sociology- family

• Zaretsky

  • C creates an illusion that the fam private life is separate from the economy.
  • cant provide physiological + social needs of a person - bc it serves C which doesn't care for peoples needs
  • NF serves C bc -
  • unit of consumption- bc constantly buying to compete w/ other fam + to make the housewife's work more efficient e.g better hoovers ect this all supports businesses
  • relies on the oppressive role of the housewife bc it produces workers + forces men to be the breadwinner and go to work to provide for the NF but also while serving C
  • ONLY SOCIALISM CAN END THIS
• Rappaports - research on how fam life was changing 


  secondary + quantitative research to conclude that

  • NF is ↓, ↑ diversity
  • this is a good thing - freedom for the ppl
  • no right type of fam
• RAPPAPORTS - diff types of diversity

  • L - lifestyle
  • O - organizational
  • C - cultural
  • C - cohort
  • S - social class
• social class diversity 


  the income will effect the fam structure + so the diversity
• cohort - family diversity 


  the gen the fam was produced in will effect the fam structure + diversity
• cultural - fam diveristy 


  the cultural background will effect the fam structure + so diversity
• organisational - fam diversity 


  the roles of the people in the fam will effect the fam structure + so diversity e.g dual worker
• lifestyle - fam diversity 


  the period of life the people in the fam are in will effect the fam structure + so diversity e.g newlywed, preg, widow
• Oakley - liberal feminist

  • NF - being the conventional family increases the social control they r under bc they want to be the traditional fam
  • gender inequalities bc the fam creates dual burden - strain + financial inequality on m+w - m is forced to be the breadwinner + has the pressure of providing for the fam on him. w forced to be the housewife so may become unsatisfied,w dependent on the man financially
  • radical feminists - say the fam will always have stereotypical conjugal roles that the w is expected to do
  • Oakley likes the symmetrical family - roles r even - dual worker +new man