theories/role of the family

Question 1

What do functionalists believe society is based on?

Answer 1

A value consensus - a set of shared norms and values that bind its members.

Question 2

What is the organic analogy in functionalism?

Answer 2

Functionalists see society as a body made up of different interconnected organs, representing different institutions.

Question 3

What role does the family play in society according to functionalists?

Answer 3

The family is seen as a vital building block of society.

Question 4

What are the 4 essential functions of the family according to Murdock?

Answer 4

Stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner

Reproduction of the next generation

Socialisation of the young into society’s shared norms and values

Meeting its members’ economic needs

Question 5

What do critics argue about Murdock’s view on family functions?

Answer 5

Other institutions and family types can perform the functions Murdock identifies.

Question 6

What is Murdock’s stance on the nuclear family?

Answer 6

Murdock accepts that other family types can perform functions but argues that the nuclear family is best at doing so.

Question 7

What do Marxists and feminists criticize about Murdock’s view?

Answer 7

They argue that Murdock’s view is ‘rose-tinted’ and neglects conflict and exploitation in the family.

Question 8

How do feminists view the family?

Answer 8

Feminists argue that the family oppresses women.

Question 9

What do Marxists believe about the family’s role in society?

Answer 9

Marxists argue that the family meets the needs of capitalism, not the family members.

Question 10

what is Parsons functional fit theory?

Answer 10

argues that the functions a family performs will depend on the society in which it is found

Question 11

what are the 2 family types Parsons distinguishes

Answer 11

nuclear

extended

Question 12

what family type did Parsons say was better in pre industrial society and why?

Answer 12

extended

needed to be self sufficient and were a unit of production and consumption

Question 13

what 2 needs did the industrial society need that the extended family couldn’t provide?

Answer 13

geographically mobile workforce

socially mobile workforce

Question 14

explain geographically mobile workforce:

Answer 14

people need to move to where the jobs are

nuclear family is easier to move than extended family

Question 15

explain socially mobile workforce:

Answer 15

industrial society is constantly evolving so need a skilled workforce

is essential talented people get promoted

in modern society status is achieved through ability, not fixed at birth
(e.g means son can have different career to father)

Question 16

what does Parsons say about a socially mobile workforce and why nuclear is better than extended for it?

Answer 16

nuclear family is better because in an extended family the son lives at home and the father has a higher ascribed status but at work the son may achieve a higher status causing tension

through nuclear family the son can leave home and create their own nuclear family so structurally isolated

Question 17

critics of Parsons ideas on the types of families in these societies:
(more nuclear family)

Answer 17

in pre-industrial societies late childbearing age and short life expectancy meant grandparents were unlikely to be alive after the grandchild’s birth so the family was more likely to be nuclear

Question 18

critics of Parsons ideas on the types of families in these societies:
(support in extended family)

Answer 18

extended family may be better in todays society than Parsons suggests as it offers a great deal of support both financially and with childcare

Question 19

what did Parsons also say happened when society changed to industrial?

Answer 19

the family also changed its functions

Question 20

what two essential functions does the nuclear family perform as a result of loss of functions?

Answer 20

primary socialisation of children

stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 21

what 3 functions would marxists say the family has?

Answer 21

inheritance of property

ideological functions

a unit of consumption

Question 22

what is the key to determining the shape of society?
(MARXISTS inheritance of property)

Answer 22

the mode of production- those who own and control society’s productive forces

as this evolves so does the family

Question 23

what happened when the forces of production started to evolve?
(MARXISTS inheritance of property)

Answer 23

the concept of private property emerged as a class of men secured control over the means of production

marxists argue this is what led to the nuclear family emerging

Question 24

what is monogamy?

Answer 24

being married to one person at a time

Question 25

how does monogamy link to MARXISTS inheritance of property?

Answer 25

essential because of inheritance of private property men had to be certain of the paternity if their children to ensure they have legitimate heirs

Question 26

what did some people such as Engels say about the manogamous nuclear family in MARXISTS inheritance of property?

Answer 26

represented a ‘historical world defeat of the female sex’ this is because female sexuality became under male control and their main purpose became just to produce children (only the overthrow of capitalism will liberate women from patriarchal control)

Question 27

what are 2 ways the ideological function is performed according to MARXISTS?

Answer 27

socialising children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable offer an apparent ’haven’ from the harsh exploitative world of capitalism but this is largely an illusion as the family doesn’t benefit all members

Question 28

explain MARXISTS unit of consumption:

Answer 28

capitalism exploits the labour of the workers by gaining profit by paying their workers less than the value of what they produce the family are therefore integral to generate profit by consuming these products

Question 29

examples of how there is a unit of consumption according to MARXISTS:

Answer 29

advertisers urge families to keep up by consuming the latest products media target children to persuade parents to spend children who lack the latest products are mocked and stigmatised by peers

Question 30

criticism of Marxists:

Answer 30

assume nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society which ignores the wide variety of family types

Question 31

feminist criticism of marxists:

Answer 31

marxists emphasise class and capitalism but underestimates the power of gender inequalities

Question 32

functionalist criticism of marxists:

Answer 32

marxists ignore the positive functions that family performs for its members

Question 33

what are the 4 different types of feminists?

Answer 33

liberal marxist radical difference

Question 34

what do liberal feminists believe?

Answer 34

believe in campaigning for equal rights for women we are moving towards greater equality women’s oppression gradually overcome from changing attitudes and laws e.g sex discrimination act 1975 there has been a ‘march of progress’ as more men do domestic work and there is equal socialisation of children

Question 35

critics of liberal feminists:

Answer 35

other feminists believe liberals fail to challenge the underlying cause of womens oppression and for believing changes in laws and attitudes is enough to bring equality

Question 36

marxist and radical feminists criticisms of liberal feminists:

Answer 36

believe far reaching changes to deep rooted social structures are needed

Question 37

what do marxist feminists believe the main cause of womens oppression is in the family?

Answer 37

not men but capitalism

Question 38

what 3 ways does womens oppression serve capitalism according to marxist feminists?

Answer 38

women reproduce the labour force women absorb anger women are a reserve army for cheap labour

Question 39

what does Ansley say about women absorbing anger?

Answer 39

wives are ‘takers of shit’ who soak up frustration that their husbands feel because they are alienated and exploited at work this explains male domestic violence against women

Question 40

what are the views of radical feminists?

Answer 40

believe men are the enemy believe the family and marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society

Question 41

explain the radical feminist view that the family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchal society:

Answer 41

men benefit from womens unpaid domestic labour and sexual services argue this needs to be overturned (only way is through separatism and political lesbianism)

Question 42

criticisms of radical feminists:

Answer 42

argue radical feminists fail to recognise that womens position has improved heterosexual attraction makes it unlikely that separatism would work (however they agree women have not achieved full equality yet)

Question 43

what are the views of difference feminists?

Answer 43

argue we can’t generalise women’s experiences e.g w/c or m/c, black or white, lesbian or heterosexual all have different experiences of family and society

Question 44

example of how women have different experiences according to difference feminists:

Answer 44

by regarding the family as purely negative, white feminists ignore black womens experiences of racial oppression and black feminists view the black family as a support and resistance against racism

Question 45

criticisms of difference feminists:

Answer 45

argue difference feminists neglect the fact that all women share many of the same experiences e.g risk of domestic violence and sexual assault, low pay etc by breaking down the feminist movement into smaller sub groups you run the risk of watering down the movement

Question 46

what 2 weaknesses does the personal life perspective believe all people in each theory suffer from?

Answer 46

tend to assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type - this ignores family diversity they are all structural theories- assume we are all passive puppets manipulated by society’s structures

Question 47

what does the personal life perspective say about relationships beyond ties of blood and marriage?

Answer 47

take a wider view of relationships than just the ‘traditional family’ based on blood or marriage and look at meanings of relationships e.g a woman may not feel close to her sister so unwilling to support her but may be prepared to help someone who she is not related to like an elderly woman

Question 48

examples of personal relationships that the personal life perspective look at that are not conventionally defined as ‘family’

Answer 48

relationships with friends fictive kinship e.g mums best friend called ‘auntie’ gay and lesbian ‘chosen families’ e.g support network relationship with dead relatives relationship with pets

Question 49

who looked at donor-conceived children?

Answer 49

Nordqvist and Smart

Question 50

what do Nordqvist and Smart say about donor-conceived children

Answer 50

found the issue of blood and genes raised a range of feelings - where social bonds are more important than blood bonds

Question 51

difficulties surrounding non-genetic children:

Answer 51

difference in appearance which raises further questions for the child for lesbian couples there were problems with genetic and non-genetic mother and that the donor may be treated as the ‘real’ second mother

Question 52

how is the personal life perspective criticised?

Answer 52

it takes too broad a view-it ignores what is special about relationships based on marriage and blood if we include a wide range of personal relationships

Question 53

how to functionalists criticise the personal life perspective?

Answer 53

they ignore top down structures that influence behaviour (however unlike functionalists they acknowledge negative aspects of family e.g domestically violent relationship)