Perspectives of the family

Functionalism

Functions of the family - Murdoch

Stable satisfaction of the sex drive

Reproduction of the next generation

Socialisation of the next generation

Meeting economic needs e.g. producing a workforce, moving to work.

✗ The nuclear family isn't the only institution that performs these fictions e.g. education system.

✗ Feminists see the family add oppressive to women as their roles include satisfying men and raising children.

✗ Marxists argues that the family meets the needs of capitalism.

Functional fit - Parsons

The type of family structure will be seen depending on economic needs. There are two types of family:

The nuclear - parents and children

The extended - three generations under one roof. From the 18th century, the extended family began to give way to the nuclear family.

Social needs of the nuclear family - Parsons

Geographical mobility - the nuclear family is small and therefore easily movable to where capitalism needs them.

Socially mobile - nuclear families have no familial hierarchy, therfore, there is no tension between relatives when climbing the social ladder.

Loss of family functions - Parsons

The family used to be a unit of production where they were self-sufficient, they would make their own money and produce the goods for the economy e.g. farming.

Since the industrial revolution, families no longer produce goods. Goods are produced in factories. Similarly, functions such as education and health care are taken over by the state.

The family has two irreversible functions:

Primary socialisation of the young.

Stabilisation of adult personalities through leisure.

Marxism

Shaping families - Engles

The inheritance of property brought about the idea of a monogamous nuclear family. This was to guarantee that property stayed within family bloodlines and didn't go to illegitimate children. This depleted the female sex, where their sexuality was brought under male control to ensure she only had his children.

Ideological functions - Zaretsky

Hierarchy and inequality is inevitable, the family offers a refuge from the oppression and inequality within society. However, this is just an illusion. In reality the family is inadequate providing a haven.

Unit of consumption

The family is a major asset for providing profit for capitalism. This is because families are no longer producers, they are the consumers of goods that are produced elsewhere.

Families like to keep up appearances, having the newest and latest goods, trying to mirror the cereal packet family portrayed in the media.

Children also have 'pester power' to beg their parents to have certain goods. This is why adverts on kids channels are largely toys and holidays out.

✗ Marxists tend to assume that the nuclear family is dominant when in fact many extended families have changed to living close rather than under the same roof.

✗ Feminists argue that marxists ignore gender inequalities and that the family serves the interest of men not capitalism.

✗ Ignores the obvious benefits of the family.

Feminist view

Liberal feminist - March of progress

More positive view of the family, men are doing more domestic work, there is better socialisation of children, fewer discrimination laws that legitimise inequality. These have made the family a more equal institution.

Marxist Feminists

The source of female oppression is capitalism.

Women reproduce the workforce

Absorb anger and frustration in the form of domestic violence. From their husband's struggles with alienation and exploitation. "takers of shit" Ansley.

Reserve army of labour when there is a shortage e.g. WW2.

Radical Feminists

The family and marriage are key institutions of female oppression in a patriarchal society. They do not recognise the changes in the family nor do they see the family add benefiting women. Some argue for political lesbianism as men are the 'enemy' and women shouldn't be marrying them.

✗ Liberal Feminists like Sumerville argue that radical Feminists do not aknowledge improvements towards equality.

✗ Political lesbianism is ridiculous dye to heterosexual attraction.

Difference Feminists

We cannot generalise all women's experiences. Racial and class inequalities make women's experiences different and ungeneralisable.

✗ Neglects the fact that many women share many of the same experiences.

Two main criticisms of structural theories:

✗ Structural theories assume that the nuclear family is the main type of family in modern society.

✗ Assume that families are passive puppets that area easily manipulated by the structures of society.

Personal life - alternate families

Families are what we make them, they do not have to be traditional in the sense of blood relatives. People construct families with: pets, friends, donor conceived children, dead relatives and fictive kin (aunt = mum's friend).