Topic 3: Theories of the family.

Question 1

What is functionalists view of society?

Answer 1

Functionalists believe that society is made up of different subsystems which depend on each other. Each subsystem is a function, and together, they are vital for the running of society.
- Argue society is based on value consensus:
> Set of shared norms and values.
> Allows individuals to cooperate harmoniously to meet societies needs and achieve shared goals.
- Society is made up of parts that depend on each other.

Question 2

What do functionalists argue about the functions are the family?

Answer 2

Functionalists argue the family is a particularly important subsystem - a building block for society.

Question 3

Murdock (1949) argues the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society:

Answer 3

1. Stable satisfaction of the sex drive. - with the same partner, preventing the social disruption caused by a sexual ‘free-for-all’.
2. Reproduction of the next generation. - without which society could not continue.
3. Meeting the economic needs of it’s members. - into society’s shared norms and values.
4. Socialisation of the young. - such as food and shelter.

Question 4

What is socialisation?

Answer 4

The process of learning the culture, norms and values of society.

Question 5

Functions of the family: Murdock’s study of functions of nuclear family.

Answer 5

• Murdock studied 250 societies of different cultures.
• Murdock saw that in each of these societies, the nuclear family existed.
• He saw the nuclear family as providing the 4 important functions.

Question 6

Criticisms of Murdock’s 4 functions of the family:

Answer 6

• Some argue they could be performed equally well through other institutions or a non-nuclear family.
• Marxists and feminists argue functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation.
  > Feminists see the family as serving the needs of men.
  > Marxists argue it meets the needs of capitalism, not those family members or society as a whole.

Question 7

Parsons’ Functional Fit theory (1955): extended family and nuclear family.

Answer 7

• The kinds and range of functions that the family performs depend on the type of society in which it’s found.
• Parsons (1955) argues there are two types of family structure:
  > Extended family - 3 generations living under one roof (parents and dependent children) - found in pre-industrial society.
  > Nuclear family - (parents and dependent children) - found in modern industrial society.

Question 8

(functionalism) Industrial society has two different needs:

Answer 8

1. A geographically mobile workforce.
   - People need to move to where the jobs are.
   - Parsons argues it’s easier for the compact two-generation nuclear family, with just dependent children, to move.
2. A socially mobile workforce.
   - Modern industrial society based on constantly evolving science and tech, so requires skilled technically competent workforce.
   - Essential that talented people are able to win promotion and take on most important jobs.
   - Status is achieved - makes social mobility possible.

Question 9

Parsons’ functional fit theory: industrial and pre-industrial society.

Answer 9

• Two types of society:
  > Modern industrial society
  > Traditional pre-industrial society.
• The nuclear family fits the needs of industrial society and is dominant family type in that society; the extended family fits the needs of pre-industrial society.
• Post industrial revolution (late 18thC onwards) - extended nuclear family.

Question 10

Parsons’ functional fit theory: mobile nuclear family.

Answer 10

• Argues the nuclear family is better equipped than the nuclear family to meet the needs of industrial society.
• Result of this is the mobile nuclear family which is structurally isolated from its extended kin without binding obligations towards them (unlike pre-industrial extended family).

Question 11

Loss of functions:

Answer 11

• Pre-industrial family was multi-functional unit.
  > Unit of production (working together on the farm).
  > Unit of consumption (feeding and clothing it’s members).
  > Therefore, more self-sufficient than modern nuclear family.
• Parsons argues when society industrialises the family not only changes its structure, but also loses some of its functions.
  > Family ceases to be unit of production (move to factory work).
  > Family becomes unit of consumption only.
  > Loses most of its other functions to other institutions such as schools and health service.

Question 12

The modern nuclear family comes to specialise in performing just two essential or ‘irreducible’ functions:

Answer 12

• Primary socialisation
• Stabilisation of adult personalities - providing a source of relaxation in order to return to the workplace feeling refreshed. Good workers = efficient economy.

Question 13

What is capitalism?

Answer 13

According to Marxism, capitalism is where society is divided into two groups:
1. The bourgeoisie (the owners) - minority of society. Are powerful, and hold the power over all social structures.
2. The proletariat (the workers) - majority of society. WC, sell their labour to the bourgeoisie, are exploited by the bourgeoisie.

Question 14

What is Marxism’s perspective?

Answer 14

Marx claimed in a capitalist society, the owners and workers are in constant conflict.
- Bourgeoisie = seek more profits, want to work the workers harder.
- Proletariat = seek better wages, fairer work conditions.

Question 15

Marxists perspective: 1. Inheritance of private property.

Answer 15

• Marxists see all institutions in capitalist society as contributing to exploitation of workers.
• Family seen as oppressive institution that performs several functions for capitalism.
• Passing on wealth: Engles (1884) argues as private property became more important, men who controlled it needed to ensure they could pass it to their own sons, so this led to monogamous marriage. Meant that women become private property of their husbands who controlled her sexuality to ensure he was the father of her children.

Question 16

Marxists perspective: 2. Ideological functions.

Answer 16

• Ideological = Marxists mean set of ideas or beliefs that justidy inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people to accept it as fair, natural or unchangeable.
• Zarestsky (1976) argues there is a ‘cult of private life’.
• The belief that we can only gain fulfilment from family life - this distracts attention away from exploitation.

Question 17

Marxists perspective: 3. A unit of consumption.

Answer 17

• Capitalism needs consumers to buy its products.
• Family is important market for consumer goods and therefore enables capitalists to make profits.
• e.g. media target children who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend more.

Question 18

Criticisms of Marxist perspective:

Answer 18

• Marxists assume nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society. Ignores wide variety of family structures found in society today.
• Feminists argue Marxist emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates importance of gender inequalities within the family.
• Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore very real benefits the family provides for its members.

Question 19

Feminists view of the family:

Answer 19

The family oppresses women. They regard gender inequality as something created by society.

Question 20

Liberal feminism’s view on the family:

Answer 20

• Concerned with campaigning again sex discrimination and for equal pay rights and opportunities for women.
• Argue women’s oppression is being gradually overcome through changing people’s attitudes and through changes in law outlaws discrimination in employment.
• Believe we are moving towards greater equality, but full equality will depend on further reforms and changes in attitudes and socialisation patterns of both sexes.
• Similar to ‘march of progress view’ - although liberal feminists don’t believe full gender equality has yet been achieved in family, they argue there has been gradual progress.
• However, other feminists criticise liberal feminists for failing to challenge underlying causes of women’s oppression and for believing changes in law or in people’s attitudes will be enough to bring equality.

Question 21

Marxist feminism’s perspective on the family:

Answer 21

• Argue main cause of women’s oppression in family is not men, but capitalism.
• Women reproduce the labour force by socialising next generation of workers and maintaining and servicing current one.
• Women absorb anger would otherwise be directed at capitalism.
• Women are a reserve army of cheap labour that can be taken on when extra workers are needed.
• Marxist feminists argue the family must be abolished at the same time as socialist revolution replaces capitalism with a classless society.

Question 22

Radical feminism’s perspective on the family:

Answer 22

• Argue all societies have been founded on patriarchy - rule by men. Key division on society is between men and women:
  > Men are the enemy: are source of women’s oppression and exploitation.
  > Family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchal society. Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and from their sexual services.
• Argue family (seen as root of women’s oppression) must be abolished - only way to achieve this is through separatism - women must organise themselves to live independently of men.
• However, Somerville (2000), radical feminists fail to recognise women’s position has improved considerably - better access to divorce, job opportunities, control over their own fertility etc.
• Somerville argues heterosexual attraction makes it unlikely that separatism would work.
• However, Somerville does recognise women have yet to achieve full equality.

Question 23

Difference feminism’s perspective on the family:

Answer 23

• Argue we cannot generalise women’s experiences.
• Argue lesbian and heterosexual women, white and black women, MC and WC women have very different experiences of the family from one another.
• However, other feminists argue difference feminism neglects the fact all women share many of the same experiences.

Question 24

The personal perspective on families. Argue they functionalist, Marxist and feminists suffer from two weaknesses:

Answer 24

1. They tend to assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type. Ignores increased diversity of families today.
2. They are all structural theories. Assume families and their members are simply passive puppets manipulated by structure of society to perform certain functions.

Question 25

The sociology of personal life.

Answer 25

• New perspective on families.
• Strongly influenced by interactionist ideas and argues to understand families, we must start from POV of the individuals concerned and meaning they give to their relationships.

Question 26

The sociology of personal life: Beyond ties of blood and marriage.

Answer 26

Draws attention to range of personal/intimate relationships that are important to people, but not conventionally defined as ‘family’:
- Relationships with friends.
- Fictive kin: close friends treated as relatives.
- Gay and lesbian ‘chosen families’.
- Relationships with dead relatives.
- Relationships with pets.

Question 27

Evaluation of the personal life perspective:

Answer 27

• Nordqvist and Smart’s study illustrates value of personal life perspective as compared with top down, structural changes. Helps understand how people construct and define their relationships as ‘family’.
• However, personal life perspective can be accused of taking too broad view. Critics argue we ignore what’s special about relationships that are based on blood/marriage.
• Rejects top down view taken by other perspectives e.g. functionalism.