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Theories about the relationship between the family and the economy (p 113)
Theories about the relationship between the family and the economy
(p 113)
Functionalism
Society consists of four subsystems:
Economic - work
Political - government
Cultural - education, religion, media
The family
Murdock's 4 Functional Prerequisites
Sexual Control
: the idea that if commited
or cohabitating couples do not have sexual
relations with anyone on the outside, they
will have 'stability through exclusivity'.
Reproduction
: Families reproduce society by creating new members who replace past members
Socialization
: Children are taught values & norms.
Economic provision
: families must ensure group survival through economic means. They develop a division of labor involving paid unemployment and unpaid domestic work.
Overall: Economy needs socialised individuals and the purpose of the family is to provide those socialized individuals.
Families would suffer, given loss of functions.
Neo-Functionalism
Overall: The individual needs to be linked to society; so they learn through the family.
Why learning behavior in the family helps towards economy (Horwitz)
Rules transmitted & enforced by people who share a deep, emotional commitment are more likely to be effectively taught and learnt.
Emotional closeness provides incentives to develop co-operative behavior.
Rule-learning can be taught subconsciously by children observing and imitating adult behavior, prompting them to adopt implicit rules at work
Neo-Marxism
Overall: Emphasizes how family income may provide advantages OR disadvantages on children of different classes.
Ex. Middle and upper class parents equip their children with knowledge and skills necessary for easy transition to the workplace.
Ex. Underprivileged parents with working-class children aren't taught the values and knowledge associated with the workplace.
2 Factors:
Cultural capital
and
institutional investment
cultural capital:
non economic resources
institutional investment
: time, money, and effort put into a given institution
Conflict
Overall: The family's role is to support a capitalist economic system across three dimensions:
Ideologically
: families propagate ideas favourable to both capitalism and a ruling class.
Economically
: Families perform a productive role to capitalism by producing future workers and also replacing those who become inefficient for work.
Politically
: The family acts a stabilizing force that helps maintain the order needed for family to function profitably (like companies)
Feminism
Overall: The family is an oppressive structure, imprisoning women both inside and outside the home through double and triple shifts.
Women now:
work as
paid employees
whose labour contributes to ruling class profits
work in the home as
unpaid workers
whose labor mainly benefits men
work in the home to ensure the
psychological well-being
of family members