Family

• Value consensus

  shared set of norms and values
• Murdock 1949


  argues that the family is used to meet society's needs. these are economic, sexual, reproductive and educational
• Parsons 1955


  Believes that the family is a functional fit, pre-industrial extended family working on the farms, post-industrial nuclear family easier to move
• Ascribed

  fixed status from birth
• Achieved status

  earn their status through work
• Engles

  Believes the family keeps the rich, rich. Their was a promiscuous horde so marriage was created to ensure inheritance was passed down through the family
• Promiscuous horde

  Tribal society, no sexual restrictions
• Zaretsky

  Argues the family benefits capitalism through creating an illusion that private property of the family is separate the economy. Provides a place to release their frustration of working life
• Unit of consumption/ pester power

  must keep up with material goods + children desire things so parents feel pressured into buying them
• Bourgeoisie

  Upper class
• Proletariat

  working class
• Instrumental role 


  men: breadwinner
• Expressive role

  women: looking after the children and the house
• segregated conjugal roles

  couples doing separate roles
• joint conjugal roles

  share the tasks within the family
• Willmott + Young 1973


  the family is improving as it is becoming more equal
• Ann Oakley 1974


  criticise willmott + young and instead argues that women today suffer dual burden with the home life, children and working
• Edgell 1980


  found that very important decisions were made by men, important were made together and less important just women
• Laurie + gershuny 2000


  found by 1995 70% of couples were having equal says in the decision making
• Pooling money

  all money going into the same account
• Coleman et al 2007 


  found that women were more likely to experience it than more, 2 women a week are killed by a partner or an ex
• Crime survey statistics (domestic abuse)

  7.3% of women compared to 5% of men
• Radical feminists explanation of domestic violence 


  emphasises the role of the patriarchal ideas, cultural ideas + values
• Materialist explanation of domestic violence

  emphasises the economic factors such as a lack of resources
• Wilkinson + Pickett

  found that stress on family members causes by social inequalities could lead to domestic violence
• March of progress sociologists argue childhood today has improved...

  infant mortality rates decreased, child protection laws, free education + healthcare
• Before children were.....

  Economic asset
• Now children are...

  economic liability
• socially construct

  something created by society
• Aries 1960

  Argues that in the Middle Ages childhood did not exist, studied painting "mini adults"
• Neil Postman 1994

  childhood is disappearing, children are entering the adult world quicker due to technology + media
• Sue Palmer 2007

  toxic childhood, due to technology + cultural changes it is causing problems with PIES development
• Child centred

  Children are at the focal point of the family
• Children, up to 21st birthday, cost a family

  1/4 of a million
• Childhood worldwide

  Some children have adult responsibilities such as having children young, getting married young, looking after the family + child soldiers
• Birth rates statistic

  1.5 children to every child bearing women
• Why has their been a decreased in birth rates

  Changes in women's positions, decline infant mortality, economic liability
• Death rates

  Life expectancy has increase
• Why are people living longer

  public healths measure, medical improvement, smoking, diet
• Effects of the ageing population


  public services, dependency ratio, ageism