Feminists

• (AO3) Education function- Marxism


  Children are socialised to obey the norms and values of society which Marxists argue are Capitalistic
• What type of family did Murdock primarily focus on?


  The nuclear family
• (AO3) Murdock- Rejecting the value consensus values theory


  Other perspectives like Marxism and Feminism reject the consensus values theory that the families can meet both the needs of the family and society at large while discounting aspects of conflict and exploitation. For example, Feminists view the family as supporting patriarchy and oppressing women whilst Marxists believe that it fulfils capitalist needs.
• What is the general Marxist ideology of the role of the family?


  Marxist theorists such as Engels, Marx and Zaretsky all argue that the role of the family supports and upholds the class struggle in society which benefits a rich minority known as the bourgeoisie.
• How did Engels (1884) argue that the role of the family upheld class struggle in society?


  Engels (1884) argued that the family performed an economic function for capitalism, by ensuring that wealth remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie. He stated that family relations facilitate inheritance and therefore, when rich people die, it is their children who keep hold of their wealth, keeping the rich, rich and the poor, poor.
• How did Zaretsky argue that the family is now a unit of consumption rather than a unit of production in modern society?


  In pre-industrial times, the family was a unit of production (family members engaged in activities that contributed to family income). In the Industrial era, the process of urbanisation (moving into towns/cities) meant that families was not able to grow their own food or keep livestock, and so they needed to gain employment in order to purchase the goods that they needed. They would exchange their labour for wages which were used to buy food, clothing and shelter. This shifted the family from being producers to consumers. This also made families dependant on the ruling class.
• How are children now an economic liability?


  Children are no longer an economic asset, due to child labour laws, compulsory schooling/raising school leaving age. This means that they remain economically dependent on parents for longer and, through pester power, generate false needs that benefit capitalism.
• What did Zaretsky mean by the family being a 'safe haven'?


  Zaretsky argued that the family had a psychological function of alleviating the stresses of workers. In the modern era, work was labour intensive and unfulfilling for workers. They suffered alienation from not seeing the results of their labour- particularly in manufacturing. Zaretsky stated that home provided a 'cushioning blow' from the effects of capitalism which would leave them refreshed and replenished to go back to work the next day.
• How did Zaretsky explain that the family being a 'safe haven' supported capitalism?


  Zaretsky said that the 'safe haven' allowed workers to release some of the tension they built up, during work, at home. He suggested that family life is an escape for workers- male tensions being released. Zaretsky also suggested that the family alone was not enough to satisfy the needs of workers and is unable to release all the tension.
• What did Zaretsky say about the unpaid labour of women?


  Domestic labour and the role of being a parent is largely unpaid. Zaretsky suggested that this unpaid labour served the needs of capitalism as it allows the workers to focus on the task in hand.
• How does family reproduce capitalism? (What does Zaretsky say about this?)


  The reproduction of future generations are socialised into the norms and values of capitalist society- making them docile and obedient workers. Zaretsky suggests that the family props up capitalism as these workers then consume, feeding the profits of the ruling class who continue to exploit other workers
• How does the family prevent workers from rebelling?


  The family stops workers from rebelling as they are socialised into personal responsibility for their family, controlling their actions, which gets rid of their ability to revolt. The need to feed the family and fear of consequences of withholding their labour to get higher wages and the prospect of unemployment mean that the bourgeoisie could control pay levels, allowing them to extract more work for less pay from their employees. Workers are also easily replaceable.
• (AO3) Zaretsky- Focuses too much on economic functions


  Zaretsky is criticised on focusing too much on having too much focus on the economic functions of the family. Critics suggest that there are alternative reasons why people decide to have children and form a family.
• (AO3) Zaretsky- consumption in contemporary society


  Zaretsky's ideas on the family being a unit of consumption can be proved correct, particularly in contemporary society. The growth of children's markets and the increase in spending and personal debts to acquire home entertainment provides evidence of Zaretsky's ideas that the family is a unit of consumption.
• What are the 4 types of feminists used in families?

  Liberal Feminists (equality between sexes), Radical Feminists (gender separatism), Marxist Feminists (families help preserve both capitalism and patriarchy) and Difference Feminism (state it is not possible to generalise women's experiences)
• What do Liberal Feminists mean when they say that there has been a 'March Of Progress' towards gender equality at home and in wider society?


  It is the view that families are becoming less patriarchal and more symmetrical (Young and Willmott's symmetrical families- families are equally balanced and flexible and where partners share both the instrumental and expressive roles)
• What do Liberal feminists mainly focus on?


  Liberal feminists believe feminists should mainly focus on campaigning for social policies which promote equality in the workplace and other areas of the public sphere. This is because they believe greater equality within the family is something that can be achieved through empowering women in politics and work.
• What do Radical feminists mainly focus on?


  Radical feminists disagree with other feminists like liberal, they do not believe changing laws will be enough, on its own, to end the oppression of women. They argue that women should find alternative ways of living where they are not subject to male oppression. This has led to the idea of gender separatism.
• What do Marxist feminists mainly focus on?


  Marxist feminists argue that family upholds both patriarchy and capitalism. They point out that capitalism benefits from the unpaid female work, as their workforce are fed, looked after and kept happy to ensure they keep working and do not rebel.
• What do Difference feminists mainly focus on?


  Difference feminists argue that every women goes through their individual problems and that we should not generalise a certain struggle to all women. They believe women are oppressed, but in different ways which vary based on where they live, what ethnicity they are and other factors. They also believe that black working-class women are the most discriminated against in society.
• Describe Hochschild's 'emotional work'


  Feminists noted that women are often required to perform emotion work, where they are responsible for managing the emotions and feelings of family members, ensuring everyone is happy.
• What did Duncombe and Marsden add to women's role in the family?


  They argued that women have to perform a 'triple shift' of housework, paid work and emotion work.
• What is the cultural explanation of the gender division of labour?


  The cultural explanation states that the division of labour is determined by the patriarchal norms and values that shape the gender roles in their culture. Women are expected to and socialised to do more domestic work due to societal norms.
• What evidence is there for the cultural explanation of the gender division of labour?

  Dunne found that lesbian couples had a more symmetrical relationship because of the absence of traditional heterosexual 'gender-scripts'.

  
  

  Gershuny found that couples whose parents had a more equal relationship are more likely to share housework equally themselves- he argues that social values are gradually adapting ti the fact that women are now working full-time and a new norm that men should do domestic work.
• What is the material explanation of the gender division of labour?


  The material explanation argues that women generally earn less than men, which means it is economically rational for women to do more for the housework and childcare while men spend more of their time earning money.
• What evidence is there for the material explanation of the gender division of labour?

  Kan found that for every £10,000 a year more a woman earns, she does two hours less of domestic work per week.

  
  

  Ramos found that where the woman is the full-time breadwinner and the man is unemployed, he does as much domestic housework as she does.