theories of the family Flashcards
func view - Murdock’s 4 essential functions
stable satisfaction of the sex drive
reproduction of the next generation
socialisation of the young
meeting its members’ economic needs
func view - Murdock’s 4 essential functions - stable satisfaction of the sex drive
stable relationships reduce sexual conflict
helps maintain order in society
func view - Murdock’s 4 essential functions - reproduction
essential for the survival of society
vital for maintaining a stable workforce and future generations
func view - Murdock’s 4 essential functions - socialisation
teaching children the norms, values, and culture of their society.
func view - Murdock’s 4 essential functions - meeting its members’ economic needs
family provides for its members’ basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing
func view of family
see the family as a particularly important sub system
performs essential functions which support social stability and social cohesion
func - murdock ao3
marxists and feminists reject the ‘rose tinted’ harmonious view that the family meet the needs of society
feminists see the family as serving needs of men and oppressing women
marxists argue it meets the needs of capitalism
func - murdock Ao3 - modern industries
functions traditionally performed by families are now carried out by external institutions
e.g Schools provide much of the education and socialization that families once did.
parsons functional fit theory
the functions the family performs depends on the kind of society in which its found
parsons sees industrial society as having 2 essential needs
a geographically mobile workforce
a socially mobile workforce
a geographically mobile workforce - func, parsons
industries constantly spring up and decline - this requires people to move to where the jobs are
the nuclear family is better fitted to the needs of the modern industry
a socially mobile workforce - func, parsons
modern society is based on constantly evolving science and technology and so it requires a skilled workforce so its essential that talented people can compete for jobs
an individuals status is achieved by own efforts not ascribed - makes social mobility possible
nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs and encourages social mobility - e.g son has a higher achieved status than father = conflict in home = adults leave home
parsons 2 essential functions of the family
primary socialisation of children
stabilisation of adult personalities
parsons - primary socialisation of children
equip them with th basic skills and society’s values
parsons - the stabilisation of adult personalities
warm bath theory
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 needs
functions marxists have identified that they see the family as fulfilling for capitalism
inheritance of property
ideological functions
a unit of consumption
func Ao3 - family diversity
overlooks the variety of family structures present in modern society, including lone-parent families, same-sex families
postmodernist Stacey - in contemporary society, family roles have become far more flexible and negotiated
Marx - inheritance of property
Engles
monogamy became essential as wealth increased, as the inheritance of property meant that men had to be sure that the child was theirs
The rise of the monogamous family left women’s sexuality under male control
Marx - ideological functions
ideology means a set of beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist society by getting people to accept it as fair
e.g socialising children into the idea that. a hierarchy and inequality are inevitable and that there will always be someone in charge (capitalist employers)
Zaretsky
family offers a haven from the harsh outside world of capitalism, this is an illusion as the family cannot meet its member’s needs
marx - a unit of consumption
capitalism exploits the labour of workers by making a profit by selling their product for more than it pays to produce
family plays a role in generating the profits
1. advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’
2. pester power media targets children to persuade their parents to spend more
3. children who don’t have the latest things are mocked by their peers
marxist Ao3 - assumes and ignores
they assume the nuclear family is dominant but ignores the increasing variety of family structures
marxist AO3 - feminist
feminists argue their focus on social class and capitalism underestimates gender inequalities in the family
family serves in the interest of men rather than capitalism
marxist Ao3 - functionalist
functionalists argue that marxists ignore benefits family provides for its members
liberal feminism view
- women’s oppression is being gradually overcome through changing people’s attitudes and through changes of the law such as sex discrimination act 1975
- we are moving towards greater equality - don’t fully believe their is equality but there is progress
liberal fem AO3 - marxist and radical feminist criticise
marxist and radical fems argue they fail to challenge the underlying causes of women’s oppression
liberal fem Ao3 - structure
changing the law isn’t enough for equality there needs to be a change in social structure
marxist fem view
- main cause of oppression is capitalism
women’s oppression performs functions for capitalism:
- they reproduce the labour force through unpaid domestic labour
- women absorb anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism
- women are a reserve army of cheap labour
Marx fem ao3
women are no longer a reserve labour force as they have equal rights ate work and are as likely as men to be the main breadwinner
radical fem view
all societies have been founded on patriarchy
the key division in society is between men and women
1. men are the enemy: the source of women’s oppression
2. the family and marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society: men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour
the patriarchal system needs to be overturned - only way to achieve this is separatism - women must live independently of men
radical fem ao3
Sommerville argue that radical fems fail to see the improvements - better access to divorce and control over their fertility
difference feminism
we cannot generalise about women’s experiences
all women have very different experiences of the family from one another
difference fem ao3
neglects that many do share similar experiences regardless of ethnicity
personal life perspective
- influenced by interactionist ideas
- ‘bottom up’ approach, emphasise the meanings that individual family members hold and how these shape their relationships
draws attention to all minds of relationships individuals see as important, such as:
- relationships with fiends
- relationships with pets
personal life perspective ao2
Nordqvist and smart
some parents emphasised the importance of social relationships over genetic ones in forming family bonds
personal life perspective ao3
Nordqvist and Smart’s study illustrates the value of the perspective as it helps us understand how people themselves construct and define their relationships as ‘family’ rather than imposing traditional definitions
can be accused of taking too broad a view. by including a wide range of different types of relationships we ignore what is special about relationships based on blood or marriage
