Theories of the family Flashcards
(23 cards)
Talcott Parsons- functionalist
Argued that the male is portrayed as the instrumental leader who is best suited to the demands of the world of work and being the economic breadwinner for the family
The female is portrayed as the expressive leader I.e. a dependent wife/ mother who is best suited to the demand of caring, home-making and child- rearing
Talcott Parsons- functionalist
“The warm bath theory” where the married couples relationship provides relief against problems within society which strengthens the couples bond
Each partner acts as emotional security for the other and provides a balance to the stresses and strains of modern day life
The family relieves the pressures of everyday life and recharges the battery of individuals as they are usually isolated from their extended families
Chester- functionality
Identified that during a persons life time most people have experiences the nuclear family life for a significant amount of time
Fletcher- functionalist
Fletcher feels that the families main functions…
-economic production and maintenance
-welfare and health
-socialisation and education
-sexual needs of adults and reproduction
Have changed and these are now performed with the help of other institutions such as the NHS and the welfare state
Charles Murray- new right
Claimed that Britain was developing an underclass
Believed that illegitimacy created a culture where children were not being adequately socialised because of the lack of a father and male role model
Dennis and Erdos- new right
“Without fathers”
Claim that increasing numbers of children born outside marriage are raised by single mothers which places their children at a disadvantage
On average they have poorer health and lower educational attainment than children in two parent families
Main concern was the effect on boys- results in irresponsible, immature, anti social young men
Engles- Marxism
Argued that during the early stages of human evolution there was no private property and the minder nuclear family did not exist
Called this primitive communism
Stated that the the nuclear family babied on monogamy only developed with the emergence of private property and capitalism
Zaretsky- Marxism
Believe that it is within the family that children learn about key values such as obedience and respecting authority which means that later in life they can be exploited by the ruling class
Says that the family acts as a cushioning effect/ comfort zone for the worker against the hardships of an oppressive, exploitative workplace
Althusser- Marxism
Argued that within the family home parents can pass on messages to children that encourage them to accept ideas about society without really questioning them
He called the family and ideological state apparatus which means that the family supports the state oppression of people
Liberal feminism
See social change for women as a “march of progress” - have the most optimistic view of the family
Focus on the improvements women have managed to achieve through legislation
See these changes as indicating a decrease in female oppression
Marxist feminism- benston
Argues that women’s inequalities are the result of being forced to serve the needs of capitalism both inside and outside of the family
Benston argues that women make a significant contribution to ruling class profits
By performing free domestic tasks a.g. Housework, females are indirectly contributing to ruling class profits
Ansley- Marxist feminism
Argues that women often are the “takers of shit” within the family and tend to absorb their husbands anger due to their own powerlessness and oppression
The wife acts as a sponge to soak up the husbands anger
Marxist feminists argue this explains domestic violence against women
Barrett and McIntosh- Marxist feminism
Suggest that alternatives to the traditional nuclear family are suppressed under capitalist ideology
Radical feminism
Argue that all female ppression is due to patriarchy which is the male domination of society
They say that this existed before capitalism and that the main conflict within society is between men and women
They want the family to be abolished and believe the way to achieve this is through separatism (women must live independently of men)
Dobash and Dobash- radical feminism
Highlighted the alarming fact that male domination within families can extend to domestic violence against both women and children
Firestone- radical feminism
Argues new reproductive technologies are the only solution to patriarchy, since woman’s dependence on men derives from their childbearing and child- rearing functions
Purdy- radical feminism
Believes the only way to bring home to men the sacrifices of child rearing is for women to stop having children which he calls a “baby strike”
Ulrick Beck- Postmodernism
Argues that there is no such thing as the family today and instead people can choose and make a range of decisions about the kinds of relationships and family structures they prefer as individuals
Giddens- postmodernism
Believe society has not yet reached a post modern phase but has progressed from an older industrialised modern society and is now in an in between stage described as late modernism
The Rapoports CLOGS- postmodernism
Identified 5 types of diversity
1) cultural diversity
2)life-stage
3)organisational diversity
4) generational diversity
5) social class diversity
Stacey- postmodernism
Found that women were the people who were driving change within families as they had the opportunities to create new families, as families are usually formed around women
Beck Gernsheim-
Argue increased flexibility around roles within adult relationships can create tension- “chaos of love”
Divorce reform act 1969
Made “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage the sole ground for divorce
