Sociology-Theories Of The Family

Front 1

What is the functionalist perspective on the family?

Back 1

- Society is based on a set of shared norms and values into which society socialises its members.

- See society as a system made up of different parts which depend on each other.

Front 2

What 4 functions does Murdock believe the family fulfills to meet needs of society and its members?

Back 2

- Stable satisfaction of sex drive with same partner to avoid disruption.

- Reproduction of next generation without which society couldn't continue.

- Socialisation of the young into society's shared norms and values.

- Meeting it's members economic needs, such as food and shelter.

Front 3

Give 3 criticisms of Murdock?

Back 3

- Feminists sociologists argue traditional family structures typically disadvantage women, only serve men's needs.

- It's outdated as non-nuclear families can carry out same functions.

- Marxists argue the traditional nuclear family meets needs of capitalism, not individual family members or society.

Front 4

What is Parsons' functional fit theory?

Back 4

- As society changes, the type of family that fits that society, and the functions it performs change.

- Society moved from pre-industrial to industrial and main family type has moved from extended to nuclear family.

- Nuclear family better fits industrial society.

Front 5

What 2 essential needs does Parsons identify industrial society as having?

Back 5

- A geographically mobile workforce.

- A socially mobile workforce.

Front 6

Explain why industrial society requires a geographically mobile workforce?

Back 6

- People moved to cities for work during industrialisation.

- Industrial society requires people to move, its easier toove the compact nuclear family.

- Before industrialisation, people lived in small villages working on land or in cottage industries.

Front 7

Explain why industrial society needs a socially mobile workforce?

Back 7

- Modern society needs a skilled and educated workforce.

- In modern society, an individuals status is achieved by their own efforts and ability, not their family and social background.

- Tensions would occur in extended family if son/daughter had higher status than father (head of the household).

Front 8

What loss of functions did the family experience?

Back 8

- Family lost many functions when moving towards industrialisation: ceased to be unit of production and became unit of consumption only.

- Pre-industrial family was multifunctional, was more self-sufficient and met most needs.

Front 9

What 2 essential functions does the modern nuclear family maintain?

Back 9

- Primary socialisation of children to equip them with basic skills and values.

- The stabilisation of adult personalities as family is a place where adults can relax and be refreshed.

Front 10

Give 2 criticisms of Parsons' functional fit theory:

Back 10

- Laslett found church records show only 10% of households contained extended kin before the industrial revolution suggesting family was already nuclear.

- Young and Willmott found extended kin networks were still strong in East London as late as 1970s, people needed extended family for support.

Front 11

What is the Marxist perspective on the family?

Back 11

- The functions of the family are performed for the benefit of the Capitalist system.

Front 12

What functions have Marxists identified that the family fulfills for capitalism?

Back 12

- Inheritance of property

- Ideological functions

- A unit of consumption

Front 13

Explain how the family fulfills the function of inheritance of property:

Back 13

- Engels' view - parents in a monogamous relationship would know who impregnated whom, so private property could be passed onto heirs.

- Marxists argue only with overthrow of capitalism and private ownership of means of production will women achieve liberation from patriarchal control.

Front 14

Exain how the family performs key ideological functions:

Back 14

- Children socialised into idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable. Parental power accustoms Children to idea of there always being someone in charge.

- Zaretsky believes family is an aid of capitalism because:

1-capitalist system built on domestic labour of housewives who produce future workers.

2-family consumes products of capitalism, perpetuating profits for ruling class.

Front 15

Explain the family's function of being a unit of consumption:

Back 15

- Capitalists exploit workers by making a profit out of them. Family becomes market for the sale of goods.

- Advertisers urge families to compete with others for latest goods.

- Media target children who use pester power against parents.

- Children without right stuff are teased and stigmatised.

Front 16

Give 3 criticisms of the Marxist perspective on the family:

Back 16

- Nuclear family is one of a wide variety of structures in society today.

- Feminists argue Marxists focus too much on social class and underestimate importance of gender, family serves interest of men not capitalism.

- Families have real benefits to members, mental health and happiness.

Front 17

What is the feminist perspective on the family?

Back 17

- Critical view of the family as see it as oppressing women.

Front 18

What is the Liberal feminist view?

Back 18

- Concerned with sex-discrimination, promoting equal rights and opportunities for women.

- Think equality can be achieved through gradual change.

- Have campaigned for equal pay and equal employment rights.

Front 19

What do liberal feminists want?

Back 19

- Further reforms and more changes into the socialisation patterns of males and females.

- Emphasise importance of legislation to guarantee equal opportunities.

- Believe progress has been made through changes in the law (sex discrimination act 1975)

Front 20

Give an evaluation of the liberal feminist view:

Back 20

- Liberal feminism recognises changes have taken place in family life.

- Offers realistic possibility of gradual progress towards greater equality within family.

- Radical feminists say it fails to deal with persistence of patriarchal structures in society.

Front 21

What is the Marxist feminist view?

Back 21

- Main cause of women's oppression is capitalism.

Front 22

What functions does women's oppression perform for capitalism?

Back 22

- Reproduce labour force, reproduce next generation and socialises them.

- Women absorb anger, they're a safety valve for the frustration of working under the Capitalist system.

- Women are a reserve of cheap labour, as can be taken on when extra workers are needed and employers can let them go when they aren't needed.

Front 23

Give 4 criticisms of the Marxist feminist view:

Back 23

- Ignore variations in family life between social classes, ethnic groups, gay families and lone parents.

- Exaggerate harm caused to women by families.

- Say little about racism, only concerned with capitalism.

- Ignore possibility that women have fought back against exploitation and made progress in gaining equality.

Front 24

What is the radical feminist view?

Back 24

- Society is fundamentally patriarchal.

- Men dominate women in every area of society.

- The family is root of women's oppression and should be abolished.

- Believe domestic violence against women is a source of oppression.

- Women must live separately to men.

Front 25

Evaluate the radical feminist view:

Back 25

- Makes sweeping generalisations about position of women in the family.

- Somerville argues radical feminism underestimates progress made by women over recent decades, they make few practical proposals apart from keeping away from men.

Front 26

What is the difference feminist view?

Back 26

- Can't generalise as not all women share same experiences.

- Some are lesbians, heterosexual, black, working class etc.

- White feminists neglect racial oppression of black women, who often see families as source of support against racism.

Front 27

Evaluate the difference feminist view:

Back 27

- what all women have in common is they all face risk of domestic violence, rape, low pay etc.

Front 28

What is the personal life perspective on the family?

Back 28

- Must focus on meanings family members give to their relationships and situations rather than on functions.

- Argues all other theories of the family suffer from 2 weaknesses:

1-Tend to assume traditional nuclear family is dominant family type.

2- They're all structural theories, they assume members are manipulated by structure of society to perform certain functions.

Front 29

What is the bottom up approach?

Back 29

- Emphasises meanings that individual family members hold and how these shape their actions and relationships.

Front 30

What other relationships does the personal life perspective see as significant?

Back 30

- Relationships with friends.

- Fictive kin, close friends treated as relatives.

- Gay and lesbian 'chosen families', made up of supportive network of close friends.-Relationships with dead relatives,- Relationships with pets

-

-Relationships with dead relatives,

- Relationships with pets

Front 31

What did Nordqvist and Smart find about donor-conceived children?

Back 31

- Some parents emphasised importance of social relationships over genetic ones in forming family bonds.

- Amount of time and effort put into raising child used as definition of being a parent, not genetics.

- Lesbian couples had concerns about equality between genetics and non-genetic mothers.

Front 32

Evaluate the personal life perspective:

Back 32

- Nordqvist and Smart help us to understand how people construct and define their relationships as family.

- Can be seen as too broad a view as they ignore what is special about relationships that are based on blood or marriage.

- Sees family as carrying out function of providing us with sense of belonging and relatedness, unlike functionalism, it recognises relatedness is not always positive as people can become trapped in abusive relationships.