1. Theories of the Family
- Created by: atp_
- Created on: 11-04-17 15:44
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- Functionalist
- Theories of the Family
- Marxism
- Perform essential functions for modern industrial society.
- through benefiting capitalism
- Engels
- family has an economic function of keeping wealth within the bourgeoisie by passing it to the next generation as inheritance
- Zaretsky
- unit of consumption
- desire to buy good (foods, essentials) - the working man works to get money from the bourgeoisie to then use that money to pay to essentials - giving it back to capitalism
- Criticisms
- they tend to assume nuclear family dominates the capitalist society therefore ignoring alternative structures.
- Feminists say Marxist concentrate more on class inequalities whereas feminists feel gender inequality is more important.
- Functionalist say Marxists ignore the real benefits that the family provides for the family.
- Womens 'housewife' role means workers are cared for and healthy making them more productive - good for the capitalist class as they get good workers for free.
- Perform essential functions for modern industrial society.
- Feminists
- Liberal Feminists
- they emphasis cultural norms and values which are reinforced by the family and other institutions in society.
- They believe social change is possible
- They put pressure on institutions such as the legal system and the government to hanget eh law and social policies which discriminate against women.
- Marxists Feminists
- The main cause of womens oppression is not men - it's capitalism
- The family produces and cares for the next generation of workers for society at no cost to the capitalist system.
- It's cost free because society accepts housework should be unpaid - men are paid for work outside the home however women are not paid for work inside the home.
- (statistics show women still go to work and do most of the domestic labour at home.)
- Benston shows if housework was paid at even minimum wage then it will damage capitalist profits hugely.
- It's cost free because society accepts housework should be unpaid - men are paid for work outside the home however women are not paid for work inside the home.
- Radical Feminists
- they see exploitation of women as being down to the domination of men in society - they believe men will always oppress women.
- Delphy and Leonard are radical feminists who see the family as a patriarchal institution in which women do most of the work and men get most of the benefit.
- Difference Feminists
- They argue we cannot generalise women's experiences; lesbian/heterosexual/black/ white etc women have very different experiences of the family from one another
- Liberal Feminists
- Criticisms
- They have all been criticised for being too passive
- feminist sociology doesn't acknowledge that power might be shared within family
- Difference feminist view criticises others for not considering other types of household.
- The New Right
- The traditional nuclear family and their values is best for their society.
- Social Policies on the family, divorce, children and welfare have undermined the family.
- Murray
- welfare benefits are too high and create a culture of dependancy' where an individual finds it easy & acceptable to take benefits
- Concerned about giving welfare benefits to single mothers & to have children brought up into families where their parents don't work.
- The increase in lone-parents and reconstituted families and easier access to divorce have lef to a break down in traditional values
- Postmodernism
- Their view ofthe family is that there is a much wider range of living options because of social and cultural changes
- Stacey
- such a diversity there will never be one dominant type again
- in a western society structures are varied and flexible allowing people to move from one structure to another.
- key thing is that people can experiencee as many family structures as they would like - they can choose on whats suits there personal needs.
- Criticism
- O'Brien and Jones concluded from there UK research there is less variety in family types that Stacey reported - they only experience one/two structures
- Marxism
- Functionalists see every institution in society as essential to the smooth running of society
- Murdock
- Family = universal and inevitable therefore good for society
- 4 functions of society: sexual, reproductive, economic, educational
- Criticisms
- Murdock argues the nuclear family the most practical way it meeting the need/functions however other functionalists say these can be equally performed well by other institutions.
- Morgan says Murdock makes no reference to alternative households to family or to disharmony and problems in the family
- Parsons
- he argues the family always have two basic functions:
- Primary socialisation
- process by which children learn and accept values and norms of society.
- Stabilisation of adult personalities
- family stabilises personalities through the emotional relationship between the parents.
- this gives support and security needed to cope in wider society - a sanctuary from stress
- family stabilises personalities through the emotional relationship between the parents.
- Primary socialisation
- Criticisms
- criticised for idealising the family - focusing on the good bits and blocking out the bad.
- Functionalism dominated in 1960s
- Parsons sees industrial society as having two essential functions:
- geographically mobile workforce
- easier to follow work by moving
- socially mobile workforce
- Modern society - science and tech is always evolving. Requires skilled workers. People gain their status through their own efforts and ability NOT their background. Nuclear family is better as avoids tension and conflict as a result of differences in statuses in generations.
- geographically mobile workforce
- he argues the family always have two basic functions:
- Theories of the Family
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