Family

• Family


  A group of people who are related by kinship ties: relations of blood, marriage or adoption
• Household


  Either one person living alone or a group of people who live at the same address and who share living arrangements.
• George Peter Murdock (1949)

  The family= universal institution- it is found in all known human societies

  "A social group characterised by common residence... which includes adults of both sexes, at least 2 of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one of more children, own or adopted.
• Parsons- the family


  4 functions:

  1. Sexual- the stable satisfaction of the sex drive prevents the social disruption which would be caused by sexual free for all.

  2. Reproductive- all societies need new members to ensure their physical survival

  3. Economic- the family meets their own economic needs for food and shelter etc.

  4. Educational/ Socialisation- the family teaches the young shared norms and values.
• Parsons- Functional fit theory

  The functions a family performs will be effected by the type of society in which it is found and the functions it has to perform will affect its structure

  Pre industrial society- Family needs to perform many functions so the extended family is more suited

  Industrial society- Family does not need to carry out so many functions so the nuclear family is more suited
• Meeting the needs of industrial society

  1. Geographical mobility- Nuclear families can move from place to place much more easily to search for jobs

  2. Social mobility/ meritocracy- In industrial society the family is no longer required to ascribe status. Instead young people need to be independent of their families to achieve their own occupations and social positions.

  3. Structural differentiation (the loss of functions) -In the new/more complex industrial society new institutions emerge to take over functions previously performed by the family e.g. schools, hospitals, care homes, social services. The family is left with 2 irreducible functions
• Evidence against Parsons


  Laslett (1972) Study of English house from 1564-1821 found that they were almost always nuclear. A combination of late childbearing and short life expectancy meant that grandparents were unlikely to be alive for very long after the birth of the first grandchild.

  Anderson uses exchange theory to explain the popularity of the WC extended family. He shows the harsh conditions such as poverty and sickness. This meant that benefits included using using older kin for childcare while parents worked, and taking orphans to produce extra income and help towards the rent.

  The nuclear family emerged as a result of social changes made the extended family less important. It does provide financial support= extended family values
• Family or Families

  David Morgan points out it is pointless trying to make large-scale generalisations about 'the family' as if it were a single thing like functionalists do. Rather, a family is simply whatever what-ever arrangements those involved choose to call their family.
• Same sex couples as pioneers

  Same sex couples are leading the way to new family types and more democratic and equal relationships.​

  This is because they are not influenced by traditional gender roles.​

  Their relationships are negotiated instead
• March of progress view- has the position of childhood improved

  The march of progress view paints a dark picture of the past

  
  

  'The history of childhood is a nightmare from which we have only recently begun to awaken. The further back in history one goes, the lower the level of childcare, and the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorised and sexually abused