Sociology: Families

Criticisms of Young and Wilmott: Oakley (1974)

• Criticised the march of progress view

• Interviewed husbands who on average helped out about once a week

• Men’s helping was more related to playing than necessities

Identify the 2 functions of the family according to Parsons

• Stabilisation of adult personalities

• Socialisation of children

Outline the overall feminist view of the family

Oppressive institution which reinforces patriarchal ideals. Believes gender inequality is constructed not biological.

Criticism of the Marxist view of the family

• Ignores family diversity

• Overemphasis on capitalism undermines gender inequalities (feminist view)

• Ignores benefits of the family (functionalist view)

Outline Young and Wilmott

• Family roles have changed significantly

• Men now aid in childcare

• Egalitarian families and joint conjugal roles

• March of progress view is taken

Outline Engels view of family function (Marxist)

Nuclear family designed to ensure fathers can identify which children are theirs in order to pass on property and therefore helps maintain capitalism by keeping wealth from the community.

Outline Zaretsky’s view of the family function (Marxist)

• Cushioning effect, like Parsons’ warm bath theory. Men are entitled to be in charge of the family, reducing the loss of control felt at work

• Families targeted by ‘pester power’ and ‘keeping up with the Jones’’. Leads to generational profits.

Name 6 types of family

• Nuclear

• Beanpole

• Extended

• Symmetrical

• Same sex

• Reconstituted