Families

economic function of families

from a functionalist approach, this is the function that the family carries out by providing its members with financial support, food and shelter.

from a marxist approach, the family has an economic function under capitalism because women carry out unpaid domestic labour (child-rearing, cleaning + cooking) that benefits the capitalist system

extended family

a group of relatives extending beyond the nuclear family

classic extended family

three generations who either live under the same roof or nearby. also known as vertically extended families

horizontally extended families

two generations live together or nearby. e.g nuclear family living under same roof as the husband’s sister or the wife’s cousin

ethnicity

cultural traditions, norms and values that distinguish the members of a particular social group from other groups

monogamy

the practice of being married to just one person at a time

serial monogamy

the practice of divorcing, remarrying, divorcing and so on

dysfunctional families

families in which functions such as providing emotional support are not being carried out. characterised by social problems such as domestic violence or child abuse

nuclear family

a family unit containing a mother, father and their child/children. two generations and family members living together in the same household. parents may be married or cohabiting outside marriage.

double shift

many married or cohabiting women work two shifts by doing a paid job and most of the housework and caring for the family. also referred to as the ‘dual burden’

principle of stratified diffusion

young and wilmott (1973) proposed the idea that social changes start at the top of the social stratification system and spread downwards.

changes in family life, filter down from the middle class to the working class.

economy

a system by which goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed in a region or country

ethnic group

a social group whose members share an identity based on their cultural traditions/characteristics such as religion or language

ethnic minority

a group in a particular society that has different cultural traditions from the ethnic majority

family

a couple whose relationship is based on marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation, with or without dependent children, or a lone parent and their child or children

family diversity

different types of family in a society such as nuclear, same-sex, reconstituted and lone-parent families.

rapoport and rapoport (1982) identified several aspects of diversity in families in britain including social class diversity and cultural diversity

gender

gender relates to socially constructed or cultural differences between men and women that are associated with masculinity and femininity

glass ceiling

an invisible barrier to promotion in the workplace faced by some groups including women

instrumental role

breadwinner role in the family. parsons (1956) saw this as the man’s role in the nuclear family.

expressive role

caring, emotional and nurturing role in the family. parsons (1956) saw this as the woman’s role in the nuclear family

conjugal roles

domestic roles of married and cohabiting partners

integrated conjugal roles

roles that are shared equally between married or cohabiting partners

segregated conjugal roles

domestic roles which are divided in an unequal way

kibbutz

a group of people who live communally in settlements in israel and who value equality and cooperation between members.

kin

relatives

kinship

links between people based on ties of blood, marriage or adoption

lone parent family

a family consisting of one parent and a child/children who live together

matriarchal family

a family in which the mother holds authority and power over the family members

patriarchal family

a family in which the man holds authority and power over the family members

polygamy

a form of marriage in which an individual has more than one husband or wife at the same time

polygyny

a man has more than one wife at the same time

polyandry

a woman has more than one husband at the same time

primary socialisation

refers to process of early childhood learning during which babies and children acquire the basic behaviour patterns, language and skills they need later in life. main agency is family

secondary socialisation

the process during later childhood and adulthood in which we learn society’s norms and values. main agencies include schools, peer groups, religions and the mass media.

reconstituted family

a family in which one or both partners have a child from a previous relationship. also known as step or blended family.

secularisation

the process in which the influence of religion in a society declines

privatised instrumentalism

the idea that people’s lives and social relationships are privatised and centred on the home rather than on paid work. at the same time, they see paid work as a means to an end (e.g source of income) rather than an end in itself.

role

refers to the pattern of expected and acceptable behaviour of people who have a particular status or social position

role conflict

when the demands of one role conflict/clash with another

seperate spheres

eli zaretsky (1976) identified a split between two different spheres or worlds that came about with the rise of capitalism: the private and the public sphere

the private sphere

the world of home and family life. under capitalism, women are responsible for this sphere and their role involves domestic labour and caring for family members’ emotional wellbeing.

the public sphere

the world of work and the economy. under capitalism, men are responsible for this sphere.

socio-economic class

a form of social stratification based on economic factors such as occupation and income.

the working class is made up of people engaged in manual occupations such as cleaners and labourers

the middle class is made up of people who work in non-manual, managerial and professional occupations such as teachers and solicitors

the upper class is made up of the rich and powerful, particularly those who have inherited wealth from their families.

social cohesion

the idea that people in society should have a shared set of values and attitudes that help to unite society and bring people together

social construct

a product of a society or culture such as police-recorded crime statistics, gender or childhood. the end product of series of interactions, choices or decisions.

social exclusion

the experience of being shut out from participation in society’s social, economic, political and social life

social inequality

the uneven distribution of resources such as money and power, or of opportunities related to such.

crisis of masculinity

the idea that some males see their traditional masculine identity as under threat in society today.

social network

a network or set of individuals who know eachother

symmetrical family

a term used by young and wilmott (1973) to describe a family form in which spouses carry out different tasks but each makes a similar contribution within the home

commune

a group of people who live together and share possessions, wealth and property. may be based on shared political beliefs or environmental principles

conventional family

defined by ann oakley (1982) as a traditional nuclear family containing a married couple and their children who live together

family members have different roles based on their age, occupation and gender. women are expected to work inside the home without pay, while men are expected to work for pay outside the home

class deal

pat carlen (1988) describes it as a deal which offers working-class women material rewards such as consumer goods as a return for working for a wage

gender deal

pat carlen (1988) describes it as a deal which offers working-class women emotional and material rewards in return for living with a male breadwinner in the family

arranged marriage

a marriage in which the parents or relatives of a couple took a leading role in matchmaking and organising the marriage. however, the couple had a right to choose whether or not to accept the arrangement

canalization

the way many parents channel their children’s interests into toys, games and other activities which are seen as gender appropriate

childhood

the stage in a person’s life in between birth and becoming an adult. it is seen as a separate stage to adulthood.

agency/agent of socialisation

the process through which people learn the culture, norms and values of the group they were born into

socialisation

the process through which people learn the culture, norms and values of the society they were born into