Theories Of The Family

Question 1

Role of the Family
- Primary Socialisation
(Functionalism)

Answer 1

Parsons
family teachers basic norms and values
- cooperate with society

Question 2

Role of the Family
- Economic
(Functionalism)

Answer 2

Murdock
Family acts as unit to meet economic needs of members
- E.g. Man = instrumental role

Parsons
Nuclear family benefits economy
- provides geographically + socially mobile workforce

Question 3

Role of the Family
- Stabilisation of adult personalities
(Functionalism)

Answer 3

Parsons
- family is a place where adults relax, a ‘safety-valve’

Question 4

Role of the family
-Reproduction
(Functinalism)

Answer 4

Murdock
- role in reproducing next generation

Question 5

Role of the family
- Sexual regulation
(Functinalism)

Answer 5

Murdock
- satisfy adult sex drive
E.g. monogamous marriage, access to sex
- prevents social disruption

Question 6

Role of the Family
- socialisation
(Marxism)

Answer 6

Althusser
- family = ideological state apparatus that pass on norms and values of capitalism

Question 7

Role of the family
- economic - Myth of the warm bath/safety valve
(Marxism)

Answer 7

Zaretsky
- capitalism gets a BOGOFF
- 1 worker that earns money (instrumental) and 1 worker that does domestic work (expressive)

Question 8

Role of the family
- sexual regulation - inheritance of property
(Marxism)

Answer 8

Marx
- earliest, classless society = ‘primitive communism’

Engels
- ‘promiscuous horde’ where no restrictions on sexual relationships
need for nuclear family arose when societies valued private property
- monogamy became essential
Brought women’s sexuality under male control and turner her into a ‘mere instrument for the production of children’

Question 9

Role of the Family
- Liberal Feminism ( 3 acts)

Answer 9

Equal pay act (1970)
Sex discrimination (1975)
Contraception and Abortion act (1967)

Question 10

Role of the family
- radical feminism

Answer 10

Millett
- system of subordination and domination in which men exercise power over women and children
Men are the enemy
Marriage and family oppress women
Separation

Question 11

Role of the family
- marxist feminism

Answer 11

Benston
- women reproduced the labour force

Ansley
- women absorb anger, ‘takers of shit’

Women are a reserve army of labour

Question 12

Personal life perspective
- donor received children

Answer 12

Smart
- issues of blood and genes raised a range of feelings
E.g. time and effort she put into raising her daughter was more important that ‘the cell that starts it off’
Lesbian couples found problems with equality between genetic and non-genetic mothers