UNIT 2: Families and households

Question 1

What is the functionalist perspective on the family ?

Answer 1

Functionalists believe that family has a lot of functions placed upon it. (These are the functions it preforms in society)
1. These functions are primarily involved with family’s role with the socialisation of children to fit in to adult society.
2, They are also concerned with how the family fits into other social institutions.
The two functionalist perspectives are Murdock (1949) and Parsons (1951)

Question 2

What was Murdock’s (1945) perspective on the family?

Answer 2

He believed that the family had four main purposes
1. SEXUAL= Express sexuality in a socially approved context
2. REPODUCTION= The family providing stability for the reproduction and rearing of children.
3. SOCIALISATION= The family is an important unit of primary socialisation of children, where children learn socially acceptable behaviour and the culture of society.
4. ECONOMIC= Family provides food and shelter for family members.

Question 3

What was Parsons’ (1951) perspective of the family?

Answer 3

He believed that the family had three main functions:
1. Primary SOCIALISATION= this involves learning and internalising society’s cultures such as language, history and values without the generation would not be socialised into basic norms/values.
2. The stabilisation of human personalities= In industrial society’s there is a lack of power, independence and there is a need for more determined workers.
The family helps to stabilize personalities by sexual division ( women at home) to relive men. —> Warm bath theory.

Question 4

What was Parsons ‘ Warm bath theory’ ?

Answer 4

He claims that the family could act as a ‘warm bath’ or a support system . He suggest that the immersion could relieve pressure of being the ‘bread winner’ and providing for the family. The father was typically the financial provider.

Question 5

What are some evaluations of the functionalist perspective on the family?

Answer 5

1. It ignores the dark side of families. ( Families are dysfunctional and 1/4 of women in relationships are abused.
2. It ignores the exploitation of women and how women suffer from the sexual division.
3. It is too deterministic and it assumes an almost robotic adoption of society’s norms and values.

Question 6

Why can it be argued that the functionalist perspective is outdated?

Answer 6

1. It is is outdated because it ignores family diversity where the unclear family is not the main type. ( Lone- parent families, same-sex couples, Cohabitating couples).
   Same- sex= Civil Partnership Act in 2004. Same-sex couple act in 2013.
2. Ignores the change in attitude towards women’s roles in society
   -Sex discrimination Act in 1975 and Equality Act in 2010

Question 7

How does geographical mobility affect the functionalist perspective of the family ?

Answer 7

It changes the function of socialisation of children because they are separated from the extended family. It also removes the importance of the sexual function as it causes partners to spend more time away from each other.

Question 8

How has a higher rate of social mobility affected the functionalist perspective of the family ?

Answer 8

It impacts the economic function as children or family may no longer be financially supported.

Question 9

How has the growth in meritocracy in contemporary societies affected the functionalist perspective of the family ?

Answer 9

It means that people are socialised more through secondary socialisation because of school/work. This also changes the importance of the economic function as it encourages chldren to aim to be successful,.

Question 10

How has the welfare state affected the functionalist perspective of the family ?

Answer 10

Impacts the economic function because the welfare state is used for economic support and this can be sued to provide support instead,

Question 11

What Does Parsons and Young suggest is the privatised nuclear family?

Answer 11

They suggest that the classic extended family has disappeared in modern society and structurally replaced by the the privatised nuclear family.
- The privatised nuclear family is a self contained, self reliant, home centred unit which live in a close knit community.

Question 12

What is the new right perspective on the family?

Answer 12

The new right supports traditional values and institutions and its view of the role, importance and functions of the traditional family unit are very similar to functionalist approach.

Question 13

What does the new right emphasise is the role of the nuclear family?

Answer 13

1.They seem them as important and beneficial functions in securing social stability.
2. Providing emotional security
3. Socialising children into the culture of society
4. Establishing respect for and conformity to social and moral values and traditions.

Question 14

Why does the New Right see the traditional family under threat from social changes?
( Rising divorce rates, births outside of marriage, step families)

Answer 14

These changes undermine social stability and lead to social issues like:
1. A rising lack of respect and anti social behaviour among the young.
2. Lack of discipline in school and educational underachievement.
3. Alcohol and drug abuse.
4. Crime and dependency on welfare benefits.

Question 15

How can diverse family types lead to educational failure according to the New Right perspective?

Answer 15

• Lone parent ( LP) families can lead to children not having the correct socialisation so they will have a lack of discipline and will lead to failure
• LP families might have material deprivation which means they will be at a disadvantage and will more likely fail in education.
• Symmetrical families means that both parents are working and so there will be a lack of parental engagement in education.

Question 16

How can diverse family types lead to high crime rates according to the New Right perspective ?

Answer 16

-Lone parent families means that there is a lack of support financially from 2 parents and could lead to them committing small crimes like robbery, stealing and drug abuse.
-Lone parent families are 90% led by women which means that most are lacking the support of the father figure. Boys are more likely to commit crimes with no role models so will join deviant subcultures.

Question 17

What was Murray (1990) and Marsland’s (1989) perspective of the family?

Answer 17

1. They argued that the welfare state has undermined personal responsibility and the importance of the family financially.
2. Benefits for lone parent families should reduced because it encourages women to have children they they otherwise couldn’t afford.
3. They aimed for traditional family values with added government policies:
   - Measures to reduce divorce rate and births outside of marriage.
   -Reduction of the welfare state which benefits non- conventional family units.

Question 18

What are some evaluations of the New Right perspective of the family?

Answer 18

1. It doesn’t consider that nuclear family is dysfunctional and it encourages people to have to stay in families they no longer want to.
2. It is too deterministic as it doesn’t recognise personal experience and believes that family completely decides your life.
3. Fails to recognise when children in nuclear families will also commit crimes for other reasons and will also face educational failure.
4. Fails to recognise when children do well in education in other family types

Question 19

What is the Marxist perspective on the family?

Answer 19

The Marxist perspective on the family focuses on the nuclear family and ignores other family types that exist in contemporary society. As a result, the Marxist perspective does not give a full understanding of the role of the family.

Question 20

What is the Marxist theory of ‘ False class consciousness ‘ ?

Answer 20

A Marxist theory that people are unable to see things especially exploitation, oppression, and social relations as they really are.

Question 21

What is Marxist ‘ Ideological state apparatus ‘?

Answer 21

These are agencies which serve to spread the ideology and justify the power of the dominant social class.

Question 22

What is the Marxists Engels ( 1820-1895) view of the family?

Answer 22

1. They believe that monogamous nuclear family developed as a means of passing on private property to heirs.
2. They believe that women’s position in the family was not different to the work of a prostitute- the father worked while the mother gave him children and sex for financial safety.

Question 23

What is some criticisms of Engels view of the family?

Answer 23

1. His perspective can be considered outdated and women no longer have to abide to traditional gender roles. This is evident in the Equality Act of 1969.
2. It assumes that all families are dysfunctional and are only there for a function. - It ignores families which are pure love.

Question 24

What is the Marxists Zaretsky’s (1976) view of the family?

Answer 24

1. They emphasis the ideological role of the family is propping up capitalism. Family is an escape route from oppression and exploitation at work .
2. Allows men in their private life to have control and are valued as women obey traditional family roles. This release in family encourages them to continue work.

Question 25

What is some criticisms of Zaretsky’s view of the family?

Answer 25

• It doesn’t consider different family types of families or family is dysfunctional.
  -Doesn’t consider those that work have no option but to work to provide and the family doesn’t act as an escape from exploitation.

Question 26

What is the Marxists Althuser’s (1871) view of the family?

Answer 26

1. They argued that in order for capitalism to survive the working class must be taught to submit to the Bourgeoise.
   - This can be done with the family as they teach the reality of your class.
   -This can also be done with education which is through social control.
2. Through socialisation into this ideology , the ruling class tries to maintain false class consciousness by the winning the hearts of the working class.

Question 27

What is some criticisms of Althuler’s view of the family?

Answer 27

• It assumes that children will accept their socialisation