Family- theories of the family

Question 1

What are Murdock’s (1949) functions of the family?

Answer 1

1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive:
2) Reproduction of the next generation without which society couldn’t continue
3) Socialisation of the young
4) Meeting its members economic needs.

Question 2

A03 for Murdock:

Answer 2

-some sociologists argue other institutions could perform these functions BUT nuclear family is more practical and found universally.
-Feminists see the family as serving the needs of men + rose tinted view
-Marxists argue meets the needs of capitalism

Question 3

What is Parson’s (1955) functional fit theory?

Answer 3

the functions that the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found. The functions that the family has to perform will affect its shape or structure

Question 4

What are the two kinds of family Parsons distinguishes between?

Answer 4

-The nuclear family
-The extended family

Question 5

What are the two kinds of society Parson’s distinguishes between?

Answer 5

• modern industrial society
  -traditional pre industrial society

Question 6

What are the two essential needs Parsons sees the industrial society as?

Answer 6

• A geographically mobile workforce
  -A socially mobile workforce

Question 7

What is a geographically mobile workforce?

Answer 7

-easier for the compact two generation nuclear family to more than extended family so nuclear family is better fitted

Question 8

What is a socially mobile workforce?

Answer 8

-modern industrial society is based on evolving science and technology and so it requires a skilled technically competent workforce. in modern society ones status is achieved and not ascribed and this makes social mobility . Therefore, Parsons argues the nuclear family is better equipped to meet the needs of industrial society. father has high ascribed status in the household until adult son gets a job which may be higher status causing tensions so the son may leave home and marry and dorm their own nuclear family which encourages social mobility. resulting in a mobile nuclear family which is structurally isolated from it extended kin. they make keep in touch with them but has no binding expectations unlike the pre industrial family. in modern society due to advances in technology contact is easier kept and so family can move away more.

Question 9

What was the pre-industrial family in terms of functions?

Answer 9

-a multi functional unit. A unit of production and consumption.
-more self sufficient than the modern nuclear family

Question 10

What happens to the modern nuclear family in terms of functions?

Answer 10

-when society industrialises the family becomes nuclear not industrial and loses many of its functions

Question 11

What are the two essential functions of the nuclear family according to Parsons?

Answer 11

-The primary socialisation of children
-The stabilisation of adult personalities.

Question 12

What is the Marxist view of the family?

Answer 12

the functions of the family are performed purely for the benefit of the capitalist system.

Question 13

What are the functions Marxists see the family as fulfilling for capitalism?

Answer 13

1) Inheritance of property
2) Ideological functions
3) A unit of consumption

Question 14

How does inheritance of property effect the family?

Answer 14

-determines the shape of all social institutions, is the mode of production (who owns and controls society’s productive forces aka capitalists)

Question 15

What did Marx call the earliest society?

Answer 15

• The earliest, classless society “primitive communism”. No private property, all members in society owned the means of production

Question 16

What did Engels call the no family stage of society?

Answer 16

• The “promiscuous horde” in which there were no restrictions on sex.

Question 17

How did private property come about?

Answer 17

• a forces of production developed, society’s wealth began to increase so did the development of private property.

Question 18

What did the introduction of private property bring?

Answer 18

• patriarchal monogamous nuclear family.

Question 19

What was Engel’s view on monogamy?

Answer 19

• it became essential because of the inheritance of private property

Question 20

What do Marxists argue the only way to overthrow capitalism is?

Answer 20

• is for the w/c to work together and a classless society will be established so there is no longer a need for a patriarchal family, since there will be no need for private property transmitting down generations.

Question 21

In Engel’s view, what does the rise of the monogamous nuclear family represent?

Answer 21

• a ‘world historical defeat of the female sex’ which brought the woman under the male control and turned her into a ‘mere instrument for the production of the children’.

Question 22

What is the definition for ideological functions?

Answer 22

• a set of ideas or beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people to accept it as if fair, natural or unchangeable.

Question 23

How does society perform ideological functions?

Answer 23

• through socialising into ideas of hierarchy and inequality. e.g. parental power, schools, working lives.

Question 24

What does Zaretsky (1976) say that the family performs?

Answer 24

• an ideological function offering a ‘haven’ from the exploitative world of capitalism outside in which women can be ‘themselves’ and have a private life. However, he argues this is largely an illusion the family cannot meet

Question 25

How does capitalism exploit its workers?

Answer 25

- by making profit by selling the products of their labour for more than it pays them to produce the commodities

Question 26

How does the family play a role in generating profit?

Answer 26

- advertisers urge families to 'keep up with the Joneses' by consuming all the latest products -the media target children who use 'pester power' to persuade parents -children who lack the latest 'must have' items are mocked and stigmatised by their peers.

Question 27

AO3 for the Marxists perspective:

Answer 27

- assume the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society, ignores range of family structures -Feminists say they underestimate the power of gender- the family primarily serves them over capitalism -functionalists say they ignore the real benefits that the family provide for its members.\

Question 28

What are the four types of feminism?

Answer 28

-liberal feminism -Marxist feminism -radical feminism -difference feminism

Question 29

What are liberal feminists concerned with?

Answer 29

-campaigning against sex discrimination and for equal rights and opportunities for women

Question 30

What do liberal feminists argue?

Answer 30

- womes oppression is being gradually overcome through changing people's attitudes and through changes in law.

Question 31

When was the Sex Discrimination Act?

Answer 31

-1975

Question 32

What does the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 entail?

Answer 32

- outlaws discrimination based in employment

Question 33

What do liberal feminists believe?

Answer 33

- we are moving towards greater equality but equality will depend on further reforms, changes in attitudes and socialisation of both sexes

Question 34

What do studies suggest in terms of domestic labour?

Answer 34

- men have been doing more domestic labour -parents socialise their kids more equally with similar aspirations for them.

Question 35

What may some feminists argue about the view of domestic labour that men are more helpful?

Answer 35

-criticise for failing to challenge the underlying causes of women's oppression and believing law/ attitude changes will be -(I'm sure some radical feminists argue that men's reported housework only does their own laundry and not everyone else's so is inaccurate anyways)

Question 36

What do Marxist feminists argue?

Answer 36

-the main cause of issues in the family is not men but capitalism

Question 37

What are the functions women's oppression performs for capitalism?

Answer 37

-women reproduces labour force through unpaid domestic labour, by socialising the next generation and servicing the current one. -women absorb anger that otherwise directed at capitalism. -women are a reserve army of cheap labour. when they are 'no longer needed' they return to their primary roles of unpaid domestic labour e.g.WW2

Question 38

How did Ansley (1972) describe women?

Answer 38

- 'takers of shit' who get husbands frustrations feel because of alienation and exploitation they suffer at work. Explains the violence against women.

Question 39

How do Marxist feminists see the oppression of women?

Answer 39

-as linked to the exploitation of the w/c.

Question 40

How do Marxists feminists argue society will be free?

Answer 40

-argue family must be abolished at the same time as a socialists revolution replaces capitalism with a classless society.

Question 41

What do Radical feminists argue?

Answer 41

-all societies have been found on patriarchy. -men are the enemy

Question 42

How do men benefit from women?

Answer 42

-benefit from women's unpaid work and from their sexual services and domestic women through domestic and sexual violence or the threat of it.

Question 43

What do radical feminists argue needs to happen for equality?

Answer 43

-patriarchal system needs to be overturned -particularly the family (the root of women's oppression)

Question 44

How do radical feminists see the patriarchal system being overturned

Answer 44

-separatism meaning women must organise themselves to be independent of men

Question 45

What is political lesbianism?

Answer 45

-heterosexual relationships are inevitably oppressive (sleeping with the enemy) therefore women must strategically only be with other women to not be oppressed.

Question 46

What did Greer say in 2000?

Answer 46

-creation of all female (matrilocal) households as an alternative to heterosexual family

Question 47

What did the liberal feminist Somerville (2000) say about radical feminists?

Answer 47

- they fail to recognise improvements and heterosexual attraction makes it unlikely separatism would work. -However, Somerville also recognizes women have yet to achieve full equality and argues a need from family friend policies e.g. more flexible working to promote greater equality between partners.

Question 48

What do difference feminists argue?

Answer 48

-we cannot generalise women's experiences. -lesbians and heterosexuals, white, black, m/c, w/c women all have different experiences

Question 49

What do many feminists argue about white feminists?

Answer 49

-they neglect black women's experiences of racial oppression. Black feminists view the black family as a a source of support and resistance against racism

Question 50

AO3 for difference feminism:

Answer 50

- other feminists argue they neglect the fact that all women share many of the same experiences. -e.g. domestic violence,sexual assault, low pay etc.