F+H theories of the family

Functionalist perspective of the family: What does who argue the four functions are?

Murdock argues the four functions of the family are:

• Stable satisfaction of the sex drive

• Socialisation of the young

• Reproduction of the next gen

• Meeting its members economic needs

What are marxist and feminist criticisms of murdocks idea?

Marxist: argue that it meets the needs of Capitalism, not those of family members or society.

Feminist: See the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women.

What does Parsons feel industrial society has as two main needs?

A geographically mobile workforce.

A socially mobile workforce.

Marxist perspective on the family: What three ways do marxist believe the family fulfills capitalism by doing?

1. Inheritance of property - capital class own this and continuosly pass it down in a cycle.They also believe private property has now become the main reason for marriage and an heir. Marxists wish to share property.

2. Idealogical Functions - family socialise children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable. Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that there will always be someone else in charge, preparing them for a capitalist boss in working life.

3. A unit of consumption - advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the joneses’ by consuming all the latest products. The media target children, who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend more. Children who lack the latest ‘must-have gadgets’ are mocked and stigmatized at school.

What are criticisms of the Marxist perspective?

It ignores the wide variety of family structures found in society today.

Functionalists argue the Marxists ignore the benefits of the family.

Feminists argue Marxists underestimate the importance of gender inequalities within the family.

What marxist feminist states that women are ‘takers of shit’ - anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism.

Fran ansley

Feminist perspective on the family: what do liberals think about women’s position in the family?

• They argue that women’s oppression is being gradually overcome through changes in the law such as the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), which outlaws discrimination in employment.

• They believe we’re moving towards greater equality, but full equality will depend on further reforms and changes in the attitudes and socialization patterns of both sexes.

• Similar view to MOP - gradual progress.

Criticisms of the liberal feminist perspective.

Other feminists criticize liberals for failing to challenge the underlying causes of women’s oppression and for believing the law will be enough to bring about equality.

Marxist feminist perspective on the family. What do they argue? What are the functions of women’s oppression in the fam for capitalism?

They argue the cause of women’s oppression in the family is not men, but capitalism, women’s oppression forms several functions for capitalism:

• Women reproduce the labour force through their unpaid domestic labour.

• Women absorb anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism

• Women are a reserve army of cheap labour that can be taken on when extra workers are needed.

What are the radical feminist perspectives on the family?

• Men are the enemy - the source of women’s oppression and exploitation.

• The family and marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society. Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and their sexual services.

• They think the family should be abolished through ‘separatism’, where women organize themselves to live independently to men.

Who criticizes the radical feminist perspective of the family and how?

JENNY SOMERVILLE the liberal feminist thinks that RFs fail to recognize the progress in women’s position, e.g. better access to divorce

Difference feminism perspective?

• They argue we cannot generalise about women’s experiences - sexual identity, race, class affect our experiences

• For example, by regarding the family purely negatively - white feminists neglect black women’s experience of racial oppression. Instead, black feminists view the family positively as a source of support and resistance against racism.

PLP perspective: PLP argue other perspectives suffer from two main weaknesses:

• They tend to assume that the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type, ignoring the increased level of family diversity today.

• They are all structural theories - asuuming that families and their members are simply passive puppets manipulated by the structure of society to perform certain functions. e.g to provide the economy with a labour force.

What is the sociology of the PLP on families?

• func, marx and fem are all top-down structural approaches.

• PLP uses the ‘bottom-up’ approach of interactionism . It emphasises the meanings that individual family members hold and how these shape their actions and relationships.

• They take a wider view of relationships other than just ‘family’.

Relationships PLP view as family. What does who say about pets?

• Friends who might be ‘like a sister or brother’ to you.

• Pets - Becky Tipper (2011) found in her study of children’s views on family relationships that children frequently saw their pets as ‘part of the family’.

Criticisms of the PLP?

• accused of taking too broad a view.

• The PLP rejects the top-down view taken by other perspectives, such as functionalism.