Theorists on Families & Households

Question 1

Margaret Bentson

Answer 1

• Marxist Feminist

- Argues that the nuclear family serves capitalism

Question 2

G.P Murdock

Answer 2

• Functionalist

- Family Functions for: Economic, Educational, Sexual, Reproductive

Question 3

Engels

Answer 3

• Marxist

- The nuclear family became more popular after the industrial rev

Question 4

Patrica Morgan

Answer 4

• New Right
• 2/3 of lone-parent families’ income comes from benefits and tax credit
  . This allows the parent to stay home instead of looking
  for a job to support themselves

Question 5

Wilmott & Young

Answer 5

• Functionalists
• The ‘March of Progress’
  . S1: Pre industrial
  . S2: Early Industrial
  . S3: Symmetrical
  . S4: Asymmetrical

Question 6

Anne Oakley

Answer 6

• Liberal feminist
• Criticises ‘malestream sociology’
• Argues men are privileged and won’t give this up

Question 7

Melanie Phillips

Answer 7

-

Question 8

Talcott Parsons

Answer 8

• Functionalist
• The ‘Warm Bath’ Theory
• Primary socialisation
  . Personalities ‘made not born’
• The nuclear unit provides clear and distinct roles for the men and women:
  . Men were the ‘instrumental leaders’
  . Women were the ‘expressive leaders’

Question 9

Delphy

Answer 9

• Radical Feminist
• Argues women are an exploited class
• Husbands exploit their wives despite genuinely loving them

Question 10

Charles Murray

Answer 10

• New Right
• Lone-parent families are most likely to produce crime and academic failures: Lack of father roles mean the mothers lose control once adolescent

Question 11

Beck & Beck Gernsheim

Answer 11

-

Question 12

Ansley

Answer 12

• Marxist feminist
• called women “takers of shit”
• Capitalism has stripped men of their power and control at work

Question 13

Zaretsky

Answer 13

• Marxist
• The nuclear family has 3 broad functions:
  . Socialising children into capitalist values
  . The nuc. family

Question 14

Chapman

Answer 14

-

Question 15

Bourdieu

Answer 15

• Marxist

-

Question 16

Criticisms of Functionalism

Answer 16

• view of the family is very Ethnocentric

Question 17

Criticisms of Murdock

Answer 17

• Emphasises on two parent families ignorant of other family types
• Very dated

Question 18

Criticisms of Parsons

Answer 18

• Interpretivists argue Parsons portrays children as ‘empty vessels’ being pumped full of culture

Question 19

Feminism

Answer 19

• The family is a negative environment for women

- Argue men benefit the most within the family

Question 20

Liberal Feminists

Answer 20

• Campaign against sex discrimination and for opportunities for women

Question 21

March of Progress

Answer 21

- Gradual improvement:
   . Oppression being overcome
   . Changes in Law 
   . Change in attitudes
   . Believe we are moving towards equality

Question 22

Radical feminists

Answer 22

• argue men should die

Question 23

Life course

Answer 23

• Postmodernist argument stating that rather than loking at static family types we should look at rites of passage and different experiences as they better reflect our diverse, fast changing modern life.