Theories of the family : Feminism Personal life perspective Flashcards
Feminism - a conflict perspective
Feminists take a critical view of the family This is a conflict view. They argue the family is an institution which oppresses women. They do not regard gender inequality as natural - they regard it as socially constructed. Feminism is an umbrella term for many types or strands of feminism E.g. Liberal, marxist, radical
Liberal feminism
Liberal feminists are concerned with campaigning against sex discrimination For equal rights and opportunities for women
They take a march of progress view However they do not feel that true equality has yet been achieved Hence their campaigning
They say :
- Women oppression is gradually being overcome Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Equal Pay Act 1970, Equal Franchise Act 1928
- We are moving towards greater equality But this depends on further reforms, changing attitudes, and socialisation patterns
- Children are being socialised in a more equal manner E.g. Barbie advertising includes boys playing with dolls
Liberal feminists are criticised by other feminists for not challenging the underlying causes of women oppression
Marxist feminism
Marxist feminists say the main cause of women oppression is capitalism
They say women reproduce the labour force through their unpaid domestic labour- maintaining their husbands and socialising next generation of workers
Ansley 1972 say :
The emotional support provided by wives acts as a safety valve for the husband frustration at working within the capitalist system They feel they can take their anger out on wives
Feeley 1972 say :
The family is an authoritarian unit dominated by the husband The family teaches children to accept parental authority and accept their place within capitalist society
In order to end women oppression Marxist feminists argue that the family must be abolished, a socialist revolution must occur, and a classless society must be created
Radical feminism
Radical feminists have the most intense views. They say all societies are founded on patriarchy Men are the enemy who oppress and exploit women Family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchy (Men benefit from women domestic labour They use threat of violence to maintain control)
Radical feminists say the family must therefore be abolished and replaced with separatism and political lesbianism They say heterosexual sex is ‘sleeping with the enemy’
Greer 2000 advocates for matrilocal (all female) households
Separatism - Females live separately from males
Political lesbianism - Not being in heterosexual relationships as they are ‘sleeping with the enemy’
Purdy 1997 say :
Women are disadvantaged by the fact that they have children This involves a long-term commitment of time and energy and is expensive She states women should have a ‘baby-strike’ in order for men to take women demands for equality seriously
Criticisms of Radical feminism from Liberal feminism Sommervile 2000 :
There has been improvements in equality for women And heterosexual attraction makes political lesbianism unlikely and unworkable
Difference feminism
Difference feminists say we cannot and should not generalise about women experiences within the family All women have very different experiences from one another
E.g. A M/c and W/c woman will have very different experiences of family
E.g. A white and black woman will have very different experiences of family
This view is criticised by other types of feminists They say women do share many of the same experiences Such as Fewer job opportunities Lower pay Etc.
The personal life perspective Criticisms of structural theories
The personal life perspective on the family makes two basic criticisms of structural perspectives
- They tend to assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type
- They are all structural theories They assume families and their members are simply passive puppets manipulated by the structure of society to perform certain functions
The sociology of personal life is strongly influenced by Interactionist ideas It contrasts with structural theories
Sociologists of this perspective believe in order to understand families we must start from the point of view of individuals concerned and the meanings they give to their relationships
The personal life perspective Carol Smart and Becky Tipper
Carol Smart - The main person associated with this perspective She rejects the supposed decline of family life Instead her response prioritises
- Bonds between people
- Importance of memory and cultural heritage
- Significance of emotions (positive and negative)
- How family secrets work
- Family changes over time
Carol Smart draws our attention to a range of other personal or intimate relationships that are important to people Even though they may not be conventionally defined as family These include all kinds of relationships that people see as significant Identity Relatedness Belonging :
- Relationships with friends who might be like a sister or brother to you
- Fictive kin Close friends who are treated as relatives E.g. Your mums best friend who you call ‘auntie’
- Gay and lesbian ‘chosen families’ made up of a supportive network of close friends, ex-partners and others who are not related by blood
- Relationships with dead relatives They live on in people memories and continue to shape their identities and affect their actions
- Relationships with pets
Becky Tipper 2011 found :
In her study of childrens views of family relationships Children frequently saw their pets as ‘part of the family’
The family is not in decline It is just very different More diverse and complex than ever before
Criticisms of personal life perspective
- Helps us to understand how people themselves construct and define their relationships as ‘family’ rather than imposing traditional sociological definitions of the family from outside
- However PLP can be criticised for being too broad Critics argue that by including a wide range of personal relationships we ignore what is special about relationships based on blood or marriage
- The PLP rejects top-down view taken by other perspectives
- However unlike Functionalism PLP recognises relatedness is not always positive
