Theories of the family

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What 2 main things do liberal feminists(LF) argue overall (intro)
1. Womens oppression in being gradually overcome through (laws and policies)
2. We are moving towards greater equality but need further reforms, attitude shifts and socialisation of the sexes to be more equal.
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In terms of the family, who do liberal feminists hold a similar view to?
March of Progress and the 'new man' (Young and Willmott)
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What liberal feminist believes women oppression is being gradually overcome due to M/C couples having more symmetrical roles eg. men doing more domestic labour?
Somerville (2000)
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Which Liberal feminist believes there had been a 'gender-quake' due to generational attitude shifts?
Wilkinson
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Why would some criticise LF for exaggerating the March of Progress view?
UK women still perform the majority of household tasks and childcare. For example, only 15% of men take paternity leave.
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How would other feminists criticise liberal feminists?
Changes in law and attitudes will not be enough to bring gender equality but, institutions (radical) and structures(capitalism)
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What are liberal feminists accused of being
Ethnocentric
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What 2 key institutions do Radical feminists(RF) think are patriarchal?
Family and Marriage
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How do men according to RF benefit from family and marriage?
unpaid domestic and sexual services
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What 3 solutions do they have to end the patriarchy (and thus the family as we know it )
1. Separatism (of the genders)
2. political lesbianism - 'against sleeping with the enemy'
3. Matrilocal households (female-headed)
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Which feminist agrees with matrilocal households
Greer
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What criticism does Somervillive give to RF?
That they fail to recognise how women position has improved and how separatism is unlikely to work.
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Why would the Radical Feminist view be seen as outdated?
People can marry into same-sex relationships
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Give 2 other criticisms of Radical feminists?
1. Most women want to spend time with men and enter relationships with them.
2. Families where women can abuse men (4.2% of men have suffered domestic abuse)
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What do Marxist Feminists(MF) believe is the main cause of women's oppression?
Capitalism
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What are the 3 functions does women oppression perform for capitalism according to MF?
1. Women reproduce the labour force
2. Women absorb anger
3. Women are a 'reserve army' of cheap labour
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Explain how women reproduce the labour force
Women reproduce the next labour force, socialise them with the values of capitalism, also offer free unpaid domestic labour, maintain the health and wellbeing of the capitalist workforce.
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Explain how women absorb anger
Men feel powerless as capitalist workers so assert dominance and control at home so instead of directing anger at real cause men direct it at wives (Fran Ansley 'takers of Sh*t')
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Explain how women are a 'reserve army of cheap labour
Women are often low paid, low skilled and part-time reserve army that can be turned to in an economic boom and made redundant in a recession. Confirms their true place is in the home.
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What is the Marxist Feminist solution to women's oppression?
Abolishing capitalism and the family
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What proves that communism wouldn't solve women's oppression?
Women are still oppressed in non-capitalist countries
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Why is the Marxist Feminist view outdated?
More women are full-time workers and financially independent and share domestic chores with their husbands.
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What do Marxist feminists ignore?
That some women want to be in a nuclear family and have the role of a mother and wife.
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Why do Difference feminists believe we can not generalise women's experiences?
Because each women experience of the family and the roles within it will be different so not all will be oppressed.
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Give an example to support the Difference Feminist view
Black feminists argue white feminists ignore black women experience of racial oppression. Black feminists argue the family is a positive course of support and resistance against oppression.
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Give a criticism of the difference feminist view
Women share many of the same experiences when compared with men for example facing a greater risk of domestic violence, sexual assault and low pay.
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Marxism and the family
.
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What is the first function of the family according to Marxists?
Inheritance of property
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What does Engles say about the nuclear family being needed as capitalism brought along private property?
Engles - monogamous nuclear family became essential so men had parental certainty so wealth is passed to legitimate heirs.
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Why is it important for the inheritance of property for the bourgeoises
So when the rich die, the rich still keep control of that wealth
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Explain why the inheritance of property led to the 'world-historical defeat of the female sex'?
Women's sexuality become under men's control as they were now turned into a 'mere instrument for the production of children'.
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Give 3 criticisms
1. Outdated - some marry for love or have no wealth to pass on
2. ignores other family types
3. people in communist countries live in nuclear families
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What is the 2nd function of the family according to Marxists?
Ideologic functions
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What sociologist saw the family as a part of the ideological state apparatus and why?
Althusser (1969) - family is socialised into capitalist values(obedience, materialism, authority) which results in false class consciousness and legitimises class inequalities
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What other ideological functions does the family perform
Prepares children for work as taches them parents. are in charge much like how work is, so they grow up uncritical of authority
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Why is the ideological functions too deterministic
Because it assumes people just passively accept the ruling class ideology through the family
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What would functionalists argue
That it ignores the positive functions of primary socialisation
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What is the 3rd function of the family according to marxists?
Safe haven
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Who argues that the family provides a safe haven from the world of capitalism so workers can have a private life?
Zaretsky (1976)
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What does Zaretsky also argue?
That the family stops workers focusing on a lack of job satisfaction and daily exploitations
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What does the 'phrase king of the castle' mean?
That the family is something proletariat men can control and let out frustrations
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Give 2 criticisms
1. Outdated as it assumes only the men work
2. ignores other befits the family has eg. emotional support
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What is the 4th function of the family according to Marxists?
Unit of consumption
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why is the family important in generating profits?
important market for the sale of consumer goods
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What do advertisers encourage consumers to do
to keep up with the jonses' - consume all the latest products
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what does pester 'power mean'?
children pester parents to buy the lastest goods because of media influence or to avoid being stigmatised by their peers
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Which sociologists found that children who read the story on how to get stuff off there parents pester their parents to buy them expensive goods
Evans and Chandler (2006)
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Personal life perspective
..
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What's the personal life perspective on the family?
That to understand the family today there must be a focus on the meanings the family gives to relationships and situations rather than the families supposed 'functions'
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Give an example of the importance of meanings
Smart and Nordqvist - Donor conceived children emphasize the importance of soical relationaships over genetic
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Who's theory is 'beyond ties of Blood and Marriage'
Smart
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Why does Smart criticise modern theories
Because they make generalisation about family life which does not fit in the reality we have now
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What does Smart's theory draw on?
Personal, intimate relationships that aren't deemed as 'family' such as chosen family
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What 3 things does Smart believe counts as family?
1. related to an indivduals past
2. expectations of society they live in
3. subjects to structural factors such as class, gender ethnicity
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Provide 2 evaluations for the personal life perspective
Ignores the special relationship based on blood and marriage and the idea of choice and freedom is an M/C idea and may the ethnocentric
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

In terms of the family, who do liberal feminists hold a similar view to?

Back

March of Progress and the 'new man' (Young and Willmott)

Card 3

Front

What liberal feminist believes women oppression is being gradually overcome due to M/C couples having more symmetrical roles eg. men doing more domestic labour?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Which Liberal feminist believes there had been a 'gender-quake' due to generational attitude shifts?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Why would some criticise LF for exaggerating the March of Progress view?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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