Topic 1 - Theories of the family Flashcards
Sociologists and what they say...
1
Q
What does functionalist George Murdock say about the family?
A
- He carried out a survey which examined a total of 250 societies.
- He concluded that the nuclear family is so important that it is univeral: it exits in all societies and therfore must serve essential functions for society and the individual.
- He claims the family performs important functions which are: Economic, sexual, reproduction and educational.
2
Q
What are the criticisms of Murdock?
A
- Marxists and feminists reject the ‘rose tinted’ consensus view that the family meets the needs of both the individual members of the family and the needs of wider society.
- Feminists - family serves the needs of men and oppresses women.
- Marxism - meets the needs of capitalism.
3
Q
What does the functionalist Talcott Parsons say about the family?
A
- Developed a fit theory
- Claims that the stucture of the family changes over time to suit the type of society that exists at that time.
- He argues the extended family was normal pre industrialisation timess as it duited that society, whereas the nuclear family is mroe suited to industrial society.
4
Q
What are the criticisms of Parsons?
A
- Young and Willmott - pre-industrial family was nuclear. Early induistrial period = “mum centred” WC extended family. Relying on eachother for financial, practical and emotional support.
- Laslett - studies families between 1500’s to 1800’s and they were almost always nuclear. Grandparents were unlikely to be alive for very long after the birth of 1st grandchild.
- Genders are socially constructed and often involve the oppression of women
- Functionalism is too determinsitic - ignores the fact that children actively create their own personalities.
5
Q
Evaluation of Marxism…
A
- Downplaying Conflict – Plenty of children resist parental control and rebel, ignores the fact that children actively create their own personalities
- Being out of Date - Ignores family diversity
- Feminists: Ignores the exploitation of women (Feminism) - Gender roles are socially constructed
- Ignoring the harmful effects of family life - parents aren’t always loving and supportive
6
Q
What does the marxist Engels say about the family?
A
- He analysed family historically to see how it evolved over time beck to whenn humans were promiscuous and the family did not exist to its present form - that is a monogamous nuclear family.
- He argues that this type developed at the same time as ownership of private property and the emrgence of inheritence.
- Upon a death, a man had to enusre that his property was inherited by his children. The only way he could be certain that he was the father of his children was to make the woman his porerty through marriage and restriciting her sexual freedom.
- The monogamous nuclear family ensured the rich could pass on their wealth to their family members and this way the social class system was reproduced to the following generations.
7
Q
What are the criticisms of Engels?
A
- It’s not clear that the promiscuous horde ever really existed (Murdock found the nuclear family was universal)
- According to Murcdock, the nuclear family existed before capitalism in many areas.
- Feminism - this theory underestimates the importance of gender inequality and focuses of class inequality instead.
8
Q
What does David Cooper say about the family?
A
- Family acts as a idealogical conditioning device-
- The modern nuclear family functions to promote values and ways of thinking aboutcapitalism that ensure the reproduction and maintenance of capitalism.
- It does this in three main ways –
(A) Making us believe that hierarchy and inequality are normal
(B) Providing a ‘safe haven’ for workers, giving them the illusion that they are in control of their lives
(C) by promoting consumption, which keeps capitalism going.
9
Q
What does Zaretsky say about the family?
A
- It’s a prop to he capitalist system
- The nuclear family provided comfort to alienated workers which enabled them to carry on working – both in the sense that it offered emotional support, but also because supporting a family and children gave work a purpose.
10
Q
What does Althusser say about the family.
A
- Argued that in order for capitalism to survive the W/C must submit to the ruling class or Bourgeoisie.
- Through socialisation in the family we come to accept and support Capitalism. Social Policies made by Capitalists are not to be trusted.
- They are there to keep the workers alive, keep people quiet and make them think they have a caring face and benefits keep people in poverty and can be withdrawn or changed at any time.
11
Q
What does the marxist Foucalt say about the family and surveillence?
A
- Developed the concept of surveillance (observing and monitoring) to describe the way that state can exercise social control over people.
- Surveillance is associated with external pressure though social institutions like the criminal justice system, media and education which watch over people and encourage them to conform to social norms.
- He says social norms will confirm what a good family should be like in relation to family life and parenting.
- In post modern societies, he argues tht the idea of surveillance is all internalised.
- Individuals now police themselves and follow social norms as they believe its in their best interest to do so.
12
Q
What does the marxist Henderson say about the family?
A
- Argues that social institutions no longer need to enforce social control over how people behave because they do it themselves - they constantly monitor and keep an eye on their own behaviours.
- He applied Foucalt’s concept of surveillance to the family and motherhood.
- Mothers exercise surveillance over themselves and one another informally as they observe, talk to, critisize and judge themselves and one another about parenting styles, about what products they buy for their children , access to computer games and diet.
- This surveillance is maintained by mothers guilt if they dont live up to the self imposed parent expectations.
13
Q
What are the criticisms of marxism?
A
- Too deterministic - not all families are high consumption families, not all children accept authority
- Marxims ignores the benefits of nuclear family - may acutally be the best family type for protecting children against advertising and consumerism
- Ignored family diversity - in capitalist society - nuclear families are in decline, more people living alone.
- Feminists argue that the marxists focus on class and ignores the inuquaities between men and women, which is the real source of female oprression
14
Q
What do feminists say about the family?
A
- Take a critical view on the family
- Oppressive to women
- Gender ineuqality is not natural or inevitable - socially constructed.
15
Q
What do liberal feminists say about the famiy?
A
- Concerned with campaigning against sex discrimination for equal rights and opportunities for women.
- Oppression is being gradually overcome - liberal feminists are about gradual reform rather then revolt.
- Need to change people’s attitudes and law chnages- e.g sex discrimination act (1975) outlaws discrimination in employment.
- Full gender equality has not been fully reached but gradually progressing