Theories Of The Family Flashcards
(22 cards)
Functionalists overall viewpoints
Everything in society happens for a reason and plays a role for societal order
Organic analogy
Different institutions work together for social cohesion - interdependent on eachother
Functions the family provides
Routines
Financial support
Primary socialisation
Reproduction
Physiological needs
Education
Emotional support
Community
Murdocks 4 functions of the family
Family is a key building block in society
- Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
- Reproduction of the next generation
- Socialisation of the young
- Meeting its members economic needs
Parsons ‘functional fit’ theory
The extended family fits with preindustrial society
However, industrial society required a new family type to perform functions effectively
The nuclear family is a better fit because industrial society has 2 specific needs
- geographically mobile workforce: able to move countries
- a socially mobile workforce: moving up/down the social ladder
Evidence against Parsons ‘functional fit’ theory
Y+W and Laslett - states that nuclear existed before industrialisation
Y+W argue that industrialisation didn’t give way to a nuclear family but it actually created a ‘mum-centred’ working class extended family
Loss of functions
Due to industrialisation, Parsons argue that family loses function it previously performed as an extended family
It now performs 2 functions
- stablisation of adult personality
- primary socialisation of children
Marxist view of family
Society is based on conflict - conflict of classes
This conflict Marxist argue is due to the exploitation of the proletariat by the RC. The exploitative relationship Marxists argue is due to the unequal power within the economic-base capitalist
Families support capitalism through 3 functions
- inheritance of property
- ideological functions
- unit of consumption
Marxist - inheritance of property
Capitalist society, the RC own the means of production and puts them at a major advantage
Engels - the rise of monogamous nuclear family was so the rich can pass on their property to their sons to solidify their legacy.
This has made women a ‘mere instrument for the production of children’
AO3
Marxist assumes that nuclear families is dominant in capitalist society, this isn’t always the case
Marxist - ideological functions
Persuading people to justify the inequality and accept it as fair and natural
Parents socialise their children into thinking hierarchy and inequality is inevitable. There’s always someone in charge
Zaretsky says that families believe in there being a haven from the harsh exploitative world outside of capitalism where people can be themselves
AO3
Functionalist argue that Marxists ignore the real benefits that family provide for its members
Marxist - unit of consumption
Family maintain the capitalist society
- advertises families to keep up with the latest products
- media target children, parents spend more
- stigmatised by peers by not having the latest products so the parents spend money to avoid it
Profiting off people more than they pay them
AO3
Feminists argue that Marxist emphasise on class and capitalism, underestimating gender inequalities within the family. These are more fundamental than class inequalities. Family serve men, not capitalism
Liberal Feminists
Society is slowly progressing especially in families. Laws have been put into place to ensure equality
- Sex discrimination act: this makes it illegal for workers to discriminate against women
Attitudes towards women in many institutions are changing e.g education and religion. Being taught that men and women are equal
Studies show that men are doing more housework
Socialisation of children to have the same ambitions regardless of their gender
AO3
Radical feminists says that the progress in society is pointless and its exaggerated
Somerville - women haven’t achieved full equality and more laws need to be put in place to give women more flexibility with work hours
Functionalists - segregation of roles is needed for society to function and for families to carry out their roles
Marxist feminists
Capitalism is the reason for gender inequality
- women reproduce the labour force, they produce the next generation of workers to serve the RC and maintain the current generation
- women absorb anger, husbands take their frustration out on their wives as a result of their position in society leading to DV.
- women when needed in work outside of the home are exploited, they aren’t paid as much as men and they never really progress at work because they’re expected to carry out domestic tasks at home
AO3
Liberal feminists would argue that society is slowly progressing. Due to the living standards, families are required to bring another source of income
Laws have been introduced to solve the problems of unequal pay such as the equal pay act
Radical Feminists
Men are the cause of female suffering. They exploit women of their unpaid labour and sexual services
To end all of this, women need to:
- abolish family and live separately to men
- stop having sex and producing the next generation
Greer - all female households as an alternative to a heterosexual family
AO3
Without the production of children, society cannot be maintained
Women cannot automatically be gay
Ignores the progression occurred in society
Difference feminists
We cannot generalise all women’s experiences - many different women experience the family differently depending on their race, social class and sexual orientation
For example, white women who view the family negatively forget that for black women, family can be a support network against racism experienced outside of the home
AO3
Difference feminist ignore the fact that all women share the same experiences despite their background e.g they can all be victims of domestic violence
Functionalists say that difference feminist ignore the key functions that family members play for the women in family e.g SOAP
The personal life perspective on families
PLP say that family can mean a lot more than blood and go further than blood and marriage
It’s important for sociologists to understand relationships
Disagrees with structural theories
Ignores family diversity
Structural theories assume that we are all influenced to perform certain functions
To understand the family, we shouldn’t be looking for functions but the individuals relationships
Beyond ties of blood and marriage
Relationship with friends
Fictive kin (fake family), mothers friend you call auntie - may rely on friendship as a supportive network since blood and family may not
Gay and lesbian chosen families
Relationships with dead relatives
Even relationships with pets
Donor conceived children
Nordqvist and Smart exemplified this POV with their work on donor conceived children
Found that most parents stress the importance of social relationships over genetic in order to form family bonds
AO3 of PLP
+ focuses on the individual, the theory doesn’t generalise or assume
- PLP too much of a broad view
- ignored the specialness of blood and marriage
Modernism and nuclear family - The New Right
Anti feminist and opposed to family diversity
Agrees with the expressive and instrumental roles are correctly based on the natural differences between men and women
Strictly against family diversity and cohabitation because it creates social problems
- dependency culture, benefits and having to rely on tax payers
- leaves boys w/o an adult role model which leads to educational failure and misbehaving
- cannot discipline children properly
Cohabitation vs Marriage
2006 - Benson analysed data on over 15k babies
First 3 years, 20% of cohabiting couples suffered from family breakdown
6% suffered from the same breakdown
This supports NR view on cohabitation causing social problems
Benson argues that the government should do more to encourage marriage
Criticism of New Right
Biological differences are based on false evidence
Feminists - nuclear family is based on patriarchal oppression of women leading to gender inequality
No evidence of lone parent families with children being deviants
Marriage is a commitment, cohabitation isn’t and is as alternative to marriage
Marriage is expensive which leads to cohabitation. Poverty leads to a breakdown in relationship
