sociology - families and households

consensus theorys

society’s agreements on norms and values

family

group of people related by blood or marriage

conflict theory’s

society is based around conflict

functionalism

a theory where every institution has a specific function

murdock perspective on the family

family was the most important and crucial to ensure the existance of societys

which family structure exists in every society

nuclear family

sexual factor for family

stable satisfication of the sex drive

individual sexual needs met through a stable partner

relives stress

helps reduce sexual crimes as it prevents a free for all within society

economic factor for families

financial support providing basic needs eg food and shelter

instrumental role and breadwinner

being able to buy and function in society

consumerism and society becomes economically stable

buying clothes food toys ect

creates next labor force

educational factor of the family

primary socialization -learning vital skills eg language and communication

norms and values

expectations and sanctions

buildings skilled laborers-jobs- contributing to the economy and functions of society

everyone knows how to behave which promotes social order in society

reproductive function of the family

providing a family

emotional support and needs met

domestic jobs

providing the future workforce

socialization primary socialization preparing next generation for society’s progressing

feminist criticisms of murdocks view of the family

looks at the family with rose tinted glasses and the family serves the needs of men and opresses women

marxist criticisms of murdocks view on the family

they argue that the family serves the needs of capitalism

murdock criticisms of the four functions of the family

sexual- this could be carried out by prostitution and pornography or serial monogamy or promiscuous behavior

reproductive- ivf and surrogacy can carry out this function today

economic- the benefit system can fulfil this role we are also continually consuming products of capatilism benifiting capitalism and not individuals

educational- seccondary agents of socialisation teaches us shared norms and values in the media

parsons view on the family

when society industrializes the family not only changes in structure but it loses many of its functions

the family only has two basic and irreducible functions:

primary socialization and the stabilization of the adult personality

parsons the familys two basic functions

primary scialisation and stabalisation of the adult personality

how does the family do primary socialisation of chilldren

nuclear families are personality factories

the family acts as a bridge between childhood and their involvement in wider society

children can only become adults by adopting the shared norms and values of society

how the nuclear family stabalises the adult personality

marriage gives you emotional security

warm bath theory- the emotional support and security of the family, the family acts as a safety valve that prevents stress

it strengthens social stability

functionalist perspective of the family

cornerstone of society and extremely beneficial and necessary for the smooth running of society and development of individuals

socialisation

the way you interect and learn at an early age

organic analogy

making comparisons to the human body

negative social control

imediatley sanctioning children

posotive social control

praising good behavior

warm bath theory criticisms Marxists and feminists

feminists- women don’t get to experience it and they give emotional support they don’t get in return

the family is only a cushion to relieve the tension of work in order for them to work more efficiently for a capitalist society

functionaist view of the nuclear family

uniquely suited to meeting the needs of modern society for societys mobility workforce

naturally self reliant and capable of caring and providing for its members especially the socialisation of kids

functionalist view on other family types

considered dysfunctional and abnormal or deviant as they are less able to perform society’s functions

reject family diversity in particular single parent family’s which leads to social problems

discourage family diversity

nuclear family feautures

support traditional instrumentsl and expressive roles

functionalist view on the decline of the nuclear family

problems stem from the decline of traditional nuclear families and other family types are bad for both individuals and society as a whole

concerned with the rise of the underclass

underclass

people who don’t contribute to the economy and permanently on benefits

murray view on family diversity

critical on single parent families and believes they have a damaging effect on chilldren especislly boys with absent fathers because there is no positive male role model for them meaning they turn to their peers to learn about masculinity this is often provided by deviant behavior

murray view on single parent families

they are the underclass of society as no instrumental role so no income and rely on benefits becoming welfare dependent

personal perspective of the family

family which is friends you view as family

fictive kin

close friends and family treated as relatives

new right perspective of the family

nuclear family is the only one that successfully helps society

main theorist of new right

Charles Murray

new right view on cohabitation

major cause of single parent families apart from welfare is the collapse of cohabitating couples

cohabitation allows partners to avoid comitment and responsability

benson view on marriage

offers more stability as it is a deliberate comitment to each other where as cohabitation allows partners to avoid comitment and responsability

oakley view on new right and family diversity

new right wrongly assume that a man and woman role is biologically fixed she argues the negative reaction from new right is a response to feminist campaigns

feminist view on nuclear family

traditional nuclear family is based on patriarchy and oppresses women

smart crisisims on new right view on cohabitation

those cohabitating are typically poorer social groups so cohabitating may be due to finalcial issues rather than the decison not to marry

critisism of new right perspective single parent families

no evidence that single parent families are more likely to become delinquent compared to those in two parent families

chester neo conventional families

a dual earner family in which both spouses go out to work not just the husband

Chester view on family diversity

doesnt view it negativley as most people are not choosing to live in alternative family types on a long term basis.

the nuclear family is still the ideal family type

criticisms of functionalist perspective on family

ignore dark side of familys like domestic violence (feminist critisisms)

functionalist hold a rose tinted view on society and only acknowledge the positive aspects to a family

the bourgeoisie

ruling class/upper class

wealthy individuals who own the means of production

the wealth of the ruling class enables them to dominate and control the working class

protalitariate

working class forced to sell their laybor to the bourgeoisie because they own no means of production have limited skills and no qualifications they simply had to accept their fate

super structure

society’s institutions

what does the superstructure help maintain?

unequality between the two classes

marxist view on functions of the family

functions to perform in capitalist society benifits and maintains the capitalist system and the rulling class

family main 3 functions according to marxists

inheritance property

ideological functions

unit of consumption

engles perspective on the family

monogomous nuclear family only emerged with capitalism. owner ship was the best way to guarantee passing on property and inheritance to your son. this agreement reproduces inequality and the nuclear family benefits capitalist society not individuals

engles crtisisms

outdated and no longer relevant in a contemporary society

functionalists argue that engles fails to ignore the very real benefits that the family brings like the warm bath theory

althussers two methods of social control within society

ideological state apparatus

repressive state apparatus

ideological state apparatus

maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by controlling peoples ideas values and beliefs.

this includes religion media and education system

repressive state apparatus

maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by force including threat of it

this includes police courts prisons and the armed services

the family in ideological state apparatus

performs key ideological functions for capitatim

socialises chilldren into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable