Theories Of The Family Flashcards
Marxism
Family helps to maintain capitalist society through
- Inheritance of property (Engels)
- Ideological functions (Zaretsky)
- A unit of consumption
Inheritance of property
Engels
When a rich parent dies, the child inherits the money
The bourgeoisie is maintained
Ideological functions
Zaretsky
The proletariat can have control within their family
The working man comes home and relieves all of his frustration of his low status on his family
He then accepts that he is being oppressed
Criticisms of the Marxist view
Ignores any family type that is not the nuclear family
Ignore gender inequalities within the family (feminist)
Ignore positive functions
General functionalist perspective
Use the metaphor of the body
The family is an essential part (e.g. Heart)
Murdock’s 4 functions of the family
Sexual
Reproductive
Economic
Educational
Parson’s 2 functions of the family
Primary socialisation
Stabilisation of personalities
Criticisms of functionalist view
Murdock ignores alternative households and disharmony
Ignores exploitation of women (feminist)
Ignores negatives within the family
General feminist view
Focus on the power men hold over women
Look at women’s contribution to society
Marxist feminist
Women are exploited within capitalist society
Ainsley-women’s function is to release the men’s frustration of being oppressed
Beechy-women care for the current and future workers & are a cheap reserve army of labour
General liberal feminist view
Seek equal rights for men and women
There is progress (Sex discrimination act) but it’s still not equal
Radical feminist view
Men are dominant and oppress women
Delphy&Leonard-purely benefits patriarchy at the expense of women
Criticisms of the feminist view
Radical feminists ignore the progress that has happened
Women remarry so they obviously want a relationship with a man
