Families & households Flashcards
(79 cards)
Functionalism - Murdock (1949)
Key Points:
• The family performs four essential functions:
1. Sexual regulation
2. Reproduction
3. Socialization of children
4. Economic support
Evaluation:
• Ignores family diversity (assumes nuclear family is universal).
• Feminists argue it overlooks the oppression of women.
• Marxists claim it ignores how the family maintains capitalism.
Functionalism - parsons (1955)
Key Points:
• The family has two ‘irreducible functions’:
1. Primary socialization – teaching children norms and values.
2. Stabilization of adult personalities – emotional support (“warm bath theory”).
• Industrialization led to the nuclear family replacing the extended family.
• The nuclear family is ‘structurally isolated’ from wider kin.
Evaluation:
• Outdated view – ignores family diversity.
• Feminists argue it ignores gender inequalities.
• Marxists argue it ignores how the family benefits capitalism.
Marxism – Engels (1884)
Key Points:
•The family developed to control women and pass on private property.
•Monogamous marriage ensures wealth stays in the family through inheritance.
•Supports capitalism by maintaining class inequality.
Evaluation:
•Ignores family diversity – assumes all families are nuclear.
•Feminists argue it overemphasizes economic factors and ignores gender inequality.
•Outdated – many families don’t function this way today.
Marxism – Zaretsky (1976)
Key Points:
• The family is an ideological tool that supports capitalism.
• It provides a ‘haven’ from work, but this is an illusion.
• Family socializes children into accepting hierarchy.
• The family is a unit of consumption – buying goods supports capitalism.
Evaluation:
• Ignores positive aspects of family life.
• Feminists argue it ignores gender inequality.
• Functionalists say it overlooks family’s benefits for society.
Marxism – Zaretsky (1976) and the Safety Valve
Key Points:
• The family provides a safety valve for male frustration from capitalism.
• Husbands take out their anger on their wives rather than challenging capitalism.
• The illusion of family as a safe haven stops workers from rebelling.
Evaluation:
• Feminists argue it ignores domestic violence and how women suffer from this dynamic.
• Functionalists say it overlooks the family’s positive emotional support.
• Assumes all working-class families experience the same oppression.
Marxism – Althusser (1971) and Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)
Key Points:
• The family is an ISA (Ideological State Apparatus) that maintains capitalism.
• It socializes children into accepting hierarchy and capitalist values.
• Reinforces class inequality by teaching obedience and respect for authority.
Evaluation:
• Assumes people are passive and always accept capitalist ideology.
• Ignores family diversity – not all families reinforce capitalist values.
• Functionalists argue family socialization benefits society, not just capitalism.
Marxism – Althusser and Repressive State Apparatus (RSA)
Key Points:
• The RSA (Repressive State Apparatus) uses force (police, military) to control the working class.
• The family indirectly supports the RSA by discouraging rebellion (e.g., socializing obedience).
• Capitalism is maintained through both ideology (ISA) and force (RSA).
Evaluation:
• Overly deterministic – assumes all institutions serve capitalism.
• Some families challenge capitalist norms (e.g., feminist families, activist parents).
• Ignores other social inequalities like gender and ethnicity.
New Right – Charles Murray (1984) on Welfare Dependency
Key Points:
• Welfare benefits create a dependency culture, discouraging work.
• The underclass (those dependent on welfare) are responsible for social problems.
• Single-parent families (especially single mothers) are blamed for crime and poor socialization.
Evaluation:
• Ignores structural causes of poverty (e.g., low wages, job availability).
• Blames individuals rather than government policy.
• Overgeneralizes – not all single-parent families lead to crime or poverty.
New Right – Charles Murray on Single-Parent Families
Key Points:
• Single-parent families, especially those led by women, are inadequate for raising children.
• Lack of a male role model leads to poor discipline and higher crime rates.
• The rise of single motherhood is due to overly generous welfare benefits.
Evaluation:
• Feminists argue this view is sexist and ignores successful single mothers.
• Many studies show no direct link between single-parent families and crime.
• Ignores wider economic issues affecting family structure.
Feminism – Liberal Feminists (e.g., Somerville 2000)
Key Points:
• Gender inequality in the family is gradually improving due to legal changes (e.g., Equal Pay Act).
• Support for policies like shared parental leave.
Evaluation:
• Radical feminists argue change is too slow.
• Still inequalities in domestic labor.
• Marxist feminists say it ignores capitalism’s role in oppression.
Feminism – Marxist Feminists (Ansley 1972)
Key Points:
• Women’s oppression benefits capitalism:
1. Reproduce the workforce through unpaid domestic labor.
2. Absorb male frustration (Ansley: “Women are takers of shit”).
3. Reserve army of labor – women can be hired/fired as needed.
Evaluation:
• Ignores improvements in women’s rights.
• Assumes all women experience oppression equally.
• Radical feminists argue patriarchy is the main issue, not capitalism.
Feminism – Radical Feminists (Greer 2000)
Key Points:
• The family is a patriarchal institution that oppresses women.
• Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labor.
• Suggests separatism – women should live independently from men.
Evaluation:
• Ignores improvements in gender equality.
• Doesn’t consider women’s personal choices in relationships.
• Overlooks class and ethnicity differences in women’s experiences.
Personal Life Perspective – Smart (2007)
Key Points:
• Rejects structural theories (Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism).
• Focuses on personal meanings of family (e.g., friends as family).
• Looks at diverse family forms, not just the nuclear family.
Evaluation:
• Too broad – doesn’t explain why certain family structures dominate.
• Overlooks wider social structures (e.g., capitalism, patriarchy).
• Lacks a clear explanation of power dynamics in families.
The Rapoports (1982) – Five Types of Family Diversity
Theory: The Rapoports argue that family diversity is the norm in contemporary society and identify five types of diversity:
1. Organisational Diversity – Differences in family structures, e.g., nuclear, extended, single-parent.
2. Cultural Diversity – Different ethnic and religious groups have different family structures.
3. Class Diversity – Social class influences family structure and parenting styles.
4. Life Course Diversity – Family structures change over an individual’s lifetime.
5. Generational Diversity – Older and younger generations have different attitudes toward family life.
Evaluation:
✔ Recognises real changes in family life.
✖ Overlooks the continued dominance of the nuclear family in some areas.
Chester (1985) – The Neo-Conventional Family
Theory: Chester argues that despite increasing diversity, the nuclear family remains dominant. However, it has evolved into a neo-conventional family, where both spouses work. Most people still aspire to a nuclear family at some point in their life.
Evaluation:
✔ Acknowledges some changes in family structure.
✖ Downplays the significance of family diversity, ignoring alternative structures like same-sex families.
Giddens (1992) – Choice and Equality
Theory: Giddens argues that family life is now based on choice and equality, where relationships are based on love and negotiation rather than tradition. He introduces the concept of the pure relationship, where couples stay together for love, not duty.
Evaluation:
✔ Recognises the decline of traditional family roles.
✖ Overlooks the role of economic and structural constraints in shaping relationships.
Beck (1992) – The Negotiated Family & Risk Society
Theory: Beck argues that traditional family structures have declined due to greater individualism and risk society. People now form negotiated families, which vary based on the needs of individuals.
Evaluation:
✔ Explains why traditional family structures are less stable.
✖ Ignores that some people still follow traditional family roles due to religion or culture.
Stacey (1998) – The Postmodern Family
Theory: Stacey argues that families are now diverse and fluid, shaped by individual choice rather than tradition. She suggests that women, in particular, benefit from this freedom to create family types that suit them.
Evaluation:
✔ Highlights the role of women in shaping family life.
✖ Exaggerates the extent of family diversity—some traditional family structures persist.
Weeks (1999) – Sexuality and Family Diversity
Theory: Weeks argues that increasing acceptance of same-sex relationships has led to diverse family structures. He suggests same-sex families often build families of choice rather than following traditional models.
Evaluation:
✔ Recognises the impact of social change on family life.
✖ Overlooks that some LGBTQ+ individuals may still conform to traditional family roles.
Divorce – New Right Perspective
Theorist: Charles Murray (1990)
Key Ideas:
• Rising divorce rates lead to welfare dependency and a decline in traditional family values.
• Lone-parent families (especially female-headed) create an underclass and poor socialization.
Evaluation:
❌ Ignores structural issues like poverty and domestic abuse.
❌ Overstates the negative effects of lone-parent families.
✅ Highlights how government policy influences family structures.
Divorce – Feminist Perspective
Theorist: Ann Oakley (1974)
Key Ideas:
• Divorce is a sign of female liberation from patriarchal oppression.
• Women no longer tolerate dual burden or domestic violence.
Evaluation:
✅ Explains the rise in divorce as linked to changing gender roles.
❌ Assumes all women benefit from divorce – some face financial hardship.
Key Terms: Patriarchy, Dual Burden, Emotional Work
Marriage and Cohabitation – Postmodernist Perspective
Theorist: Anthony Giddens (1992)
Key Ideas:
• ‘Pure relationship’ theory – relationships exist for love rather than obligation.
• Greater individual choice leads to more cohabitation and serial monogamy.
Evaluation:
✅ Explains the rise in diverse family structures.
❌ Overlooks economic factors that limit choices (e.g., housing costs).
Key Terms: Individualisation, Confluent Love
Same-Sex Relationships – Functionalist View
Theorist: Parsons (1955) (though indirect)
Key Ideas:
• Traditional functionalist views prioritize heterosexual nuclear families.
• Recent acceptance of same-sex families as they fulfill socialization roles.
Evaluation:
❌ Outdated – doesn’t fully recognize diversity in family types.
✅ Highlights how family structures adapt over time.
Key Terms: Expressive Role, Instrumental Role
Declining Birth Rate – Economic Explanation
Theorist: Beck & Beck-Gernsheim (1995)
Key Ideas:
• Risk society: People delay having children due to career insecurity.
• Individualization makes traditional family roles less significant.
Evaluation:
✅ Explains changing family priorities in late modernity.
❌ Overlooks cultural differences in family formation.
Key Terms: Risk Society, Individualisation
