Family Key Studies

Question 1

Parsons (functionalist) 2 key functions of family

Answer 1

1. Primary socialisation - children taught the shared norms and values of society
2. Stabilisation of adult personalities- family relieves stress of life, like a ‘warm bath’

Question 2

Zaretsky (Marxist) 3 functions of serving capitalism

Answer 2

1. Womens unpaid labour
2. Passing on of advantage in families (inheritance)
3. Unit of consumption

Question 3

Delphy and Leonard (radical feminist) view on family

Answer 3

Family is patriarchal because
- women exploited economically (labour used by husbands)
- family is hierarchical - men at top
- patriarchal family reflects society

Question 4

Ann Oakley (feminist) on conventional family

Answer 4

• women expected to do unpaid work
• idea of conventional family is powerful
  -people expect happiness but nuclear families can be stressful
• middle class has more family diversity

Question 5

Rapoport and Rapoport on family diversity

Answer 5

1. Organisational (structure of families)
2. Cultural (religious differences)
3. Social class (class differences)
4. Cohort ( historical differences)
5. Life courses ( differences in life cycle stages)

Question 6

Young and Willmott (functionalist) on changes in family structure/roles

Answer 6

Found families becoming more symmetrical (similar but not identical) roles, equal contribution to housework, childcare and making decisions.
Stratified diffusion- changes in family life begin in higher classes and trickle down