Key theorists

Neil postman 1982

Neil postman views that the growth of media is changing how children are behaving as a result of this childhood is disappearing. Children are more open to the media than ever before. Media is a dominant feature of society and encourages children. Celebrities/soaps/magazines are as powerful as ever, children are encouraged to drink, to have sex with anyone, to be size zero and as a result children are becoming more and more like little adults. Children no longer want to play with toys and instead would rather be out with their friends. There is a distinctive sign to say which is adult and which is child. The media conveys sex, disaster, death and suffering and children are becoming more and more exposed to the adult world.

Morrow 1998

Morrow views that children do not want to make decisions but they want to have a say. This shows that children are aware that they aren't responsible to make big decisions and shows that in reality they still need their parents. Children are encouraged by the media to not need parents and are conveyed as though they are able to make decisions when emotionally they cannot.

Thornes and callards 1979

Thornes and Callards view that woemen expect far more from a marriage than men do and they value friendships much more than men do. If the woman isn't getting what she wants out of a marriage she leaves. When once women need their man for financial support because of the equal rights and women are free to go out to work they no longer need a man so they do not have to carry on in a unhappy marriage, if they don't feel it's working they will leave.

Beck and Beck - Gernsheim 1995

Beck and Beck argue that rising divorce rates are the product of a rapidly changing world in which the traditional rules, rituals and traditions of love, romance and relationships no longer apply. Divorce has become more acceptable and so now people are no longer afraid to end their marriage, however, this could mean that because divorce is no longer unacceptable that many people maybe don't try as hard at their marriages.

Talcott Parsons 1902 - 1979

Talcott Parsons says that there are two basic irreducable functions of a family; primary socialisation through which children learn to accept the value of norms and values in society and the stabalisation of adults personalities, the family gives adults the emotional support necessary to cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Murdock 1949

Murdock claims that he had found evidence of nuclear families in 250 different societies that he looked at. He says the family is universal because it fulfils the essential functions for society (i.e. sexual,reprodutive, economic and educational)