Theory of family
Functionalism
Pre-requisites: 2 children, heterosexual married couple, 2 gens living in the same household, expressive and instrumental roles
4 functions (Murdock) - Sexual regulation, reproduction, primary socialisation and economic security
Murdock - Nuclear family is universal, either as sole prevailing form of family or the basic unit from which more complex forms are compounded, it exists as distinct and strongly functional for every grouo
Parsons - 2 functions: 1) primary socialisation: Families internalise societies culture into children - this is so strong that societies culture becomes apart of their personality and 2 the stabilisation of human personalities - in industrial societies the need to work, achieve and provide creates stress and could destabilise people, the sexual division of labour helps relieve this stress
Criticisms: very 'rosy' picture of family, old fashioned and ignores suppressive and destructive sides of the family e.g Leach and cooper: the nuclear family becomes so isolated and inward looking that it is actually a very destructive institution which suppresses individuality and teaches blind obedience.
Also ignores family diversity and other forms can carry out these functions
Parsons functional fit theory: Family has a functional fit within todays society as it carries out functions ideally suited to it. Structural differentiation, structures such as education, work, health care, law&order and the media have taken over the function the family used to have. Industrialisation created need for family to be geographically mobile and socially mobile, and that it has moved from a unit of production to unit of consumption, believes that the privatised nuclear family suits modern industrial society most
Laslett 1972 - Most pre industrial families were in fact nuclear, short life expectancy meant families were hardly ever extended.
Young and Willmott - Hardships of early industrial society meant the extended family were needed more than ever
Anderson supports young and willmott, as within society family are more likely to rely on kin and exchange services and support one another, functional fit also ignores multiculturalism
Feminism
Radical feminists
Believe only way to stop oppression is separatism
main reason for oppression is patriarchy, men hold all power over women and benefit from womens unpaid labour and sexual services.
Aim to overthrow patriarchy by opposing gender roles and oppression through radical reordering of society. Opposes existing political and social organisation in general as it is inherently tied to patriarchy
Radical fems tend to be skeptical of political action and tend to focus on culture change that undermines patriarchy and associated with hierarchical structures
Authors: Germaine Greer believes that even in marriage today women remain subservient to men and are actually happier single - this is why a high number of marriages are instigated by women. She also claims wives are more likely to suffer physical and sexual abuse.
Criticisms: womens role are not the same in all families, some are becoming more symmetrical. Some women choose to fulfill what feminists see as emasculating the role in the family; feminists do not account for this. 70% of divorces are filed by women, showing they have more power to escape
Marxist feminism
womens oppression benefits capitalism, believing that women are used to reproduce new generations of workers and soak up husbands anger from work. Also argue when women are not needed they return to domestic tasks. Criticised by others by justifying domestic violence
Causes - mens financial power, women are financially dependent, nuclear family represents this
How to stop this - believe in communist revolution
Margaret benston: Women used to produce and rear cheap labour forces for employers. Childcare they provide is unpaid, and they help maintain their husbands as workers at no cost to employers
Fran Ansley: Wives suffer as a result of the frustration experienced from their husbands in the alienating work they do for capitalists
Eval: Places too much emphasis on economic factors, ignoring other oppressive factors.
Margaret benston: if women were not caring for children in their house they would be on the street. Not raising children for nothing
Fran Ansley: for this to be a valid excuse men would have to constantly be angry, which they arent.
Liberal feminism
Main causes of oppression: not having equal rights, men being dominate and women being second best, sexual discrimination and stereotypes - men miss out on private life, women miss out on public life
How to remove oppression: equal rights, men change in attitudes towards women, housework and childcare need to be split between each other, rid of gender stereotypes
Key authors: Jennifer Somerville: encourages realistic policies which result in gender inequalities saying there has been progress made by women, that they now have great freedom and choice however women do need men. Somerville argues some feminists fail to recognise that womens positions have improved considerably.
Eval: Lib fems have optimistic view and focus and focus on increased equality between men and women. They see that the family benefits men but a relationship is seen more as equal. Look at the beginning of the new man who takes an active role in housework, childcare and being in touch with his feminine side.
Difference feminism
Focus on how white feminists group all women together and ignore ethnic differences, e.g black women are more likely to be single parents compared to whites or asians. There may be more patriarchy amongst Asians and their difference could be because of religious and cultural responsibility, and arranged marriage could also be an issue
argue we can not generalise women's experiences and argue ethnocentric beliefs are the main cause of oppression
Black feminists are an example, they argue white feminists neglect black womens experiences of finding the family a great source of support. e.g not all women experience the same feelings regarding the nuclear family, black women are more likely to be single parents
In order to remove oppression we need to educate people about how diverse family structures are viewed differently amongst different people and different cultures.
Marxism
Key principles of marxism (Marx) - Class conflict, suppression of w/c, dominant ideology, false consciousness, ideological state apparatus and repressive state apparatus
Engels - Nuclear family developed as a response to industrialisation and growing trend to 'own' private property, monogamous marriage ensured women become economically dependant and dont stray, nuclear family set up so capital can be passed on to heirs, monogamous relationships favoured so men could be sure the child is theirs, women become glorified prostitutes - producers of heirs in exchange for economic security
Zaretsky - The family provides a cushion from alienating work, allows the worker to relax, refresh and unwind after a days work, this means the worker feels revitalised for work the next day. Families separate and fragment from the rest of community and this dampens revolutionary potential
Marx - 1) Teaching sexuality and gender roles 2 Reproduction = workers 3) Primary socialisation - socialisation into dominant ideology 4) Economic security