CH 4.2_What is the role of family for the individual and society

1. Functionalist views on the role of the family

• Functionalists see the family as essential for society, performing vital functions for both individuals and society.

I. Key functions of the family:

1. Reproduction

   • Societies need new generations to survive.

   • Family and marriage encourage reproduction in a stable environment.

2. Socialisation

   • Families teach children norms, values, and culture (primary socialisation).

   • Serves as the link between individuals and wider society.

3. Social control

   • Ensures children conform to societal norms.

   • Achieved through rewards and punishments defined by parents.

4. Roles for family members

   • Members have specific roles (father, mother, son, daughter).

   • Functionalists:

     • Instrumental role – male, breadwinner.

     • Expressive role – female, caregiver.

   • Division of labour seen as natural and functional.

5. Care of children, sick, and elderly

   • Families provide food, shelter, clothing, nurturing.

   • Responsibility shared among older and younger members.

6. Status

   • Families give children status through relationships within the family and society.

7. Regulation of sexual behaviour

   • Societies set rules for sexual conduct (e.g., socially approved relationships).

   • Ensures children are born into socially accepted arrangements.

• Some functions benefit individuals, some benefit society, some both.

  • Example: Primary socialisation helps children fit in and also passes norms to the next generation.

• Gender roles help individuals lead fulfilling lives and maintain social stability.

• The family acts as a bridge between individuals and society.

II. The loss of functions debate and how family functions have changed over time

• Shift from extended to nuclear families

  • Pre-industrial society: extended families suited subsistence farming.

  • Industrialisation & urbanisation led to nuclear families, which were more mobile for new jobs in towns and cities.

• Rise of institutions and state support

  • Schools, colleges, hospitals, health services, and transport expanded.

  • State support increased (pensions, welfare), reducing reliance on large families.

• Talcott Parsons’ view (functionalist)

  • In the past, families met many needs:

    • Care for sick/elderly.

    • Financial help.

    • Education and skill transmission.

  • Today, these functions are mostly taken over by institutions.

  • Nuclear families suit modern industrial societies:

    • Easier labour mobility.

    • Adaptable to smaller household structures.

• Functionalist perspective on family change

  • Families change to meet societal needs.

  • Extended families met past societal needs when institutions were limited.

  • Nuclear families meet modern needs: mobility, smaller households, flexibility.

  • Each society tends to have the family type best suited to its needs.

Functions of the family:

The loss of functions debate

• Modern institutions have taken over many family roles (care, education, financial support).

• Extent of “loss” varies between societies.

Talcott Parsons’ view:

• Some family functions cannot be replaced:

  1. Primary socialisation – teaching children norms and values.

  2. Stabilisation of adult personalities – giving adults roles, responsibility, and emotional support.

• Nuclear family remains essential for both society and individuals because of these unique functions.

The warm bath theory

Meaning: A view that the family helps adults relax, feel supported, and recover from the stresses of work, like a “warm bath.”

→ Example: Coming home after a long day to family care, comfort, and emotional support.

• Industrialisation & urbanisation created a need for male workers to recover from work stress (factories, mines).

• Families, especially nuclear families, provided this role:

  • Women as housewives – cared for the home, husband, children; cooked, cleaned, and provided emotional support.

  • Term “warm bath theory” – family relaxes and refreshes adults, like a warm bath.

III. Importance of the nuclear family

• Functionalists’ view:

  • Primary socialisation of children and stabilisation of adult personalities work best in nuclear families.

  • Meets emotional and economic needs:

    • Mothers – emotional and home-based care.

    • Fathers – economic and material support.

• Challenges to functionalism:

  • Other family types or non-family arrangements can also meet these needs (e.g., extended families, schools, childcare).

  • Nuclear families may be dysfunctional for some:

    • Edmund Leach: “cereal packet” image – media portrays ideal family, creating pressure & tension.

    • Marxist & feminist perspectives highlight inequalities and dysfunctions for some family members.

2. Marxist views on the role of the family

I. How the family benefits capitalism

• Marxists agree that families are important for society, but disagree with functionalists about whose benefit the family serves.

• Key idea: The family serves capitalist society, helping maintain the economic system.

Historical context (Friedrich Engels):

• Pre-capitalism: families were looser, non-monogamous.

• Capitalism & private property: monogamous families became important so men could ensure their children inherited their wealth.

Marxist view on family functions:

1. Socialisation into capitalism

   • Children are taught capitalist values, e.g., acceptance of social hierarchy.

2. Preparing the next generation of workers

   • Children are raised to become workers producing profits for capitalists.

3. Reducing labour unrest

   • Workers with families are less likely to strike, as they must provide for dependents.

4. Outlet for male frustration

   • Men oppressed at work may take control at home, displacing anger onto wives/children.

5. Unit of consumption

   • Families support capitalism by buying and consuming goods.

6. Women's role in care

   • Women care for the sick and elderly, allowing ruling class to avoid responsibility for health and social care.

II. Exploitation of family members

• In capitalism: bourgeoisie (ruling class) exploit proletariat (working class) – workers produce value but are paid only a fraction.

• The family helps this system survive:

  • Workers powerless at work can be patriarchs at home, demanding obedience from family members.

  • This maintains some control, reducing likelihood of rebelling against employers.

• Counterpoint (Functionalism): Family can be a “warm bath”, offering safety and recovery from work stress.

III. Reproduction of class inequalities

• Families reproduce the labour force: children become the next generation of workers.

• Children often internalise social positions:

  • Boys accept working like their fathers.

  • Girls accept housewife roles, sometimes with limited resources.

• Few may improve their position, but most remain in the same class, keeping capitalism stable.

IV. The family as a unit of consumption

• Pre-industrial families: Units of production – produced most of their own food, clothes, and goods; worked together to survive.

  • Gendered division of labour existed, but family members supported each other.

• Post-industrial families:

  • Men/boys work outside home; women often work in separate sectors.

  • Families earn wages and buy goods instead of producing them.

  • Families shift from units of production → units of consumption.

• Marxist view:

  • Consumption pressures workers to buy unnecessary goods.

  • Profits go to the bourgeoisie, deepening worker exploitation.

V. Family and ideological control (Marxist view)

• The family transmits capitalist ideology to children:

  • Justifies the social hierarchy and existing inequalities.

  • Teaches children to accept their place in society and desire consumption.

• Some parental resistance exists (e.g., limiting purchases), but media, peers, and other socialisation agents reinforce capitalist ideas.

3. Feminist views on the role of the family

I. How the family benefits patriarchy

Feminist concern: Violence and abuse within families is a major issue.

• Historically:

  • Domestic violence was rarely discussed or addressed by authorities.

  • Belief that family matters were private.

  • Men were sometimes thought to have a right to use force against wives.

• Research evidence:

  • Russell and Rebecca Dobash (1970s, Scotland):

    • Domestic violence widespread, not just “a few disturbed individuals.”

    • Women assaulted (pushed, slapped, beaten, raped, killed), often when male authority was challenged.

• Feminist argument:

  • Men have power and authority in families.

  • Domestic violence reinforces patriarchy.

  • Most offenders are men, victims usually women or children.

  • Male victims are underreported due to stigma and masculinity norms.

• Reasons victims may not report abuse:

  • Police may be unable or unwilling to help.

  • Fear violence will worsen.

  • Fear losing contact with children.

  • Believe abuse is normal or deserved.

  • Believe they can change the abuser.

  • Still love the abuser.

• Child abuse:

  • Not all children experience family as safe.

  • Cases often involve parents or step-parents, mostly males.

  • Increase in reported cases often due to better reporting, not more abuse.

  • Four forms of child abuse:

    1. Sexual abuse

    2. Physical abuse

    3. Emotional abuse

    4. Neglect

  • Some children live in dangerous or challenging situations, e.g., caring for others, living with someone with mental health issues.

II. Joint and segregated conjugal roles

• Feminist critique: Rejects the functionalist idea that gendered family roles are fair and natural.

• Conjugal roles in marriage:

  1. Segregated conjugal roles – traditional nuclear family; clearly separate roles for men and women.

     • Men: breadwinner (instrumental)

     • Women: homemaker (expressive)

     • Favoured by functionalists, but feminists argue it benefits men and reflects patriarchy.

  2. Joint conjugal roles – men and women share instrumental and expressive roles, more equality.

• Features of the female domestic role:

  • Unpaid work

  • No fixed hours – always ongoing

  • No benefits (contract, holidays, pension)

  • Low status – not seen as “real work”

  • Solitary and unrewarding – little achievement, always more to do

III. Dual burden and triple shift

• Modern family reality: Men and women usually do both paid work and domestic work.

• Dual burden (women): Paid work + most domestic work.

• Triple shift (Duncombe & Marsden): Paid work + domestic work + emotional work (supporting family members’ worries and concerns).

IV. Power inequalities

• Feminists highlight power imbalances in families:

  • Patriarchal families: men have authority over women and children.

  • Outcomes include domestic violence, abuse, or women prioritising husband’s interests.

  • Financial dependence reinforces male power; women often earn less.

V. Decision-making

• Power inequalities shape family decisions:

  • Men usually make key decisions, especially about work, moves, finances.

  • Women often make decisions in traditional areas (home, children).

  • Even when women participate, men’s dominance remains intact.

• Examples:

  • Parental leave – women often takes more due to societal views + lower income.

  • Moving house – more likely for a man’s career.

VI. Gendered socialisation

• Boys and girls are socialised into traditional gender roles within the family.

• This reinforces patriarchy and influences wider societal gender inequalities.

4. Debates about whether the experience of family life is positive or negative

Family experiences vary by sociological perspective.

• Key point:

  • Functionalists: Family benefits all members and society.

  • Marxists: Family benefits capitalism; men benefit more than women/children.

  • Feminists: Family is patriarchal; women often oppressed; children may experience safety or care.

Strengths and limitations of Functionalist, Marxist, and Feminist views