Sociology Paper 1 (Theorists)

Functionalism

• Murdock : REPS

• Parsons : Functional fit theory - family now serves two functions

1. Primary Socialisation

2. Stabilising Adult Personality

• Parson Warm Bath

• Durkheim : Organic Analogy 

• Young + Willmat : nfs worked in cottage industries pre-industrialisation

• After industrialisation the family becomes a unit of consumption

• Laslett : Short life expectancy = extended family

• Sexual division on labour (expressive FEM and instrumental MALE)

• Schlafly : marriage as the most fulfilling role

Marxism

• Engels: pass on property through heirs therefore woman is prostitute as has sex for financial stability

• Althusser false consciousness: ideology passed on through family as Ideological State Apparatus so capitalism can survive (ideological functions)

Feminism

• Young and Willmott : March of progress (Functionalists the supports LF)

• Somerville (liberal) idea that women are being exploited is outdated, they have more choice and freedom to leave

• Political lesbianism

• Ansley : 'wives are takers of ****'

• Rich women are forced into ‘compulsory heterosexuality’

• Wilkinson + Pickett: woman more at risk of dv because of economic inequality (husband has to pay for entire family, reducing his bargaining power)

Dark side

• Dobash and Dobash : family can often become violent (dv)

• Selborne = the highest category of murder victims are children under the age of 5 by a family member. A woman is murdered every 3 days at the hands of her partner

• Cheal = state agencies are reluctant to get involved in family matters as they assume that the family is private, good and that individuals are free to leave if they want

• Wilkinson and Pickett = low income families are more at risk of domestic violence. Financial stress may cause violent outbursts

• Men have an 'allowance system' where they control family finance and give their wife an "allowance"

Lone Parents

• Murry = single mothers are more likely to have criminal sons. 'Dependency culture'

• Spencer = more focus should be on the improvements that can be made

Same sex

• Gausp = very young children did not see their family as any different

• Rosneil and Budgeon = the nf upholds heteronormative standards

Reconstituted family

• Grant = men are more likely to be taking care of another man's child than his own and vice-versa

Extended family

• Beanpole multi generational

• Willmott = even though the nf is the main living unit, there is still a network of ef

LATs

• Intimacy of a relationship with the autonomy of living alone

• Haskey and Lewis = for most couples LAT is just a prelude to living together and marriage

Living alone

• Smith = although many claim to live alone they had gone to visit family in the last fortnight + were still apart of a family network

• Beck and Beck : Individualisation 

• Giddens: confluent love 

• Greater independence for women

Symmetrical families : families that are equally balanced and flexible and where partners share both the instrumental and expressive roles.

Bott - Conjugal roles : the domestic and household responsibilities of cohabiting partners

• Segregated :  clearly divided “male” and “female” tasks

• Joint :  more equal and shared roles /…