Theories of the family

Murdock (1949) Functions of the family

Stable satisfaction of sex drive

Reproducing the next generation

Primary socialisation

Meeting its members’ economic needs

Criticisms of Murdock

Functionalist neglects conflict and exploitation

Feminists - family serves the needs of men and oppress women

Marxists - family meets the needs of capitalism

Talcott Parsons (1955)

‘Functional fit’ theory - the functions of different family types will ‘fit’ the needs of the society in which it is found. Family had to adapt to meet the needs.

Nuclear family fits modern industrial society

Extended family fits pre-industrial society

Geographically mobile workforce

Socially mobile workforce

Loss of functions

Inheritance of property

Private property

Ideological functions

Eli Zaretsky (1976) Marxist perspective

A unit of consumption

Criticisms of Marxist Perspective

Liberal feminism

Marxist feminism

Radical feminism

Difference feminism

Personal life perspective (Criticisms)

Personal life families

Nordqvist and Smart (2014)

Criticisms of personal life perspective