pespectives on family

Functionalist perspective on families

• the family is an essential and positive institution that performs vital functions for society and individuals

• The nuclear family is seen as the ideal family that ensures social stability, shard values and emotional support

Functionalist - murdock

• murdock argues the family performs 4 essential functions for society

• Stake satisfaction of the sex drive

• Reproduction of the next generation

• Socialisation of the young = into society’s shared norms and values

• Meeting its members economic needs = e.g food & shelter

Criticisms of Murdock + functionalist perspective

• Marxists and feminists reject his ‘rose-tinted’ harmonious view that the family meets the needs of both society and individuals in the family

• Functionalism ignores conflict and exploitation

• Assumes nuclear family is the ‘best’

Functionalist - parsons functional fit theory

• parsons argue that family structures change to fit the needs of the economy ans society

• Distinguished 2 types of family structures :

• Pre-industrial - extended family , 3 generations , worked together, shared functions

• Modern industrial - nuclear family , 2 generations, smaller, geographically and socially mobile

• Reason ; industrial society needs geographically mobility (move to work) + social mobility (achieve status by effort not ascribed)

• Nuclear family is smaller and independent which works well for modern life

Marxists perspective on family

• see society as based on unequal conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat

• Functions of the family exist to benefit the capitalist system

Marxists - ideological function

• Family perform ideological functions that benefit capitalism

• Ideology meaning a set of beliefs or ideas that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people that it is fair or natural

• Family does this by socialising children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable

• Parental power over children demonstrates how there is always gonna be someone in charge

• Zaretksy argues that family is a ‘safe haven’ but only to recharge workers so they can go back and be exploited y capitalism.

Marxists - unit of consumption

• the family play a huge role in generating profits for capitalists , since it is an important market for the sale of consumer goods

• Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the jonesses’ by consuming all the lattes products

• The media target children with use pester power to persuade parents to spend more

• Children who lack latest gadgets or clothes at often mocked by peers

Criticism of Marxist

• functionalist argue that Marxists ignore the real benefits that the family provides for its members

• Feminists argue that they underestimate the importance of gender inequalities in the family

• Focus on nuclear family and forget other family structures in society

Feminist perspective on families - liberal feminists

• view - inequality exists within the family but is slowly reducing

• Women’s oppression is being overcome slowly through changes in the law such as equal pay act, sex discrimination act 1975 which focuses on discrimination at work

• Hold a similar view to the march of progress theorists such as young and willmott

• Athough gender equality hasn’t been fully achieved there are still some progress

• E,g studies show how men are doing more domestic labour

Marxists feminists

• main cause of women’s oppression isn’t men its capitalism

• Women’s oppression performs several functions for capitalism :

• Women absorb anger = ansley describe women as shit takers who soak up frustration their husbands feel because of the alienation and exploitation they suffer at work

• Women are reserve army’s of cheap labour = they are taken on when extra workers are needed. When no longer needed they are let go off to return back to their primary role as unpaid domestic labour

The personal life perspective

• Perspective influenced by interactionist and postmodernist ideas

• Disagrees with functionalism , Marxism and feminist theories

• Argues that to understand families better we must focus on the meanings its members give to their relationships and look at things from an individual perspective

• Argues the older theories have to big weaknesses :

• They assume the nuclear family is the dominant family type = ignoring increases in other family types such as lone parent, same sex etc

• They are structural theories = assume families and members are passive puppets manipulated by the structure if society. Ignore that p[eple have choice on what counts as a family or relationship

PLP - family is defined by meaning not just by blood or law

• family isn’t about who you are related or married too

• You decide who counts based on how much thy matter to you, suppprt they give and feelings

• Family goes beyond ties of blood and marriage, it includes :

• Relationships with friends who may be like a sister or brother to you

• Fictive kin = close friends who are treated as relatives , e,g mums bad who you call auntie

• Connor conceived families = research by nordqvist and smart show that parents and children see social relationships and love as far more important than genetic links

PLP - bottom up vs to down approach

• old theories (fun,fem,Marx) take top down approach = they look at what the family does for society. They see society shapes the family

• Personal life perspective = bottom up approach, it starts from the individual. It looks at how people define, build and experience family for themselves.

• It emphasises that family is changing and different for everyone becayse it depends on individual feelings and choices