families+households

• Functionalist - Murdock- family


  nuclear family is universal feature in all societies+ its inevitable so you cant avoid having family units in society. his definition= ' a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation + reproduction, includes adults of both sexes, at least 2 of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting couple'. 4 basic functions= sexual, reproductive, economic, educational.
• Functionalist - Durkheim - family


  family plays important role in creating value consensus= shared ideas about whats considered important. Family is central to the process of integrating individuals into society so that society functions positively. Family also plays important role in developing social solidarity + collective conscience.
• Functionalist - Parsons - family

  over time family has become more and more specialised resulting in it carrying out 2 main functions: Primary socialisation = teaching kids norms/values of society + encouraging them to internalise them. Stabilisation of adult personalities = adults use family as source of comfort + support, believes that different roles of the family are the extension of biological roles, natural for women to take expressive role-caregiver/ triple shift + men to take instrumental role - power/breadwinner.
• Postmodernist - Beck - family


  no such thing as family today - instead people make range of decisions about relationships/structures they prefer as individuals. Claim theres less social pressure on people to conform to expected norms/values of whats considered acceptable. Dont regard the family as positive or negative rather reflect on the changes that have occurred. Greater choice and individualism has resulted in greater risk or instability within the family.
• New Right - Murray


  welfare benefits are too high and create a 'culture of dependency' where an individual finds it easy and acceptable to take benefits rather than work - he calls this the underclass. Nuclear family + traditional, conservative values are very important. If nuclear family breaks down then the child will be adequately socialised. Womens take on expressive role and men instrumental role.
• Marxists - Engels - family 


  family plays key role in maintaining capitalism. Family + capitalism wasnt around before 18th century as people practiced 'primitative communism'=no private ownership, everything collectively owned + family structure reflected this. After 18th century, capitalism emerged + family structure changed. 'Inheritance of property' = familes, specifically men want to pass their wealth to the next generation - mainly son.
• Marxists - Zaretsky - family


  Family role is to maintain capitalism through 'ideological functions', like primary socialisation= teaching kids norms/values of society. Family is a 'haven' from the harsh/exploitative world of capitalism - links to Functionalists 'warm bath theory'= family acts as a safety valve that helps male workers to release any tensions he has at work- links to feminist Ansley 'women are takers of shit' - have to deal with mens frustrations.
• Marxists - Zaretsky - family


  Family supports the economy through the 'unit of consumption'=family plays a major role in generating profit for capitalism - important market for sale of consumer goods = 'keeping up with the Jones' - wanting what others have, competition to have the best of the best - leads people consuming more. Advertising urges family to consume, media targets kids - 'pester power'= persuade parents to spend money.
• Marxist feminists - family


  women are dually oppressed by patriarchy + men, both oppress women for the benefit of men. Federici = many women are now forced into productive + reproductive labour, resulting in a 'double day'.
• Radical feminists - family

  Delphy + Leonard = inequalities in the home are the result of the way that relationships in families allow men to control women - these inequalities in power relations relate to decision making + control of finances - both advantage to men. Women do most of the work + men get most benefit.
• Intersectional feminism - family

  Nicholson + Calhoun = criticised other types of feminists for failing to take into consideration fact women in different types of households experience family life differently - claim its wrong to claim that all women are exploited in the same way in all types of families.
• Liberal feminists - family

  Ann Oakley= optimistic about gender equality between men+women within the family - claim that equality between men+women is slowly occurring through a shift in attitudes along with legal changes.
• social policy - Barter research


  found that domestic violence among teenage relationships is growing concern, which led to policies such as a media campaign to try to inform/ support young people.
• 1942 beveridge report


  led to the development of the welfare state - includes national insurance, national health service.
• 1969 divorce reform act


  marriage could now be ended if it had irretrievably broken down nd neither partner no longer had to prove 'fault' - allowed individuals to leave marriages they were unhappy in - provided greater choice. Led to massive increase in divorces.
• sex discrimination act 1975


  made discrimination illegal on the grounds of sex/marital status - clear message about gender equality in both public and private spheres.
• equal pay act 1970


  made illegal to discriminate against men or women on the grounds of their sex in relation to pay. Despite this men are still paid more than women when doing the exact same job.
• 1991 rape became illegal in marriage


  attempted to make women feel as if the state could intervene in private-sphere issues such as marital rape - very difficult to prove rape in marriage, very few cases go to court.
• civil partnership act 2004 + gay marriage act 2014


  recognised homosexual marriage as positive alternative - important shift from state labelling homosexuality as a crime to regarding homosexual parents as having the same rights/roles as heterosexual couples. Recognition for homosexual parents as being suitable for raising children successfully - huge shift in attitudes.
• Donzelot


  family policy reflects the views of the powerful in government who use it as form of surveillance over individuals/families. Policies are applied in very different ways according to if your middle or working class - benefit middle class. Health/social workers/key workers ensure family life occurs in the ways that governement see as being appropriate.
• Leonard


  government policies all reflect a strong preference for the ideology of the nuclear family with strong emphasis on women as nurturing + children subordinated. Encourages individuals to focus on work + consumption making sure traditional gender roles are reinforced.
• young + willmott


  Extended family is playing much less of a role in day-to-day life. The symmetrical family arose as result of society becoming fully industrialised - women + men having more leisure time to spend together. Relationship between men + women has become more equal/closer + more sharing of tasks within the home. Oakley= claims symmetrical family is exaggerated.
• chester

  Both men+women play the instrumental role and still sees the nuclear family continuing to be the dominant structure.
• Cultural diversity


  • Different family structures/roles/relationships based on changing patterns in ethnicity
• Life stage


  • Today, with an ageing population, there are greater number of family types than there were typically in the past
• Organisational diversity


  • People today are deciding to organise their roles/relationships according to different factors
• Generational diversity


  • Different ideas about what's considered to be acceptable or desirable in terms of family structures/roles/relationships according to ages of that person
• Social class


  • Idea that type of roles/relationships that occur are influenced by the socio-economic position that a person has - greater instability in lower class background
• african-caribbean families - Berthoud


  found that only 39% of british born african caribbean adults are married compared to 60% of white. More likely to intermarry/be single parents - over 50% containing 1 adult with 1 dependent child. Attitude of young caribbean women is one of 'individualism' - many choose to live independently from father of their kids. Families headed by women = 'matrifocal'. Grandmothers provide unpaid childcare allowingmother to work/support family unit.
• Asian families - Berthoud


  found Pakistani/Bangladeshi communities more likely live in traditional nuclear families. 33% live in extended families - grandparents act as source of support/unpaid childcare. More traditional in their views/place high value on marriage- often arranged. Little intermarriage/low divorce. Have more kids than Indian/white women+ at young age.
• Harkness

  poverty has greater negative effect on children not structure of the family.
• Gershuny

  lagged adaption - time delay between women working full time + men taking on more responsibility for domestic work.
• Postmodernist Weeks

  greater individualism has led to creation of families of choice. Couples tend to pool money in a joint account while keeping money back in a personal account - have sole control over their personal money.
• Postmodernist Stacey

  families no longer based around 1 dominant structure.
• Smart


  same sex couples dont link control over money with inequality in the relationship - they organise their money based on whats best for them as a couple - they dont have the same ideas about money+ gender that heterosexual couples traditionally held.
• Beck


  postmodernity is characterised by increasing emphasis on individual chouses or individualisation instead of forming relationships based on social expectations. - marks departure from forming relationships based on social expectations.
• smart = neale


  marriage has become more focused on being in a relationship in which parenting is shared + claims that divorce offers women a chance to redefine their relationships/find less oppressive ones.
• carsten


  more and more people favouring chosen family members rather than seeing biological relatedness as primarily significant. Our relationships create the individual and are highly significant = calls this 'relationality'=biology becomes less important in defining family relationships.
• Misztal + Smart


  suggests sociologists should try and understand family life through exploring peoples memories - peoples values shape what is remembered - these memories provide important info about family relationships.
• Rustin

  understand family life through biographies - people presenting their life through photos, videos, objects so that their relationships/family life can be better understood.