AQA AS Sociology Families and Households full revision notes

?

Families and Households

Theories of the Family

Functionalism

  • Sees society based in a value consensus which enables cooperation and survival
  • Society is a system of sub-systems work together to contribute to the running of the whole system (family is one of these sub-systems)
  • The family is seen as essential in providing functions for the maintenance of society
  • Murdoch (1949) argued that the family is universal; the family performs 4 basic roles 
  1. stable satisfaction of the sex drive
  2. Reproduction of the next generation
  3. Primary socialisation of the young
  4. Economic stability for its members
  • Parsons (1959) 2 ‘basic and irreducible’ functions of the family
  1. Primary socialisation of children- internalising culture in individuals and structuring                     personality
  2. Stabilisation of adult personalities- adults gain the stability of emotional security, responsibility for children and a haven from the stresses of modern society
  • Over time, the functions of the family have been passed over to some specialist sectors such as health care and education. 
  • ‘Functional fit’, the isolated nuclear family is the most typical and suitable for modern society because;
  • It offers geographical and social mobility (more suited to industrial society)
  • status is mainly achieved not ascribed so isolation from kin allows different generations to have different social status, relationships between immediate family is warm and close. 
  • Sexual division of labour believed to be based on biological differences; 
  • Male role seen as ‘Instrumental’ (working and competing in the world as a breadwinner)
  • Female role is ‘expressive’, (caring, loving, and providing emotional support to family)
  • Criticisms
  • Nuclear family was common in pre-industrial society, because of short life expectancy and cottage industry
  • Early industrial society introduced the extended family as means of mutual support in times of hardship (Anderson)
  • Feminists say that the functionalist view of women is oppressive
  • Oakley (feminist) in other societies, the roles are changeable, the nuclear family produces problems and misery alongside the harmony
  • The extended family still exists in late modern society, but in different forms

Marxist Perspectives

  • The nature of the family depends on the economic circumstance- in modern society it serves the interest of capitalism
  • The family was not needed until accumulation of wealth and the need to defend it emerged (Engels)
  • The family provides new workers into the economy
  • The family serves to socialise workers into discipline with the ‘correct’ attitudes of obedience and acceptance of hierarchy (making them assets to the workforce)
  • The family acts as a haven from alienation and oppression at work, making it more bearable (Zaretsky)
  • Family responsibilities makes working necessary and reduces their bargaining power as people need jobs to support their family 
  • Family acts as a unit of consumption
  • Engels: evolutionary theory of human development
  • The rise of private property, an organised system of inheritance was necessary, as fathers needed to be sure that their property was going to their offspring not another man’s 
  • Monogamy arose  to serve the interests of inheritance, this bought women further into the privacy of the home and family under

Comments

hjkjhhhhh

Report

oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oioi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

 oi oi oi oio ioi oi oioi oio oi

Artem the GOAT Lobov

Report

Woah im acc screwed for this exam. There's too much bs to learn plus its reaaaaalllly boring :(

Artem the GOAT Lobov

Report

Oh and it doesn't help that my sociology teacher is an absolute nonce. smh imma get kicked out of sixth form over failing this subject...

SUMAYAAAAAA

Report

I'm smartttt

SUMAYAAAAAA

Report

WASSSSSSSUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP

LizNine

Report

So helpful, thanks