Topic 2 - Theories of the Family

Question 1

Suggest 4 functions of the family according to Murdock & explain each

Answer 1

Reproductive - Continuing to create members of society. Emotional needs of individuals met by having family. Benefits society as it provides the next generation.
Economic - Pools resources to provide for each other. Provides people with basic needs like food and shelter. Allows society to become economically independent.
Education (Socialisation) - Teaches norms and values of society. Can learn to fit in, which allows social order in society.
Sexual - Stable sexual relationships for adults.Individual desires fulfilled by partner and prevents ‘free for all’ within society

Question 2

Suggest 2 functions of the family according to Parsons

Answer 2

Primary Socialisation - Teaches norms and values of society. Internalises society’s culture and structuring personality.
Stabilisation of Adult Personalities - Family stabilises personalities and emotional relationships.
Warm Bath Theory - Links to stabilisation of adult personalities. Family is a sanctuary from stress of everyday life.

Question 3

Explain what is meant by functional fit theory

Answer 3

As society changes, the type of family that ‘fits’ that society, and the functions it performs change.
In pre-industrial society, the extended family was most common because it helped carry out the functions of the family.
In modern society, the nuclear family is most common because it is a geographically and socially mobile workforce.

Question 4

Provide 4 criticisms of the functionalist view of the family

Answer 4

Deterministic - Assumes all families are performing these functions, some may not be adequately socialising children (feral children)
Assumes all NF are harmonious - Not all NF get along well, e.g divorce
Neglects conflict and exploitation - Feminists see the family serving needs of men. Marxists see family as serving needs of upper classes.
4 functions performed by other institutions - Reproductive (IVF, sperm donors, adoption), Economic (welfare state), Socialisation (school, media), Sexualisation (prostitutes, pornography)

Question 5

Suggest 4 functions of the family according to marxists & explain each

Answer 5

Reproduction - Engels - Family creates more family of labour force. They’re members of the labour force primed for exploitation. More workers=more people to help bourgeoisie
Economic - Marx - Family is a unit of consumption. They create the products for money and use that money to buy the products.
Education - Althusser - Parental power accustoms children to the idea that someone will always be in charge of them - Zaretsky - family offers ‘haven’ from exploitative world of capitalism
Sexual Regulation - Marx - key factor determining family is mode of production. Earliest classless society=primitive communism - Engels - used to be a promiscuous horde. Monogamous marriage came when private property passed down to heirs

Question 6

Explain what is meant by the family being a unit of production and consumption

Answer 6

The family uses goods and has to buy these goods, thus helping the economy again. Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’. Use Pester Power.

Question 7

Explain what is meant by ideological state apparatus.

Answer 7

ISAs are tools of the bourgeoisie used to brainwash and control the proletariat

Question 8

Provide 4 criticisms of the marxist view of the family

Answer 8

Marxist Feminists - able to recognise both class and gender inequality and how family reproduces them 
Inaccurate - Engels’ interpretation of monogamous marriage evident in non-capitalist societies, so it couldn’t have developed purely as of capitalism 
Interactionists - Capitalist ideology passed on by family can be resisted. It’s deterministic and ignores free will 
Postmodernists - Argue Marxist view is outdated and doesn’t account for family diversity

Question 9

Explain the view of 4 different types of feminism

Answer 9

Liberal Feminists - There is patriarchy but it’s getting better. MOP view.
Marxist Feminism - Main cause of women’s oppression in family isn’t men, it’s capitalism. Ansley (1970) - women’s male partners are inevitably frustrated by the exploitation they experience at work and women are the victims of this.
Radical Feminism - All societies founded on patriarchy and ruled by men. Men are the enemy. Family is the root of oppression.
Difference Feminism - Criticise all feminists for assuming all women share similar experiences

Question 10

What is the liberal feminist view of the family?

Answer 10

Progress in work empowers women in the family. Men do housework now, similar goals for sons and daughters. Equal Pay Act (1970).

Question 11

What is the radical feminist view of the family?

Answer 11

Family is the root of women’s oppression, so needs to be abolished. Do this through political lesbianism and separatism.

Question 12

Provide 3 criticisms of the feminist view of the family.

Answer 12

Sommerville - Liberal feminists argue separatism unlikely to work as heterosexual attraction makes it unlikely NF will disappear.
Radical Feminist - liberal are rose-tinted as they assume change in laws and gradual attitudes is enough. See them as naive.
Difference Feminists - criticise MF for assuming all women exploited equally.

Question 13

Suggest one similarity between functionalist and new right view of the family

Answer 13

Both functionalists and marxists believe the NF is the best type of family in society.

Question 14

What is the new right view on single parent families?

Answer 14

Lone parenthood leads to a lack of role models - specifically male. This leads to problems with socialisation, so appropriate behaviour is not passed on. Meaning more children more likely to be involved in crime.

Question 15

Provide 1 criticism of the new right view of the family

Answer 15

Murray makes connections between single-parent families and welfare, but the vast majority of them are not on welfare. Instead, they’re ⅔ - ½ way up on the income scale

Question 16

How would The Personal Life Perspective criticise functionalist, marxist and feminist theories of the family? Suggest 2 points

Answer 16

Ignore diversity. They assume all families are traditional nuclear families, when they’re only dominant.
They’re all structural theories, so assume everyone are passive puppets

Question 17

Sum up The Personal Life Perspective

Answer 17

Assume the nuclear family is dominant, but there is now diversity.
 Influenced by interactionist ideas by taking a ‘bottom up’ approach. 
Takes a wider view of relationships by understanding information needs to come directly from the individual about who they class as family. 
Focus on meanings people give to their family life.

Question 18

Suggest two types of relationships that now raise questions about what constitutes as a ‘family’

Answer 18

Donor-conceived families - who counts as family when your child shares a genetic link with a ‘relative stranger’ but not your partner
LGBT ‘chosen families’ - members of community might have been rejected, so class family as supportive networks of close friends

Question 19

Provide 3 criticisms of the personal life perspective

Answer 19

Too broad - Critics argue that by including a wide range of personal relationships, we ignore what is special about relationships that are based on blood or marriage.
Rejects top down view - from other theories such as functionalism but it does see intimate relationships as performing the important function of providing us with a sense of belonging and relatedness.