 parents with biological children living in 1 household

Question 51

The reconstituted family

Answer 51

2 partners living in 1 household sharing parental duties for 1 or more children, but only 1 of them is the biological parent

Question 52

The single parent family

Answer 52

1 adult with 1 or more children living in 1 household

Question 53

The extended family

Answer 53

where relatives such as aunts or uncles or grandparents reside permanently in the same household as those making up the nuclear family

Question 54

What does Greer suggest to demonstrate that mothers are undervalued in society

Answer 54

1. In childbirth, the attention focuses on the wellbeing of the child. The mothers health takes a back seat 2. Mothers and babies are generally not welcomed in society - in restaurants and public transport 3. Women are expected to return to work shortly after giving brith, on top of child care duties 4. The feminine ideal is to be slim and hip less - broad hips and bosom of maternity are seen as bad 5. Final role for mothers is to take the blame if their child goes bad - single mums are singled out for attention

Question 55

4. Difference feminism

Answer 55

Argues that we cannot generalise about women’s experiences as if they are all from a conventional nuclear family - others dispute this arguing that women share many of the same experiences when compared with men - they face greater risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, low pay etc - this approach doesn’t think about the fact that despite the differences, women do share experiences

Question 56

The new right theory of the family

Answer 56

Is a political standpoint rather than a sociological perspective - they promote a familiar ideology, promoting a set of ideas about what constitutes on ideal family

Question 57

Ideal of traditional, nuclear family

Answer 57

Married heterosexual parents Biological children Male - breadwinner Female - housewife

Question 58

Golden age

Answer 58

The new right believe that there was a golden age of the family in the 1950s. This was a time in which husbands and wives stayed together and children were brought up to respect their elders and social institutions such as the law - since then the nuclear family has been in decline

Question 59

Since the 1960s the new right believe there have been a decline in traditional family values which has been encouraged by…

Answer 59

1. Legalisation of abortion encouraged promiscuity rather than stable relationships 2. Contraceptive pill being available on prescription 3. Equal pay legislation regarding equality and equal pay took women away from the home and natural career as a mother 4. Lowering of homosexual age of consent 5. 1969 divorce reform act

Question 60

Lone parents

Answer 60

Lone parent families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty then two parent families - some in the new right have the decent to blame the ‘absent dads’ rather than the single mothers

Question 61

Cohabiting rather than marriage is bad for children

Answer 61

The rate of family breakdown is much lower amongst married couples, children from broken home are almost 5 times more likely to develop emotional problems, are 3 times more likely to become aggressive or badly behaved and are 9 times as likely to become young offenders

Question 62

New right claims

Answer 62

• marriage is best; the rate of family breakdown is much lower amongst married couple - children from ‘broken homes are the causes of social problems’ - social life was better in 1950s, in the ‘golden age of the nuclear family’