Families and Households - topic 1 - family structure Flashcards
What is the difference between the structural and social action approach to family structure?
STRUCTURAL: They have a ‘top down’ approach and try to explain how structures (like power hierarchy) in society determine individuals lives
SOCIAL ACTION: They have a ‘bottom up’ approach they try to explain how individuals create society through their actions and free will
Functionalism and family structure: Functionalists are interested in how the family functions for who?
Functionalists are interested in how the family functions for the greater good of society
Functionalism and family structure: Functionalists are interested in how the family contributes to what?
how it contributes to the maintenance of social order
Functionalism and family structure: What is society based on?
Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus – a set of shared norms and values – into which society socialises its members.
Functionalism and family structure: Why is value consensus important?
This enables its members to cooperate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals
Functionalism and family structure: Murdock (1949): How is the human body an analogy of society?
If an organ fails, the body suffers, just like if the family becomes dysfunctional, society would collapse.
Functionalism and family structure: Murdock (1949): He argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society. What are the four functions?
Sexual
Reproduction
Economic
Education
Functionalism and family structure: Murdock (1949): Describe the pre industrial family unit?
The pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit therefore more self-sufficient
A unit of production
A unit of consumption
Functionalism and family structure: Murdock (1949): Describe the post industrial family?
Family ceases to be a unit of production
Family becomes a unit of consumption only
Loses most of its other functions to institutions e.g. schools and the NHS (structural differentiation)
Functionalism and family structure: Parsons argued that this new nuclear family unit provided the husband and wife with very clear and distinct social roles. What is the role for men?
Men should be the ‘instrumental leader’,
The husband is responsible for the economic welfare and living standards of the family group.
He is head of the household and the breadwinner of the family.
Functionalism and family structure: Parsons argued that this new nuclear family unit provided the husband and wife with very clear and distinct social roles. What is the role for women?
. Women should take the ‘expressive role’, which means the mother and wife are responsible for the primary socialisation of children, and the emotional care and support of family members.
Functionalism and family structure: Parsons the modern nuclear family comes to specialise in performing just two essential or ‘irreducible’ functions. What are they?
Primary socialisation
Stabilisation of adult personalities
Functionalism and family structure: Parsons: Why did he descrine the family as a warm bath?
he believed that the family helps to relieve stress and tension from work, and helps adults personalities to be stabilised, and make the family members content
Functionalism and family structure: Fletcher (1988): What three additional functions do the family perform?
Satisfying long-term sexual and emotional needs of parents#
Raising children in a stable environment
The provision of a home to which all family members return after work.
Functionalism and family structure: Fletcher (1988): He argues the role of social policy is to make parenting and family life more effective. How do they do this?
Providing social, economic and educational supports, i.e. postnatal care,
free health care from the cradle to the grave,
and compulsory education
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: Murdock criticism?
Murdock is ethnocentric – he sees all types of families based on his own family experiences. He tries to apply a Western notion of the family across all societies, but ignores other types in the process.
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: Functionalist criticism?
Functionalist theory ignores the dark side of the family. The family can be seen as dysfunctional – there can be child abuse and domestic violence.
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: How would feminist criticize them?
Feminists would reject the view that the ‘natural’ role for women is the expressive role.
They would argue that view point to be patriarchal and imposed on by men.
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: Parsons criticism?
Furthermore, Parsons idealised the nuclear family, based largely on the American middle class. Like Murdock, Parsons failed to explore alternative family structures among different social classes and ethnic groups.
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: Lasset)1972)
Laslett (1972) found in his study of English households between 1564 and 1821 that only about 10% of households contained extended kin before the Industrial Revolution. A combination of late childbearing and low life expectancy meant that grandparents were unlikely to live for very long after the birth of their first grandchild
Functionalis and family structure: criticism: Interpretivist sociologists argument about children?
Interpretivist sociologists argue that functionalists treat the children as ‘empty vessels’ who soak up all they have been taught.
It ignores the ability of children to modify their parents’ behaviour (by taking part in the decision making processes)
and influencing their parents’ tastes in fashion, music and television viewing.]
It ignores the role children play in creating their own personalities.
Marxism and family structure: What is the role of the family?
The role of the family is to maintain capitalist society, and maintain the division between the bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Marxism and family structure: What shapes the role of the family?
The family’s role is shaped by the ‘Base’ of society.
The base of society is capitalism.
Marxism and family structure: Engels: What did he argue?
The role of the nuclear family was essential.
The nuclear and biological family enabled the ruling classes to pass property onto their heirs.
Marxism and family structure: A monogamous nuclear relationship was the best way to ensure what?
Ensure men’s own paternity and the loyalty of women
so that their wealth could be kept within the family.
Marxism and family structure: Women’s position according to engels?
Women’s position in the family was not dissimilar from that of prostitutes in that a financial deal was struck. She provided the sex in return for economic security her husband offered.
Marxism and family structure: Zaretsky: He argues what?
Zaretsky argues the family transmit a set of ideas to other members.
These ideas justify inequality to convince society that capitalism is just and fair.
Marxism and family structure: Zaretsky: He says the family perform an ideological function . How?
by making the family appear to be an apparent ‘haven’, so members can escape from the harsh realities and oppression experienced at work
Marxism and family structure: Zaretsky: How does making the family appear as a haven benefit capitalism?
this is an illusion and the family’s role is instead to prepare men for the next day’s world of work and benefit capitalists,
rather than benefit members of society as a whole.
It’s designed so it can undermine opposition to capitalism.
Marxism and family structure: Criticisms: Engels?
fails to consider that there are different types of family structure in modern society.
Women have gained greater independence due to improved job opportunities and access to education which means they no longer need to marry for financial reasons.
Marriage has become less of a social necessity. People marry for love and affection rather than social obligation.
Marxism and family structure: Criticisms: Zaretsky ?
exaggerating the extent to which the family can be an escape from alienating work as the family has often been characterised by cruelty, neglect and violence.
Some families are anti-capitalist and socialise their children into beliefs which are critical of the bourgeoisie.
Marxism and family structure: Criticisms: Zaretsky: What does he ignore?
It ignores the real benefits and positive functions the family can play. It neglects the very real emotional and social satisfaction that people get from being members of a family.
Feminism and family structure: Brief summary of feminist view?
Overall, feminists argue that society is patriarchal, literally meaning ‘rule by men’ - the idea that men are powerful and subordinate women.
Feminism and family structure: Liberal Feminism: What do they argue?
Liberal feminists assert the family serves the needs of men, reinforces patriarchy and oppresses women.
However, they argue that women’s position in the family can be improved through reform and argue that women are gradually taking on a more equal role in the family.
Liberal feminists take a more optimistic view of the progress made so far.
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Feminism and family structure: Oakley (1981) : What does she argue?
That gender discrimination and patriarchal inequality is the product of gender role socialisation
Boys and girls learn to internalise ‘differences’ in gender behaviour
Feminism and family structure: Oakley (1981) : How is gender role socialisation a major source of patriarchal discrimination?
Gender role socialisation is a major source of patriarchal discrimination because girls are ‘persuaded’ that their main responsibilities are family bound which prevents them from competing with men on an equal playing field
Feminism and family structure: Oakley (1981) : What changes have been amde to challenge gender inequality?
Equal Pay Act, women out to work and divorce laws
Feminism and family structure: Wilkinson (1994): What did he argue?
The feminisation of the of the British workforce and success of women in the world of paid work over the last 50 years has led to a dramatic shift in female identity
And a profound change in the distribution of power between men and women.
Feminism and family structure: Wilkinson (1994): What is the genderquake?
Family commitments no longer have priority in women’s lives;
Careers and economic independence are now the defining feature of young women’s lives.
Wilkinson describes these changes asa ‘genderquake’.
Feminism and family structure: Somerville (2000): Who does he criticize?
Radical and Marxist perspectives
Feminism and family structure: Somerville (2000): Criticisim of radical and marxist perspectives: Why does she criticize them?
for failing to accept the progress that has been made:
Feminism and family structure: Somerville (2000): Criticisim of radical and marxist perspectives: What are her three points?
Women now have much more choice about whether to marry, whether to take paid work, and when married whether they want to stay married.
There is greater equality within marriage and greater sharing of the responsibility for paid and unpaid work and childcare. Many men now advocate greater gender equality.
Most women still value relationships with men.
Feminism and family structure: Somerville (2000): Criticisim of radical and marxist perspectives: Which areas does she see ther can still be an improvement?
She does, however, identify areas for further improvement including better childcare for working parents and more flexibility in jobs to help families.
