As and alevel AQA revision of perspectives on the family including functionalism, Marxism, feminism. Sociology.

1. Perspectivesof the family
Functionalism
Functionsof the family - Murdoch
 Stable satisfactionof the sex drive
 Reproductionof the nextgeneration
 Socialisationof the nextgeneration
 Meetingeconomicneedse.g.producingaworkforce,
movingtowork.
✗ The nuclearfamilyisn'tthe onlyinstitutionthat
performsthese fictionse.g.educationsystem.
✗ Feministssee the familyaddoppressivetowomenas
their roles include satisfying men and raising children.
✗ Marxistsarguesthat the familymeetsthe needs of
capitalism.
Functional fit- Parsons
The type of familystructure will be seendependingon
economicneeds.There are twotypesof family:
The nuclear- parentsand children
The extended - three generationsunderone roof.From
the 18th century,the extendedfamilybegantogive way
to the nuclearfamily.
Social needsof the nuclearfamily - Parsons
 Geographical mobility - the nuclearfamilyissmall
and therefore easilymovable towhere capitalism
needsthem.
 Sociallymobile- nuclearfamilieshave nofamilial
hierarchy,therfore,thereisnotensionbetween
relativeswhenclimbingthe social ladder.
Loss of familyfunctions - Parsons
The familyusedtobe a unitof productionwhere they
were self-sufficient,theywouldmake theirownmoney
and produce the goodsfor the economye.g.farming.
Since the industrial revolution,familiesnolongerproduce
goods.Goodsare producedinfactories.Similarly,
functionssuchas educationandhealthcare are taken
overby the state.
The familyhastwo irreversiblefunctions:
 Primarysocialisationof the young.
 Stabilisationof adultpersonalitiesthroughleisure.
Marxism
Shapingfamilies - Engles
The inheritance of propertybroughtaboutthe ideaof a
monogamousnuclearfamily.Thiswastoguarantee that
propertystayedwithinfamilybloodlinesanddidn'tgoto
illegitimatechildren.Thisdepletedthe femalesex,where
theirsexualitywasbroughtundermale control toensure
she onlyhad hischildren.
Ideological functions - Zaretsky
Hierarchyand inequalityisinevitable,the familyoffersa
refuge fromthe oppressionandinequalitywithinsociety.
However,thisisjustanillusion.Inrealitythe familyis
inadequate providingahaven.
Unit of consumption
The familyisa major assetforprovidingprofitfor
capitalism.Thisisbecause familiesare nolonger
producers,theyare the consumersof goodsthat are
producedelsewhere.
Familieslike tokeepupappearances,havingthe newest
and latestgoods,tryingtomirror the cereal packetfamily
portrayed inthe media.
Childrenalsohave 'pesterpower'tobegtheirparentsto
have certaingoods. Thisis whyadvertson kidschannels
are largelytoysandholidaysout.
✗ Marxiststendto assume thatthe nuclearfamilyis
dominantwheninfactmany extendedfamilieshave
changedto livingclose ratherthanunderthe same
roof.
✗ Feministsargue thatmarxistsignore gender
inequalitiesandthatthe familyservesthe interestof
mennot capitalism.
✗ Ignoresthe obviousbenefitsof the family.
Feminist view
Liberal feminist- March of progress
More positive view of the family,menare doingmore
domesticwork,there isbettersocialisationof children,

2. fewerdiscriminationlawsthatlegitimise inequality.
These have made the familyamore equal institution.
MarxistFeminists
The source of female oppressioniscapitalism.
 Womenreproduce the workforce
 Absorbangerand frustrationinthe formof domestic
violence.Fromtheirhusband'sstruggleswith
alienationandexploitation."takersof shit"Ansley.
 Reserve armyof labourwhenthere isa shortage e.g.
WW2.
Radical Feminists
The familyandmarriage are keyinstitutionsof female
oppressioninapatriarchal society.Theydonotrecognise
the changesin the familynordotheysee the familyadd
benefitingwomen.Some argue forpolitical lesbianismas
menare the 'enemy'andwomenshouldn'tbe marrying
them.
✗ Liberal FeministslikeSumervilleargue thatradical
Feministsdonotaknowledge improvementstowards
equality.
✗ Political lesbianismisridiculousdye toheterosexual
attraction.
Difference Feminists
We cannotgeneralise all women'sexperiences.Racial
and classinequalitiesmake women'sexperiences
differentandungeneralisable.
✗ Neglectsthe factthat manywomenshare manyof
the same experiences.
Two maincriticismsof structural theories:
✗ Structural theoriesassume thatthe nuclearfamilyis
the maintype of familyinmodernsociety.
✗ Assume thatfamiliesare passivepuppetsthatarea
easilymanipulatedbythe structuresof society.
Personal life - alternate families
Familiesare whatwe make them,theydonothave to be
traditional inthe sense of bloodrelatives.People
construct familieswith:pets,friends,donorconceived
children,deadrelativesandfictive kin(aunt=mum's
friend).