sociology, family

what is family in sociology

social institution describing a group of people bound together by law, blood or convection

nuclear family

parents and their biological children

extended family and what kind of bond do they have

addition to nuclear family with aunts, uncles, grandparents etc

intergenerational bonds

single parent family

one parents raising offspring

step family

when a couple brings in children from former family

same se x family

families headed by homo sexual

still same with biological, adopted or no kids

child free family

couple who have chosen not to have kids

institutional family with examples

families that exist within an institution e.g barracks, uni, foster home

adoptive family

family with adopted children

communal families

multiple families living together (with / without children)

transnational families

family separated by boarders who still keep in contact e.g nana

individual family

one person

3 differences between modern and classical families

marriage has become less common

males being the main breadwinner is less common

divorce and remarriage is more common

symbolic interactionism

individuals interpret reality through their personal social interactions

why does p______ believe family is the heart of society in a functionalist society

2 reasons

parsons

family teaches children the basics in being a functioning member of society

family acts as a motivating driving force to support the institutions therefore keeping the economy circulating

what is the first function Murdock believes family does to drive a functionalist society

regulate sexual instinct to stabilize the natural human urge for sex therefore mitigating madness

what is the second function Murdock believes family does to drive a functionalist society

reproduction - children makes family closer and motivate work as well as stabilize children to work in the future

socialisation definition and

what is the third function Murdock believes family does to drive a functionalist society

socialisation - learning the norms and values of your society and how to function

socialisation meaning children can find their passion and slot into their role in society

what is the fourth function Murdock believes family does to drive a functionalist society

families co operate to aid eachothers economic needs

what kind of views does murdock have

functionalist

describe a cottage industry and what it needs and who created the idea

small scale sustainable closed system to satisfy the families basic needs

e.g small family working on their farm for food, water etc

more family the better (extended)

parsons

define being geographically mobile

people moving to where jobs are (easier for smaller family)

define sociallly mobile

talented people moving up the hierarchy with their suited jobs

what did parsons believe about nuclear families and extended families

nuclear families are more geographically and socially mobile in a post industrial world

extended families are better in a cottage industery

who are three Marxist theorists whp had ideas about family

Engels

Marx

Zaretski

summarise Engels’ view on family

the monogmous family emerged as a means to control property

summarise Marx’ view on family

the family performs ideological functions by socialising children into accepting inequality and competition as natural

summarise Zaretskis’ two ideas on family

Family provides a false sense of safe place and security to relax and refresh workers so they continue working

family serves into capitalism by buying the goods of society

What did E_____ come up with that explains a key role of family according to a marxist and what anaology does it link with

Engels explained during “primitive communism” society itself as in a village was an extended family in itself with sexual freedom and distributed goods

the ten hammer analogy explains ten nuclear families would buy ten hammers and an extended family consisting of ten households would share one (less profitable)

what did E_____ believe about the family that kept the bourgeoisie on top

when family began owning property and monogamously marrying similar classes then passing down property (opposite of primitive communism) it increases class polarisation

what kind of system does Z________ idea that family refreshes workers create

Zaratski

cyclical structure of workers:

hating work - considering revolution - refreshing with family - working again

what are the four ways zaratsky belives the family are units of consumption

• commodification

• debt + dependency

• exploitive advertising

• hidden imapcts

describe what zaratsky means by commodification

“keeping up with the Jones’” buying goods and services to one up and achieve status above other families

describe what Zaratsky means by debt + dependency

debts of things like subscriptions and mortgages are used as fuel to keep the proletariat working

describe what Zaratsky means by exploitive advertising

advertisement aimed at groups (often children) to promote materialism and consumerism from a young age

describe what Zaratsky means by hidden impacts

illusions that goods are making a positive differnece so are worth paying the premium e.g electric cars

what are two criticisms of the Marxist view on the family

• overemphasises economic factors without considering genuine emotional connection hence why goods are bought for each other

• doesn’t account for varying views and values among families

what do liberal feminists believe about the family

domestic responsibilities should be equally distributed as gender divisions in the family perpetuate gender inequality

what 2 things do marxist feminists belive capitalism causes in the family

patriachal mindest of men being the main breadwinners in society

decentralisation of material labour from the household

what do marxist feminists believe is the job of females in the family

to reproduce the next generation of workers through unpaid domestic labour

what is the key idea radical feminists belive about the family

it is a patriachal institution that perpetuates male dominanceso should be dismantled to achieve gender equality

what do radical feminists believe about marriage in the family

it is an oppressive structure that has historically limited women to be controlled by men

what does a difference feminist believe about the family

family should provide a safe space for women to express their differneces

what do differnece feminists belive is an issue with the family model

women all have different experiences based on ethnicity, sexuality etc and having stereotyped roles makes this differences hard to express freely

what kind of feminist is Sommerville and what does she believe about the family

liberal, radical feminists are wrong as women would not re marry if they didnt want relationships with men

what kind of feminist is Ansley and what does she believe about family

marxist, women are “takers of the shit” as they act as the emotional support to men after the stress of work

what kind of feminist is Greer and what does she believe about the family

family is a way women help cause gender inequality by conforming to traditional roles and norms. greer summarised this by saying “sleeping with the enemy”

what is kinship and explain one of its sub categories fictive kinship

people tied together by inheritance/blood or social order

people chosen to play the role of family despite having no blood or in law relations

what do N_______ + S____ believe about the family

people can be classed as families without having blood relations (fictive kin) and this can be proved by donor conceived children

Nordqvist +Smart

what research did T_____ do that further proved Nordqvist and Smart right

tipper

children felt equally loved by parents as there pets were

give two statisitics on divorce

40% of marriage end in divorce

divorce rates increased since 1960s and peaked in 1900s at 165,000

define stigma and secularisation

stigma = negative disapproval and shame attached to an action

secularization = decline in religious significance

give 3 reasons for the rise in divorce

changing role of women

secularisation / less stigma

rising expectations of marriage

explain how less stigma has caused an increase in divorce rates and what thinker came upm with this

divorce is significantly more socially acceptable now and is seen as a misfortune rathe than shameful

Mitchell and Goody

explain how rising expectations of marriage has increased divorce rates and which thinker came up with this idea

Fletcher argues the modern media representation of romantic love puts too much pressure on people

how has the changing role of women increased divorce rates with a stat

if the relationship has broken down woman now have the opportunity to pursue their own financial desires rather than stay in the marriage to rely on the mans financial support

65% of divorces are by women

describe the rates of marriage, re marriage and cohabitation and what this shows

marriage rates halfed since 1970

re marriage rates increased

cohabitation increased

less people are conforming to the old pattern of just marrying and starting a nuclear family

describe a chosen family and explain a thinkers idea on them

families created by the individual like a close group of friends (fictive kin)

weeks believes homosexuals create their families based on the idea of fictive kin as they dont hold blood relations but still offer security and stability e.g Mitchell, Cam, Lilly

what are two statistcis to do with childbearing

women are commonly havingn children later on or not at all (avg age of first pregnancy is 30)

why are fewer women having children 3 reasons

secularization

more opportunities

less stigma towards lesbians

give three statistics on lone parent families

1 in 4 children are in lone parent families

90% of lone parents are mothers

2x more likely to live in poverty

give 3 reasons for the rise in lone parent families with a sociological perspective for one

less stigma for divorce

welfare system makes it possible

single by choice (radical feminist)

what do new rightists believe about the nuclear family

it should be the typical family as it completes the job of socialisation (functionalist)

what perecnt of uk population are white and what are the two main minorities in the remaining %

80%

black and asia

what percent of black families are lone parented and what is M_____ reason for this and Ch__________ observation of black communities

50%

Mirza- historically women kept child at slave auctions so female lone parenting is normalized

chamberlain- black communities act as a sort of large extended family the impacts are not actually that bad

what is B_______ reason as to why Asians commonly have extended families

during the windrush generation asians found comfort and stability in having large families

explain Wi______ idea behind the change of family structure

Willmotts idea that in the modern day family has changed from nuclear to dispersed extended with close family being closely accessible rather than under the same roof like a cottage industery

5 types of family diversity each described

organisational diversity - different duties/roles (cottage industry extended family)

cultural diversity - different cultural backgrounds (adopted family)

social class diversity - variations due to economic factors

life course diversity - structural change through age (cohabiting to married)

cohort diversity - different generations having different norms