Theories of the family

What are Murdock’s 4 functions of the family

Stable sex drive

reproduction of the next generation

socialisation of the young

meeting societies economic needs

Criticisms of Murdock

Feminsists see the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women

Marxists argue that the family meets the needs of capitalism, not those of family members or society as a whole

Describe Parsons functional fit theory

For Parsons, teh functions that the family perform will depend on the kind of society which it is found in. He distinguishes between 2 types of family structure, nuclear and extended.

Parsons believes that wehn industrialisation came about, the extended family began to give way to the nuclear, due to the changing society requiring different needs.

According to Parsons, what 2 needs does industrial society require

Geographically mobile workforce - Parsons argues that it is easier for the more compact nuclear family to move to where the jobs are than the extended family

Socially mobile workforce - In moderns ociety, status os achieved though ability and hard work, such as the son of a labourer is able to become a lawyer through hard work. Therefore, Parsons sees the nuclear family as fitting the needs of industrial society, as in the home the father has greatre status than his son, however conflict may arise if the son gets a higher status job. The solution to this is for the son to leave the home

How does Parsosns argue the loss of functions in society

According to Parsons, when society industrialised, it lost many of its functions, such as the family no longer being a unit of production as work moves into factories, causing the faily to become a unit of consumtpion only

What are Parsosn 2 fucntions of teh family

Primary socialisation of children

Stabilisation of adult personalities

Describe the Marxist view on primitive communism

Marx called the earliest type of society ‘primitive communism’ where tehre was no family, no means of production or private property. The family was instead called - by Engels - a ‘promiscuous horde’.

What is Engels’ view on private property

Marxists believe that as the forces of production developed, the wealth of society increased along with the development of private propertym where a class of men seized the production means.

Engels argues that monogomy came about for the inheritance of private propertym to ensure legitimate heirs.

In Engels view, teh rise of the monogamous nuclear family brought women’s sexuality under mens control. The only way to liberate this is to overthrow capitalism.

According to Marxists, what are the ideological functions of the family

Marxists argue that the family is used to enforce the dominant ideology on people from a young age. One way that this is done is through socialisation of the young into teh idea that heirarchy and inequality are inevitable. Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that there is always someone on charge, preparing them for work life.

Inw hat 3 ways do Marxists see the family as a unit of consumption

Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the joneses’ by getting all the latest products

Media target children who use ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend more

Children who lack the latest clothes get mocked

Criticisms of the marxist perspective

Marxisst assume that the nculear family is dominant, but this ignores the various other family structures

Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the very real benefits that teh family has

What is the liberal feminist view on the family

Liberal feminists argye for a march of progress view, where they beieve that women’s oppression is graduallly being overcome through law and social changes such as the 1975 sex discrimination act. Gradual progress can be shown as men are doing mroe hosuework than their fathers, and women less than their mothers. However, they argue taht we havent achieved full equality for women in the family.

criticisms of the liberal feminist view of the family

Some argue that liberal feminists fail to challenge the underlying causes of women’s oppression and for believeing taht changes in the law is enough to bring back equality

Accroding to Marxist feminsit, what 3 functiosn does women’s oppression perform in the family

Reproduction of the labour force through unpaid domestic labour, by socialising teh next generation of workers

Women also absorb anger that otherwise would be directed at capitalism. Ansley describes women as ‘takers of shit’ who soak up mens frustrations

Women are a reserve army for cheap labour

What is the radical feminist view on the family

Radical feminists believe that men are the enemy, and that rhe family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchal socity. Men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labour and dominate women through teh action of threat of violence and abuse

Radical feminists argue that for patriarchal socitey to be abolsihed and overturned, women must achieve seperatism. Many radical feminists argue this can be done through political lesbianism . Greer argues that creation of matrilocal households are an alternative to the heterosexual family

Criticisms of teh radical fmeinist view on the family

Somerville argues that radical feminists fail to recognise that women’s position has imrpoved considerably, with better access to divorce, job opportunities and control overtheir sexuality

What is the difference feminist view on the family

Difference feminists argue that we cant generalise women’s experiences, and that lesbian, straight, black, white, working class etc… all have different experiences to family than the rest.

For example, by regarding the family as negative, white feminists reject black women’s exprience of racial oppressions. Instead, black feminists argue that teh black family is positive and it provides resistance against racism

Criticisms of difference feminsim

Others argue that difference faminsim neglects the fact that all women share many of the same expreinecs, such as risk of domestic violence

How does the personal life perspective of the family critique other veiws

Others assume taht the traditional nuclear family is dominatm ignoring the increasing diversity of families today

They are all structural theories, and assume that families and their members are simply passive puppers manipulated by societies structure

What is the personal life perspective on family

As well as taking a bottom up approach to the family, this view looks at things beyong blood ties and marriage. For example, a women who isnt close to her sistter may be unwilling to help her in a crisis, but may care for a non family meber at the same time such as a dear friend.

This perspective also focuses on relationships such as:

friendships

fictive kin

gay ‘chosen’ families

relationships with pets

What does the family life perspective argue about donor conceived children

Smart foudn that the issue of blood and genes raised a range of feelings, with some emphaisng the importance of social relationships over genetic ones on forging family bonds

Smart provides an example of Erik, the motehr of a donor concieved child, who defined being a mother in terms of the time and effor put into raising a child.

However, difficult feeings may come up for a non genetic parent if someone remarked taht they dont look alike

Evaluation of the personal life perspective

Critics argue that by including a wide ranfe of different kinds of personal relationshops, we ingore what is special about relationships thar are based on blood or marriage