Topic 1: Traditional Perspectives Of The Family Flashcards
Key functionalist ideas
Society is a social system based on a value consensus
There is a need for social order and harmony
For this to happen we need to be:
1. Socialised into these norms and values
2. This can also be done through social control (reward / punishment)
Organic analogy
If all the systems (organs) in society are functioning in harmony it will remain healthy
But if one of these vital institutions starts to malfunction, then society becomes dysfunctional
Murdock’s main ideas
Family is universal (took a sample of 250 different societies and claimed that some form of family existed in every one)
Family unit is called the nuclear family - Husband, wife and children
Units larger than the nuclear family - extended family
MURDOCK ARGUED THAT THE FAMILY PERFORMS 4 BASIC FUNCTIONS IN ALL SOCIETIES
What are the 4 functions of the family according to Murdock?
Sexual
Reproductive
Economic
Educational / Socialisation
Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: sexual
Family teaches that heterosexuality is the norm (other relationships are abnormal)
Strengthens the bond between the couple
Stabilises society by limiting sexual activities to married couples
Without this, sexual urges would be unregulated
Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: reproductive
The family ensures reproduction and provides a stable environment to rear children
Without this, there would be no members of society
Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: economic
The family provides food, shelter and other material needs for the family
The husband and wife specialise in certain activities that make up the division of labour
Without this, life would stop and not function properly
Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: educational
The family provides primary socialisation - it is through this that they are educated into society’s value consensus and collective conscience
Without this, there would be no culture
Evaluation of Murdock (AO3)
Strength:
The family is seen as a multifunctional institution that is indispensable to society - this accounts for its universality and its inevitability
Weaknesses:
Does not consider whether other institutions could perform its functions and did not examine alternatives to the family
Murdock’s description of the family is too good to be true - does not acknowledge the possibility of conflict or exploitation in the family (EG Feminists say that the family functions to benefit the man / patriarchy & Marxists say that the family functions to benefit capitalism)
Yanina Sheeran - the female-carer core is the most basic family unit
Parsons’ functional fit theory
He argued there are 2 kinds of family structures:
1. The nuclear family
2. The extended family
Parsons argues that the particular structure and functions of the given type of family will ‘fit’ the needs of the society in which it is found
According to Parsons, there are two types of society:
1. Traditional pre-industrial society (BEFORE when the extended family was dominant)
2. Modern industrial society (NOW where the nuclear family is dominant)
Industrialisation has caused the family to ADAPT and FIT the specific society that we are in
Parsons: Why is the nuclear family best suited to MODERN industrial society?
Industrial society has 2 essential needs:
1. A geographically mobile workforce
2. A socially mobile workforce
The nuclear family is best shaped to meet the economic requirements of the economic system which depends on geographical mobility.
The nuclear family can move around easily as it is not tied down by binding obligations of kin
What is structural differentiation ?
(Parsons)
Creation of different institutions have taken over many of the functions the family used to have (due to industrialisation)
EG. The NHS
This means that extended families were not necessary any longer
What are Parson’s 2 functions of the family?
Primary socialisation
Stabilisation of adult personalities
Parsons: primary socialisation
The family teaches children the norms and values associated with their family/community while other institutions (school) teaches children the universal norms and values of wider society (secondary socialisation)
Parsons: stabilisation of adult personalities
Family helps to prevent adults from behaving in dysfunctional ways, and encourages them to conform to social norms (especially at times of stress)
The family provides emotional support to its members (the warm bath theory)
The warm bath theory - when a man came home from a hard day at work, he could relax into his family and it would take away the stress and refresh him for the next day’s work
Criticisms of Parsons (AO3)
(Fem and Mx) He paints an idealistic picture of family life that has little relationship to reality. Many people have negative experiences of family life that causes stress rather than relieves it
Ignores differences based on social differences (EG fails to explore differences between MC and WC families, or different family structures in minority ethnic communities)
Marxists = primary socialisation is BAD. It teaches children capitalist norms and values and prepares them to be obedient workers
Fran Ansley - women in the families are the ‘takers of shit’. Men have their stressed relieved by dumping it on their wives
These theories are outdated and suggest families are all traditional families with men being the breadwinner and women take on domestic roles.
PM - significance of family and rigidity of family structure has declined with increasing choice for individuals. It is misguided to look for a dominant/single family structure since family life is increasingly diverse and fluid
Young and Wilmott - March of Progress basic argument
Disagreed with parsons about how the family was developed - they argue that the extended family survived much longer than parsons had claimed
Agreed that the family adapted to socioeconomic changes - this is a good thing
They established 3 stages of family development relating to the process of industrialisation
March of Progress: stage 1
The pre-industrial family:
The family is a unit of production with all members working together as a team in order for the family unit to survive.
This type of family was replaced due to the Industrial Revolution
This type hasn’t disappeared as some farming families still work this way
March of Progress: stage 2
The early industrial family:
Was an outcome of the Industrial Revolution - Factory wages were low so families created ‘insurance’ by inviting relatives beyond the nuclear family into its network
This weakened the conjugal bond in favour of an organised network between women which excluded men
= Men went to the pub to find ‘comfort’
This created a division of labour between husbands and wives - segregated conjugal roles = men had little involvement in domestic chores
These family networks started to decline in the early 20th century but were still found in many established WC areas. (AO2: Y+W Bethnal Green study in 1950s which revealed how children usually remain within 2-3 miles of their family home)
March of Progress: stage 3
The symmetrical family:
Stage 3 was a nuclear family
Symmetry = each adult’s contributions are similar in the running of the household through joint conjugal roles. Symmetry comes from there being ‘men’s work’ and ‘women’s work’ - sharing decisions, chores etc.
Their roles are NOT interchangeable
Evaluation of Y+W (AO3)
Feminists - there has been little progress towards equality between husbands and wives
Wilmott found evidence that didn’t support the symmetrical family and that the extended family hadn’t disappeared - his research showed that contacts with kin remained important (2/3 of the couples saw relatives at least weekly)
March of progress theories assume that a single family type is dominant at a particular time - family diversity has become the norm
Marxist perspective on the family
Marxists see all society’s institutions (including the family) as helping to maintain class inequality and capitalism
Althusser - the family is part of the ISA - perpetuates the RC ideology
The functions of the family are purely to benefit the capitalist system
This contrasts the functionalist view, who argue that the family benefits both society and its individual members
Inheritance of property AO1
Engels:
‘Primitive communism’ = classless society. Here society owned the means of production communally. Because of this there wasn’t a nuclear family. Polygamy was the norm
Private property was created when society’s wealth began to increase. Private property led to a patriarchal monogamous nuclear family
Men could then pass down their wealth to their children so wealth remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie. Monogamous nuclear family emerged so men could pass down their wealth to their legitimate sons
Evaluation of Engels’ Inheritance of property (AO3)
Feminists criticise Engels for emphasising economic relations of production over reproduction (child bearing and child rearing). He was not concerned with the restrictions placed on women by the demands of housework and childcare
Ideological Functions AO1
Family promotes a set of beliefs which justify inequality and maintain capitalism
Socialises children that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable
Parental power over children - someone is always in charge - preparation for working life
Zaretsky
The ‘haven’ that functionalists say the family is, is just an illusion
Criticises the warm bath theory - men can’t have power at work, so they gain that power at home (cushioning effect)
Evaluation of the ideological functions (AO3)
Functionalists - the family provide very important benefits for its members such as socialisation and economic security
Functionalists would argue that the warm bath theory is necessary for social order to be maintained
A unit of consumption AO1
Zaretsky
Capitalism is exploitative because it makes profits from selling commodities at the expense of workers’ pay. The family plays a major role in generating these profits:
Advertising - keep up to date with latest products ‘keeping up with the joneses’
Media target children - pester power; children are often stigmatised by their peers for not having the latest products
Althusser argues that the media is part of the ISA so the RC control the media
Evaluation of the unit of consumption (AO3)
To what extent are parents under a FCC and buying stuff they don’t need for their children, rather than buying stuff because they have made a rational decision?
Deterministic, Zaretsky assumes everyone will follow what they see
Evaluations of the Marxist perspectives of the family (AO3)
Strength:
Explains the existence of the dark side of the family
Weaknesses:
Deterministic - overemphasises the role of the family in maintaining capitalism
Feminists say they ignore other inequalities such as the role of the family in maintains patriarchy
Functionalists say they ignore the positive effects that the family can have for its members
Marxist feminist perspectives on the family
The production of labour power:
All chores associated with the expressive role (such as domestic labour) are necessary to keep the family going and so women’s unpaid work benefits capitalism because they only have to pay one person in the family - the male breadwinner
Ideological conditioning:
Reproduction of the attitudes essential for an efficient workforce under capitalism.
Children learn to conform and submit to authority
Foundation is laid for the submissive workforce required by capitalism
Evaluation of Marxist feminists (AO3)
Weaknesses:
Tendency to talk about the family without regard to family diversity - traditional conjugal roles are becoming less common
They exaggerate the harm caused to women by families and tend to portray female family members as passive - ignore the possibility that women may have fought back
Radical feminism AO1
See society as patriarchal
Women are systematically oppressed in every area of society
Germaine Greer : family continues to disadvantage women
Radical feminism : Women as wives
Society suggests that being a wife is the most important female role
Marriage reinforces patriarchal relations
Marriage settles into a pattern in which men dominate women in many aspects of society
Radical feminism : Women as mothers
Motherhood is not valued by society
Women are neglected during childbirth, expected to return to work shortly after giving birth
Medical attention geared towards baby not mother
Motherhood doesn’t fit beauty standards
Radical feminism : Women as daughters
Daughters are likely to experience sexual abuse from male relatives
Germaine Greer’s solutions
Complete destruction of the patriarchy
Political lesbianism
Separatism - all women society
Evaluation of Germaine Greer / radical feminism (AO3)
Strength:
Makes some important points about the position of women in contemporary society
Weaknesses:
Makes many generalisations that are not backed up by any evidence
Somerville / Liberal feminists : Greer has underestimated the progress made by women over time. They also argue that Greer offers little practical solutions that may actually be useful
Liberal feminism AO1
Believe improvement has occurred and advocate for gradual reform not revolutionary change
Jennifer Sommerville - the family and reform
Other feminists (mx and radical) have failed to acknowledge progress for women such as greater freedom to take paid work, choices about marriage vs cohabitation, becoming single mothers or live on their own etc.
Increased choice for women has created greater equality within marriage but things are still unequal and more progress needs to be made
Jennifer Somerville - principled pragmatism
Where feminists devise policies to encourage greater equality within relationships and to help women cope with the practicalities of family life
EG policies to help working parents so they can balance work and family life (flexibility in paid employment)
Evaluation of liberal feminism (AO3)
Strengths:
Recognises that significant changes have taken place in family life
Offers realistic possibilities of gradual progress towards greater equality within the family
Weaknesses:
Radical feminists say this approach will fail to deal with the persistence of patriarchal structures in society and patriarchal family culture
McKie and Callan - when women become mothers they end up adopting traditional gender roles and mothers still end up doing a disproportionate amount of housework and emotion work
Who came up with the dual burden?
Ferri and smith
Who came up with the triple shift
Duncombe and marsden
The New Right AO1
Discourage state intervention
Families should be self reliant
Oppose family diversity especially lone parent
Worried about the rise in divorce - lone parents relying on the state
Margaret thatcher and the new right
PM 1979-1990
In favour of the nuclear family = women should have expressive role / men should have instrumental role
Saw NF under threat = increased divorce, women gaining independence
These changes were threatening social order
Charles Murray AO1
Educational failure, high crime rates and low employment is due to over generous welfare payments
DEPENDENCY CULTURE - Welfare benefits has created perverse incentives (EG housing support encourages young women to become pregnant and encourages young men to neglect paternal responsibilities)
Lone parenthood is harmful to society as: young women will copy their mothers and become reliant on the state. Boys lack a male role model and may turn to crime
UNDERCLASS - those who are reliant on benefits + produces criminal and antisocial behaviour
Evaluation of Murray (AO3)
Weaknesses:
No serious evidence to support his arguments about the effects of lone parenthood
Ignores importance of poverty and social exclusion in explaining the underclass
Criticisms of the New Right (AO3)
Ann Oakley - they wrongly assume that gender roles are fixed by biology = other cultures show variation in these roles
Feminists - the NF is based on patriarchal oppression and is a cause of gender inequality
No evidence that children in lone-parent families are more likely to be delinquent compared to those with 2 parents
Marxists - NR want to take burden away from the state and keep the money in the hands of the bourgeoisie
