Theories on the Family Flashcards
What are Murdock’s views on the family?
Four functions: REES
Reproductive
Economic
Educational
Sexual
Male takes the instrumental role and the women take the expressive role.
What are Parson’s views on the family?
Argues that the family has two primary functions:
Primary socialisation
Stabilising Adult Personalities (Link to warm bath theory.)
The nuclear family fits the needs the modern society due to…
- Geographical mobility
- Increased Social Mobility
- Welfare State weakens bonds with extended kin
What are Murray’s views on the family?
Murray argues that due to societal changes, there has been a division of two groups in society: the underclass and the New Victorians.
MARXIST: What is false class consciousness?
The idea that the proletariat are unaware of the inequality due to the ruling class ideology.
MARXIST: What does Zaretsky say about the family?
The family maintains capitalism by offering a ‘safe haven’, therefore, motivating them to continue by de-stressing them however this maintains capitalism because it prevents the workers from rebelling.
MARXIST: What does Marcuse say about the family?
Says the family is a unit of consumption - maintains capitalism by pursuing false needs e.g children using pester power to get their parents to buy them video games and consoles.
MARXIST: What does Engels say about the role of the family?
Inheritance of private properly means that the wealth stays within the family so the rich get even richer and the poor remain poor. The legitimacy of the male heir is ensured through monogamous marriage.
MARXIST: What does Althusser say about the role of the family?
Althusser argues that the family serves capitalism by socialising their children into the idea that inequality is inevitable therefore maintaining false class consciousness.
Liberal Feminists
March of progress view. Claim gender inequality will end with legal changes.
Marxist Feminists
Source of women’s oppression is men AND capitalism. Argue that women are a reserve army of labour (employed by capitalists whenever needed.)
What does Ansley say about women in the family?
Argues that women are “takers of shit” as they absorb men’s anger after a long stressful day at work, preventing a revolution because women may be victims of domestic violence.
Radical Feminists
Men = enemy. Men dominate women (e.g domestic violence) within the family and benefit the most through women’s unpaid domestic labour and sexual services.
Difference Feminists
Different women have different experiences - we can’t generalise womens experiences. We have to solve each women’s oppression individually.
