(Families) Sociologists

• Jane Pilcher


  Most important feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness
• PHILLIPE ARIES (1960)


  Argues that in the Middle Ages, childhood didn't exist
• Reasons for changes in the position of children

  Laws, schooling, child rights, declining family size and child development
• Neil Postman (1994)


  Childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed
• Christopher Jenks (2005)


  Does not believe it is disappearing but changing. Argues childhood prepares an individual to become an adult. To achieve this vulnerable, undeveloped child needs to be protected and especially 'child centred' family and the education system.
• The march of progress view


  A group of sociologists including Aries and Shorter who argue that the position of children has improved today, with them being better cared for, nurtured and protected.
• Murdock (Functionalist)


  4 functions of the family ; Reproductive, Sexual, Socialising and Economic
• Parsons functional fit theory


  The function or type of the family will depend on the structure

  
  

  Nuclear family = modern industrial society

  Extended family = traditional pre-industrial society

  
  

  There are two essential needs in modern society:

  
  

  Geographical mobile workforce = as industries moves, people move and so the nuclear family is small and impact, it is easier to form nuclear families

  
  

  Social mobile workforce = the status is now achieved and so the children can achieve a better status than their parents which causes conflict which can result on the formation of nuclear families
• liberal feminist on role of family


  Believe that women's oppression is being gradually overcome.
• Marxist Feminist on role of family


  Family oppresses women for capitalist gain:

  women reproduce labour force

  women absorb anger (Fran Ansley)

  women are a reserve army of cheap labour.
• Radical Feminists on role of family


  Men are the enemy, family and marriage are key institutions in patriarchal society. 'The family (traditional) must be abolished
• difference feminism: family


  different types of family ALL have difference experiences: hetro/homo sexual, black/white, middle/working class
• Personal life perspective on the family

  They criticise the other approaches as;

  
  

  1) they assume that the nuclear family is the only type of family

  
  

  2) they are structural theories, meaning they assume the members have no free will.

  
  

  Plp (personal life perspective) want to find out how different individuals may define family, they take a bottoms up 'micro approach' to the family. Other family types.
• Explanations for the increase in divorce


  - changes in law

  - declining stigma & changing attitudes

  - secularisation

  - rising expectations of marriage

  - women's increased financial independence
• Different types of partnerships


  Marriage, Cohabitation, Same-Sex Relationships, One-person households, Living apart together.