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A Level Sociology: Families and Households (AQA) > Theories of the Family > Flashcards

Theories of the Family Flashcards

1
Q

What do functionalists think generally?

A

Society is based on a shared set of norms and values

The nuclear family is best at meeting the needs of industrialised society

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2
Q

Which functionalists commented?

A

Murdock

Parsons

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3
Q

What 4 essential functions does the family provide according to Murdock?

A

Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
Reproduction
Primary socilisation
Meeting the economic needs

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4
Q

How does the family provide stable satisfaction of the sex drive according to Murdock?

A

Adults have the same partner which prevents social disruption

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5
Q

How does the family provide primary socilisation according to Murdock?

A

Teaching the children the same norms and values as the rest of society

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6
Q

Which groups of sociologists criticize Murdock?

A

Feminists and Marxists as he avoids the darker side of conflict and exploitation

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7
Q

How do feminists criticize Murdock?

A

The family serves the needs of men and opresses women.

He ignores domestic abuse

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8
Q

How do Marxists criticize Murdock?

A

The nuclear family serves the needs of capitalism and keeps workers in line so they can be exploited

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9
Q

What two theories does Parsons put forward?

A

Family has 2 functions

Theory of fit

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10
Q

What two functions does Parsons outline?

A

Primary socilisation

The stabilisation of adult personalities

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11
Q

How does the family fufill the stabilisation of adult personalities according to Parsons?

A

They can escape the stress of the outside world as the family is a safe space

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12
Q

How is Parson’s function of stabilisation of adult personalities criticised?

A

Zaretsky: Family only gives emotional support so it’s members will continue working under capitalism

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13
Q

What is Parson’s theory of fit?

A

The dominant family type is the one that best suits the needs of society at the time. In industrial society this was the nuclear family

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14
Q

Who criticizes Parson’s theory of fit?

A

Willmott and Young

Harevan

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15
Q

How do Willmott and Young criticize Parson’s theory of fit?

A

Pre-industrial families were mainly nuclear, not extended as Parsons claimed. Extended families became more common in the industrial revolution

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16
Q

How does Harevan criticize Parson’s theory of fit?

A

The extended family was best suited to meeting the needs of industrial society
Evidence from migrant families in the US 19th centry

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17
Q

Which New Right sociologist commented?

A

Murray

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18
Q

What do the New Right generally believe?

A

Nuclear family is best with a biologically based division of labour (traditional)
Families that rely on the state lead to lone parent families linked with delinquancy

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19
Q

What did Murray think?

A 
There is an underclass in the West with many lone parent families leading to underacheivement, high crime and drug abuse. 
Can be stopped if the state reduce benifits
20
Q

How did Murray think we can stop the underclass?

A

Reduce state benifits to get people to take responsability for their own lives

21
Q

Which groups of sociologists criticize Murray?

A

Marxists

Feminists

22
Q

How do feminists critisize Murray?

A

The division of labour is not biologically fixed
Nuclear family is patriarchial
No evidence lone parent families cause delinquency

23
Q

How do Marxists critisize Murray?

A

Problems faced by families are due to low benifits and lack of free childcare
These factors are beyond the control of single parents

24
Q

What do Marxists think?

A

There is a constant struggle between the poor and the ruling class, the family helps keep control by socilising children into capitalist ideas

25
Q

Which Marxists commented?

A

Engels
Zaretsky
Althusser and Poulantzas

26
Q

How does the family help capitalism according to Engels?

A

It serves the needs of the econemy as the family arose due to the need to pass on private property

27
Q

How does the family help capitalism according to Zaretsky?

A

Provides emotional support to members to keep them working under capitalism

28
Q

Why do people critisize Engels?

A

His interpretation is historically inaccurate as the nuclear family was found in hunter-gatherer groups before private property was important

29
Q

Why do people critisize Zaretsky?

A

He exaggerates the importance of the family and ignores domestic abuse

30
Q

How does the family help capitalism according to Althusser and Poulantzas?

A

It socialises children into accepting capitalism

31
Q

Why do people critisize Althusser and Poulantzas?

A

Feminists: Ignore that the nuclear family supports patriarchy
Functionalism: The family socialises children to become effective functioning adults

32
Q

What kind of feminists are there?

A

Liberal
Marxists
Radical

33
Q

What do liberal feminists think?

A

Society is getting better due to changes in law thanks to campaigning

34
Q

What do Marxist feminists think?

A

Women are opressed due to capitalism and expected to produce children and be an outlet for male frustration.
Benson: Women help to maintain the physical and emotional fitness of the working class

35
Q

What kind of sociologist is Benson?

A

Marxist feminist

36
Q

What does Benson think?

A

Women help to maintain the physical and emotional fitness of the working class

37
Q

What do radical feminists think?

A

Men are the enemy and we need a revolution where they live seperately
The family is the route of opression

38
Q

Which radical feminists commented?

A

Millett

Delphy and Leonard

39
Q

What does Millett think?

A

Family is the route of women’s opression

Age patriarchy where adults have control over children

40
Q

What do Delphy and Leonard think?

A

The family is a patriarchial institution where women do more work but get less benifits. It legitimises violence against women as it stresses the importance of the wife as homemaker

41
Q

Who critisizes radical feminists?

A

Liberal feminists
Hakim
Functionalists

42
Q

How do liberal feminists critisize radical feminists?

A

They ignore recent improvements for women

43
Q

How does Hakim critisize radical feminists?

A

Ignore that women have the choice to conform to gender roles or not

44
Q

How do functionalists critisize radical feminists

A

They ignore the benifits of the family such as providing emotional support

45
Q

What do postmodernists think?

A

Society is now a collection of subcultures as people have more choice to construct their identities
Life is less predictable and the family is less stable so generalisations are no longer possible

A Level Sociology: Families and Households (AQA) (3 decks)

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