Topic 3 - Theories of the family

Question 1

Functionalists beliefs about society:

Answer 1

• society is based on a value consensus (shared norms and values) into which society socialises its memebers
• the valuse consesus enables memebers of society to cooperate harmoniously to meet societys needs and achieve shared goals
• society is like a biological organism, lots of diffrent subsystems that depend on eachother

Question 2

Murdock (functionalist) familys 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society and its memebers:

Answer 2

- stable satisfaction of a sex drive (with the same partner, preventing the social disruption caused by sexual ‘free for all’)
- reproduction of the next generation (without which society could not contiue)
- socailistion of the young (into societys shared norms and values)
- meeting its memebers economic needs (such as food and shelter)

Question 3

Criticisms of Murdock (Functionalist):

Answer 3

• Feminists (see the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women)
• Marxists (argue that it meets the needs of capitalism, not thoes of family members or society as a whole

Question 4

What does Murdock say about nuclear families?

Answer 4

the sheer practicality of the nuclear family as a way of meeting these 4 needs explain why it is universal - found in all human society’s without acception.

Question 5

Parsons functions of the family:

Answer 5

Primary Socialisation:
Children internalise society’s shared culture – this is so strong that society’s culture becomes part of the child’s personality.Society would cease to exist without children accepting society’s culture.

The Stabilisation of adult Personalities:
Parson’s argues that the sexual division of labour helps get rid of this stress. Women provide warmth, nurture and emotional support to their male partner who is the breadwinner, experiencing stress and anxiety - therefore stabilising his personality by relieving the tension

Question 6

‘Fit’ Theory: Parsons (1955):

Answer 6

This theory claims that the structure of the family changes over time to suit (‘fit’) the type of society that
exists at that time.

He argued that different types of families suit different types of societies - as society evolves, so the family adapts to meet its needs.

Question 7

Pre-Industrial Life & Pre-Industrial Families:

Answer 7

Parsons argues that Pre-Industrial Society was characterised by rural Life where the family was a UNIT OF PRODUCTION - families made and grew what was needed.

This society & the lifestyle it generated meant that the family had many functions:
family members worked together e.g. on the farm
They produced food for their members
They produced clothes for their members
They would educate children
They would provide healthcare and welfare e.g. looking after elderly grandparents

Question 8

what type of family does parsons argue is best suited for Pre-Industrial Life?

Answer 8

Parsons argues that Extended Families were most suited to pre-industrial society.

Question 9

Industrial Life & Modern Industrial Families:

Answer 9

In Modern Industrial Society Families have moved from being a Unit of Production to being a UNIT OF CONSUMPTION - rather than making things, it consumes things e.g. buying food, services instead of making it, providing the service itself etc.

Question 10

what type of family does parsons argue is best suited for Industrial life?

Answer 10

Nuclear familys

Question 11

Industrialisation created the need for families to be:

Answer 11

> GEOGRAPHICALLY MOBILE
SOCIALLY MOBILE
and the nuclear family was the best ‘fit’ to meet these needs

Question 12

Geographical mobility:

Answer 12

Industrialisation emerged in many different places and brought new opportunities for work. It was easier for the nuclear family to move for work than for the whole of the extended family to be uprooted (eg, think how difficult moving elderly grandparents would be).

Question 13

Social mobility:

Answer 13

Industrial society allowed social mobility - an opportunity for a person’s social status to rise through their merit (ability and hard work) - whereas in a pre-industrial society, where the extended family was the norm, the status of the son would have been ascribed (fixed) by his father. For example, the son would continue to work in the family cattle-farming business. The change from extended to nuclear family prevented conflict between parents and their upwardly mobile children, which could threaten the stability of the family.

Question 14

Structural Differentiation……

Answer 14

Parsons highlights how, during Industrialisation, the families began to lose some of their functions to other newly created institutions.

Parsons calls this ‘Structural Differentiation’ – different structures (institutions) have taken over many of the functions the family used to have.

This means that Extended Families were not necessary any longer – they began to fragment.
The ‘privatised nuclear family’ took over - a self-reliant, self-contained family isolated from extended family members

Question 15

Loss of functions: Reproduction of the population: Having children was often seen as the main reason for marriage

Answer 15

Since the 1970’s there has been a steady increase in the reproduction of children outside of marriage

Question 16

Loss of functions: Before industrialisation, the family was a unit of production, where work and home were combined.

Answer 16

After industrialisation, work moved to outside the home to factories and offices and the family became a unit of consumption.

Question 17

Loss of functions:The family and kinship network traditionally played a major role in maintaining and caring for dependent children.

Answer 17

The modern nuclear family is less dependent on relatives for help with caring for children; welfare services and the NHS have helped with this.

Question 18

Loss of functions: The family used to be on the only sources of education

Answer 18

The welfare state including the NHS is now largely responsible for this.

Question 19

Evaluation of the Functionalist Theory on the Family:

Answer 19

Functionalists are criticised for ignoring the negative aspects the family can bring such as child abuse, neglect and violence.

Feminists would argue that the family serves the needs of men and oppressing women eg women end up staying at home being a housewife and not getting paid for this.

Marxists argue that it meets the needs of capitalism, not those of family members or society as a whole.

Zaretsky argues that the family only provides this emotional support in order to encourage its members to con­tinue to work another day under the harsh realities of capitalism.

Some parents fail to bring up their children to make them socially acceptable and they may be bad role models for the young.

Functionalists ignore the possibility of socialisation being a two-way process in which roles are negotiated or that attempts at socialisation can be resisted by children.

Question 20

Leach & Cooper (1967):

Answer 20

The Nuclear family has become so isolated and ‘inward looking’ that it is actually a very destructive institution which suppresses individuality and teaches blind obedience

Question 21

What is Marxism

Answer 21

Marxism, is a perspective based on the ideas of Karl Marx (1818-83) who is critical of Capitalist society.

Question 22

Capitalism:

Answer 22

a society where goods and businesses are owned privately for the purpose of profit.

Question 23

It sees capitalist society as divided into two opposed classes:

Answer 23

Capitalist class (Bourgeoisie), who own means of production

Working class (Proletariat), whose labour the capitalists exploit for profit

Question 24

Marxists have identified three functions that they see the family as fulfilling for capitalism:

Answer 24

Inheritance of property
Ideological functions
Unit of consumption

Question 25

Marxists Functions of Family: Inheritance of property

Answer 25

The Capitalists, or Bourgeoisie (ruling class) own and control the means of production - the things necessary to produce things (e.g. machinery, land, materials)
As the means of production changes (e.g. from farming machinery, to factories) so does the family change to suit the new needs.

The earliest society was classless. Marx called this primitive communism (where everyone was equal).
All members of society owned the means of production communally.
Friedrich Engles said There was no family as such; a ‘promiscuous horde’ existed - there were no restrictions on sexual relationships

When industrialisation happened, a class of men became rich and secured control of the means of production - capitalism was born!
So came the development of private property.

According to Friedrich Engels, monogamy became essential so that wealth could be passed onto the rightful heir - men had to be certain of the paternity of their children.
Monogamous Marriage ensured that women would be economically dependant on their male partners & as such would not stray & mother children by other men. Women have become ‘Glorified Prostitutes’ – producers of heirs in exchange for economic security.

Question 26

Marxists Functions of Family: Ideological functions

Answer 26

Ideology for Marxists = a set of ideas or beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people to accept it as fair, natural or unchangeable

The family socialises children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable. Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that someone is always in charge and prepares them for work

Eli Zaretsky (1976): family also provides ‘a cushion’ from the harsh world of capitalism. The family allows the worker to relax, refresh and unwind after a day’s work. This means that the worker can then feel revitalised for work the next day.
although it is an illusion to dampen frustration and prevent him from rebelling. Women’s domestic servitude allows this to happen.

Question 27

Marxists Function of Family: Unit of consumption

Answer 27

The family plays a major role in generating profits since it is an important market for the sale of consumer goods:

Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by consuming all the latest products
The media target children, who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend more
Children who lack the latest clothes or ‘must have’ gadgets are mocked and stigmatised by their peers

Question 28

Functionalist or Marxists: It fulfils the needs of its individual members

Answer 28

Functiionalism

Question 29

Functionalist or Marxists: It is important in socialising children

Answer 29

both

Question 30

Functionalist or Marxists: Its structure is determined by economic factors

Answer 30

Marxists

Question 31

Functionalist or Marxists: It provides consumers to buy goods

Answer 31

both

Question 32

Functionalist or Marxists: It provides a ‘safety valve’ away from work

Answer 32

both

Question 33

Functionalist or Marxists: It fulfils functions for society

Answer 33

Functionalists

Question 34

Functionalist or Marxists: It is universal and necessary everywhere

Answer 34

functionalists

Question 35

Functionalist or Marxists: It has important reproductive roles

Answer 35

both

Question 36

Functionalist or Marxists: It keeps women under patriarchal control

Answer 36

Marxists

Question 37

Functionalist or Marxists: It performs functions for Capitalism

Answer 37

Marxists

Question 38

Criticisms of Marxism

Answer 38

Marxists assume that the nuclear family is dominant and ignores the wide and increasing variety of family structures in society today - family diversity
Feminists: Marxist emphasis on capitalism and social class underestimates the importance of gender inequalities.
Functionalists: Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support.

Question 39

Liberal Feminism

Answer 39

Women’s oppression is being gradually overcome through changing attitudes and through changes in the law.

Question 40

Radical Feminism

Answer 40

Men are the enemy. Men benefit from female oppression. Women do not need men. Women need to be completely free of men.

Question 41

Marxist Feminism

Answer 41

It’s not men that are causing female oppression, it’s capitalism. Female oppression is linked to the requirements of employers to maintain th

Question 42

Difference feminism

Answer 42

We cannot generalise about women’s experience. Women from different backgrounds ( due to social class, gender ,age ethnicity have different experiences

Question 43

The ‘new’ man

Answer 43

Liberal feminists believe in the idea of the ‘new man’, which is a man who will take part in traditionally ‘female roles’ duc as in the housework and childcare and in touch with his ‘feminine side’

Question 44

Liberal feminists evidence:

Answer 44

some studies suggests that men are doing more domestic labour. the ways in which parents socialise their sons and daughters are more equal than in the past

Question 45

Liberal feminists criticisms:

Answer 45

fails to challenge underlying causes of women oppression and for believing that changes in the law or people attitudes will be enough to bring equality.

Marxists and radical feminists believe instead that far reaching changes to deep rooted social structures are needed

Question 46

Marxist feminism evidence

Answer 46

Fran Ansley- women are ‘the takers of shit’ as they absorb all their husbands frustrations/emotions about work

Question 47

Marxists feminism criticism

Answer 47

Ignores family diversity, cultural/ethnic diversity and the changing society - men do more manual labour and women are more independent, focuses heavily on class and economy rather than culture or ethnicity and presents women as passive victims of capitalism/patriarchy

Question 48

radical feminism evidence

Answer 48

Dobash and Dobash - Study qualitative police records on domestic violence, many were set off by what a man thought was a challenge to authority. They argue marriage legitimises violence against women by putting authority and power to the men making the wives dependent on their husbands.
Germaine Greer (2000) - Argues for creation of all female or “matrilocal” households as an alternative to the heterosexual family.

Question 49

radical feminism criticism

Answer 49

liberal feminsts - Jenny Sommerville (2000) radical feminism fails to recognise the considerable progress that has been made eg better access to divorce, better job opportunities, control over own fertility etc

Sommerville argues that heterosexual attraction makes separatism impossible.

Question 50

difference feminism evidence

Answer 50

Catherine Hakim (1996) suggests that feminists underestimate women’s ability to make rational choices, arguing that it is not patriarchy or men that are responsible for the position of women in families. She suggests that women choose to give more commitment to family and children and consequently they have less commitment to work than men have.

Question 51

difference feminism criticism

Answer 51

neglects the fact that all women share many of the same experiences, for example they all face a risk of domestic abuse, lower pay sexual assault etc

Question 52

Personal Life Perspective on Family

Answer 52

Personal life perspective takes a social constructionist view of the family. This means that family relationships are defined by members of society - in this respect, it can change from person to person and over time.

Individuals define what family means to them.

Question 53

What did Nordqvist and Smart (2014) research?

Answer 53

Their research highlighted the importance of social relationships over genetic ones.
Participants emphasised the role they played in the life of the donor-conceived child rather than the importance of sharing cells.
One mum in the study emphasised the time and effort it takes to raise a daughter

Question 54

They also found that additional problems could flare up between lesbian couples as a result of one of them being the donor:

Answer 54

Equality between the genetic and non genetic parent
Donor’s might be treated as the ‘real’ parent in the eyes of the law, not the non-genetic mother

Question 55

What is good about the personal life perspective? Strengths

Answer 55

Recognises how people construct their relationships themselves and define who is their ‘family’ based on the meanings they give to relationships- criticism of structural / top down view

Inclusive definition - Recognises family diversity as a positive, created through people’s different choices - criticises functionalist ‘natural’ nuclear family and ‘best fit’ theories

Question 56

What are the main criticisms of the personal life perspective? Limitations

Answer 56

Too broad a view of family - ignores what is special about blood/marriage relationships

Nuclear family is still the most common family type - how can this be explained, unless it is the type that performs functions the best for the individual and / or society

Question 57

All kinds of families that are included for personal life perspective on families

Answer 57

Relationships with friends
who may be like a brother
or sister to you.

Fictive kin: Close friends who are treated as relatives. For example, your mum’s friend who you call ‘auntie’

Gay and Lesbian ‘chosen families; made up of a supportive network of close friends, ex-partners and others who are not related by blood or marriage.

Relationships with dead relatives; who live on in people’s memories and continue to shape their identities and affect their actions.

Relationships with pets. For example, Tipper found that children viewed pets as part of the family.