Topic 3 - Theories Of The Family Flashcards
What are the 4 functions of the family according to Murdock ?
1.stable satisfaction of the sex drive
2.reproduction of the next generation
3.socialisation of the young into society’s shared norms and values
4.meeting its members economic needs such as food and shelter
Criticisms of Murdocks 4 functions of the family (include general , feminists and Marxists) ?
-some criticise Murdock as saying these functions can be performed equally as well by other institutions and by non nuclear family structures
-feminists see the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women
-Marxists argue that the family needs the needs of capitalism , not those of family members or society as a whole
what does Parsons functional fit theory believe the functions the family performs will depend on ?
-Parsons states that the functions that the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found in.
what are the 2 types of families that Parson distinguishes between in his functional fit theory and what do they consist of ?
Parsons distinguishes between 2 kinds of family structures ;
-the nuclear family - of just parents and their dependent children
-the extended family - of 3 generations living under one roof
what are the 2 types basic types of society according to Parsons functional fit theory and what type of families does he argue are dominant in these societies ?
-According to Parsons , there are 2 basic types of society -modern industrial society and traditional pre industrial society
-He argues that the nuclear family fits the needs of an industrial society and is the dominant family type in that society , while the extended family fits the needs of pre industrial society
what does Parsons argue that due to industrialization there was a trend towards and why did this occur ?
-In Parson’s view , when Britain began to industrialize , from the late 18th century onwards , the extended family began to give way to the nuclear family
-this was because the emerging industrial society had different needs from pre industrial society , and the family had to adapt to meet these needs
what are the 2 essential needs that Parsons sees as industrial society as having in his functional fit theory ?
1.a geographically mobile workforce
2.A socially mobile workforce
Parsons , industrial society as having 2 essential needs - a geographically mobile workforce - what is the difference in a pre industrial society compared to a modern society ?
-in a traditional pre industrial society , people often spent their whole lives living in the same village , working on the same farm
-By contrast , in a modern society , industries constantly spring up and decline in different parts of the country , even different parts of the world , and this requires people to move to where jobs are
Parsons , industrial society as having 2 essential needs - a geographically mobile workforce - why does parsons see this as being more common in nuclear families ?
-Parsons argues that it is easier for the compact 2 generation nuclear family to move , than for the 3 generation extended family
-the nuclear family is better fitted to the need that modern industry has for a geographically mobile workforce
Parsons , industrial society as having 2 essential needs - a socially mobile workforce - what is modern industrial society based on and what makes social mobility possible ?
-modern industrial society is based on the constantly evolving science and technology and so it requires a skilled , technically competent workforce
-it is therefore essential that talented people are able to win promotions and take on the most important jobs
-in modern society , an individuals status is achieved by their own efforts and ability not ascribed (fixed by birth) , this makes social mobility possible
Parsons , industrial society as having 2 essential needs - a socially mobile workforce - why does Parsons believe that the nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs of the industrial society.
-due to status being earnt , the nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs of industrial society
-in the extended family , adult sons live at home in their fathers house - where the father has a higher ascribed status as head of household
-however , at work , the son may have a higher achieved status due to his job compared to his father , this would lead to tensions and conflict if they both lived under the same roof
-the solution for this is for the adult sons to leave home when they marry and start their own nuclear family which encourages social and geographical mobility
how can the pre industrial family be shown as losing functions due to the trend towards a modern family according to parsons (include what functions were before industrialisation )?
-the pre industrial family was a multi-functional unit
-for example, it was both a unit of production in which family members worked together eg on the family farm and a unit of consumption eg feeding and clothing it members
-this family type was more self sufficient than the modern nuclear family , providing it members health and welfare and meeting most individual and social needs
-According to Parsons , when society industrializes the family note only changes its structure form from extended to nuclear but loses many of its functions
-for example ,the family ceases to be a unit of production as work moves into factories and the family becomes a unit of consumption only , also it loses most of its other functions to other institutions such as schools and health services
Due to the loss of functions due to the nuclear family , what are the 2 essential functions Parsons identifies ?
-the primary socialisation of the children- to equip them with the basic skills and society’s values and to enable them to cooperate with others and begin to integrate them into society
-the stabilization of adult personalities - the family is a place where adults can relax and release tensions , enabling them to return to the workplace refreshed and ready to meets its demands , this is functional for the efficiency of the economy
what are the 2 social classes that Marxist sociologists see a capitalist society based on the division between ?
-the capitalist class , who own the means of production
-the working class , whose labour the capitalists exploit for profit
what are the 3 functions that Marxists have identified which they see the family as fulfilling for capitalism ?
1.inheritence of property
2.ideological functions
3.A unit of consumption
