Family: perspectives Flashcards
(29 cards)
What does Murdock say are the functions of the family
- Stablisation of the sex drive
- Primary socialisation
- Economic function
- Education
- Reproduction of the next generation
- Sexual function
How do Marxists and feminists criticise Murdock
- Marxists see the family as serving needs of capitalism
- Feminists see the family as serving the needs of men
What is Parsons functional fit theory
The functions of the family depend on the type of society where it is found
What does Parsons argue are the 2 basic types of society
- Modern industrial society
- Traditional pre industrial society
According to Parsons, which family fits a modern industrial society
Nuclear family
According to Parsons which family fits a trtaditional pre industrial society
Extended family
Why does Parsons argue there is a geographically mobile workforce in modern society
- Industries constantly spring up and decline in different parts of the country and different parts of the world.
- This requires people to move to where the jobs are
How is the nuclear family better fitted to the need for a geographically mobile workforce
It is easier for a compact 2 generation family to move than a 3 generation extended family
According to Parsons how is a socially mobile workforce possible
Status is achieved by hard work and ability not ascribed (fixed at birth)
How does Parsons argue the nuclear family is better for social mobility
- Fathers have a higher achieved status than the rest of the house.
- To avoid conflict when the son also gaining a high achieved status, he leaves home to start his own family
What function of the family are less important in an industrial society
Education
What does Parsons say the functons that the modern nuclear family specialise in
- Primary socialisation of children
- Stabalisation of the adult personality
What do Marxists say are the functions of the family
- Inheritance of property
- Ideological function
- Unit of consumption
How does Engels argue monogamy has been affected by inheritance of property
Men had to be sure of their paternity to their children in order to ensure that their legitimate heirs inherited property from them
How does Engels argue the monogamous nuclear family is bad for women
It has brought womens sexuality under male control and turned women into an instrument for producing children
How do Marxists argue the family performs the ideological function
Children are socialised into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable, preparing them for working life
How does Zaretzky argue the family performs an ideological function
Offers an apparent haven from the harsh, exploitative world of capitalism. However, this is an illusion
How is the family a unit of consumption
- Advertisers urge families to keep up with the Joneses by consuming latest products
- The media targets children who have pester power to persuade parents to spend more
- Children who lack latest clothes and gadgets are mocked and stigmatised
What do liberal feminists believe about gender inequality
Womens oppression is gradually being overcome through changing attitudes and changes in law
What do Marxist feminists argue is the main cause of womens oppression
Capitalism not men
How do Marxist feminists argue womens oppression benefits capitalism
- Women reproduce the labour force
- Women absorb anger
- Women are a reserve army of cheap labour
How does Ansley describe womens absorbing anger
Women are takers of shit who soak up the frustration men feel at work
What do radical feminists believe
All societies have been founded on patriarchy and men are the enemy
What does Geer argue about types of families
All female households should be used as an alternative to the heterosexual family
