Theories Of The Family

Question 1

Primary Socialisation - Parsons

Answer 1

• family teachers the basic norms and values of society
• enables children to cooperate and integrate them into society
• e.g. teaches children manners

Question 2

Evaluation of Primary Socialisation

Answer 2

• feminists argue that we are socialised into the norms and values of patriarchy
• functionalists tend to neglect the meanings families have for individuals

Question 3

Economic - Murdock

Answer 3

• family works as a unit in order to meet the basic economic needs of all its members
• men would act as the breadwinner playing the instrumental role

Question 4

Stabilisation Of Adult Personalities - Parsons
( Warm bath theory)

Answer 4

• idea that the family is a place where adults can relax and relieve tensions
• family gives the individual adult a ‘safety-valve’
• helps the smooth running and success of the economy

Question 5

Evaluation of Economic and ‘warm bath theory’

Answer 5

• Marxist cruise this as rose-tinted and that the family serves capitalism throughout this function
• feminists argue that functionalists tend to ignore the ‘dark side’ of the family, conflict between husband and wife
• radical feminist (Oakley) reject the idea that women get the ‘warm bath’ as women perform the role of the housewife for 77 hours a week

Question 6

Marxist - Socialisation (the family is part of the ideological state apparatus)

Answer 6

• family is an ideological state apparatus, passing on the norms and values of capitalism
• accepts the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable
• prepares them for working life, where they will accept orders from the bourgeoisie

Question 7

Socialisation - Evaluation ( Marxist)

Answer 7

• family ideology supports patriarchy since it suggests that men and women should have different roles
• functionalists reject the view and say the family enables children to internalise the shared culture of society

Question 8

Economic - Unit of Consumption ( Marxist )

Answer 8

• family is a unit of consumption, it uses goods, and has to buy these goods, thus helping the economy
• advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’
• media target children, who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend
• children who don’t have the latest clothes and gadgets are mocked by others
• women are a reserve army of labour

Question 9

Economic - Unit Of Consumption ( Marxist ) - Evaluation

Answer 9

• Functionalists say that the family acting as a unit of consumption is vital to the success of the economy

Question 10

Economic - Myth of the warm bath / safety valve ( Marxist)

Answer 10

• Zaretsky states the family performs an ideological function by offering an apparent ‘haven’ from the harsh and exploitative world of capitalism
• ruling class requires women to take the stresses and frustration of working men caused by capitalism
• BOGOF, they get 1 worker who earns them money (instrumental), and 1 worker who completes all domestic work and supports the worker (expressive role)

Question 11

Economic - Myth of the warm bath / safety valve ( Marxist ) - Evaluation

Answer 11

• radical feminists state that Marxist emphasis on social class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities
• liberal feminists say this idea is outdated as there have been legal and societal changes which benefit women

Question 12

Reproduction ( Marxist )

Answer 12

• family reproduces the labour force
• family creates more members of society which help bourgeoise create profits
• seen as wage slaves, primed for exploitation in capitalism

Question 13

Reproduction ( Marxist ) - Evaluation

Answer 13

• Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the real benefits that the family provided for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support

Question 14

Sexual Regulation - inheritance of property ( Marxist ) - Evaluation

Answer 14

• family is the mode of production
• Engels called the ‘promiscuous horde’ or tribe, in which there were no restrictions on sexual relationships
• Engels argued that the need for the nuclear family arose when societies started to value private property, capitalism emerged with a shift to modern society

Question 15

Sexual Regulation - inheritance of property ( Marxist ) - Evaluation

Answer 15

• modern research has suggested that Engels’ interpretation of the development of the family is historically inaccurate, e.g. monogamous marriages are often found in hunter-gatherer (non-capitalist) groups

Question 16

Liberal Feminism

Answer 16

• resocialised thanks to changes to laws and attitudes.
• ‘march of progress’ view
• Equal Pay Act (1970) + Sex Discrimination Act (1975) helped women win equality
• Contraception and Abortion Act (1967) given them more freedom and choice over their bodies
• less stigma around women’s sexual behaviour due to sexual revolution of the 1960-70s
• men do more housework

Question 17

Evaluation of Liberal Feminism

Answer 17

• Duncombe and marsden would say that women work a triple shift (job, housework and supporting emotional wellbeing of the family)

Question 18

Radical Feminism

Answer 18

• Millett (1970) families characterised by patriarchy through a system of subordination in which men exercise power over women and children
• men are the enemy
• marriage and family oppress women
• men dominate families through domestic violence or the threat of it
• children socialised into the norms and values of patriarchy
• separatism, women must live independently
• avoid ‘sleeping with the enemy’ rather than having their sexuality controlled by monogamous marriages

Question 19

Evaluation of Radical Feminism

Answer 19

• Hakim (1995) says that females might be exercising rational choice in choosing domestic roles, e.g. being supported financially
• functionalists disagree as a women’s role in the warm bath theory and primary socialisation are essential for society to continue

Question 20

Marxist feminism

Answer 20

• nuclear family meets the needs of capitalism, benefits the powerful at the expense of the working class and women
• women reproduce the labour force. Benston (1972) reproducing and rearing the future workforce at little cost to the capitalist class
• women absorb anger. Ansley describes women as ‘takers of shit’.
• maintain the workforce’s emotional fitness through their domestic labour. (BOGOFF)
• women are a reserve army of cheap labour. They are used in times of economic growth and pushed back into the bone during times of economic slow-down

Question 21

Evaluation of Marxist feminism

Answer 21

• functionalists disagree as women’s role in the warm bath theory and primary socialisation is essential for society to continue

Question 22

Difference feminism

Answer 22

• cannot generalise women’s experiences
• lesbian and heterosexual have different experiences of the family
• black feminists view as a source of support and resistance against racism

Question 23

Personal life perspective

Answer 23

• beyond ties of blood and marriage, wider conception of what ‘family’ is
• without knowing what relationships mean, it is difficult to understand actions
• range of other intimate relationships that help to create an identity or sense of relatedness
• e.g. relationships with friends, fictive kin, LGBT ‘chosen families’, relationship with dead relatives, pets

Donor Conceived Children
- Smart, differences in appearance also led parents to wonder about the donor and any children they may have had

Question 24

Evaluation of Personal life perspective

Answer 24

• recognises choice rather than imposing definitions, postmodernist support
• recognised family has functions
• acknowledges relatedness is not always positive, e.g. trapped in violence
• too inclusive. Doesn’t appreciate the significance of what is special in blood relationships